LISLE, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- If you've ever wondered what trees you should plant in your back yard or in your parkway, you're not alone: the Morton Arboretum is leading a study to determine what trees will do the best if there's a drought in this area.
The bottom line premise of the study: When cities have a lot of trees, the people in the cities do better.
"While they're pretty and give aesthetic and mental health benefits, they also provide critical services - ecosystem services - to you and your neighborhood," said Dr. Christine Rollinson, a forest ecologist at the Morton Arboretum
The arboretum is leading a study of trees all across the Chicago area to see which are most drought-resistant.
"A healthy tree cools your house, your neighborhood and the city as a whole," Rollinson said.
She also said climate change is expected to make drought and excessive heat more common.
At the end of a two-year study, Rollinson said the idea is to get a better sense of which species are more drought-tolerant - and make recommendations to growers.
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