This dataset contains information on soil physical and chemical characteristics across twenty urban reforestation sites planted as part of the Reforest the Bluegrass program in Lexington, KY. Urban reforested areas located in Lexington, Kentucky were evaluated over the course of summer 2020. At least three plots (and up to nine plots) were established in each site, with additional plots added if forested patches were sufficiently large. At each plot, we established a 0.002-ha (0.005-ac) circular sampling plot to survey woody understory species, respectively. Height and species of all woody plants <2.5 cm DBH and ≥30 cm tall were tallied to the nearest 0.5 cm with a telescoping height pole. These data will contribute to understanding of understory stand dynamics in developing urban forests.