lasting, 2 to 3 inches
florida and more
Weeping’ look
white blossoms may
drought tolerant.
especially well
cover trees for over a
Needs another
planted on a
month in late spring
kousa dogwood
hillside or above a
and early summer.
nearby to produce
wall.
Showy, pinkish red,
best fruit show.
raspberry like berries, Prune to encourage
in late summer.
single trunk. Zones
5-7.
Cornus mas
Moderate growing
Grow in full sun to
One of the earliest
round headed small
part shade in fertile plants to bloom.
tree or large shrub,
well-drained soil.
Makes a lovely
Cornelian cherry
often with multiple
Resistant to usual
under story in a
trunks. Reaches 20 to
dogwood pests.
woodland garden.
25 ft. Glossy green,
Prune off lower
Use in mixed
2-4 inch long, oval
branches to reveal
border or as an
leaves with prominent handsome bark.
informal hedge or
veins. Poor fall color. Zones 5-8.
screen. Most
Flowers a misty
effective with a
yellow haze in late
dark background
winter or early spring.
that shows off the
Edible fruit in mid-
blossoms.
summer.
Elaeagnus
Fast growing tree or
Grow in average
Useful informal
angstifolia
shrub to 20 ft. with
soil in full sun.
hedge or
rounded, open shape.
Performs well in
windbreak, or use
Small, oval silvery
dry soil, windy
as a specimen in a
Russian olive
green leaves. Fragrant sites, and seashore
mixed border.
flowers followed by
conditions. Prune
Silvery foliage
yellow green berries
to encourage a
looks good with
with silver scales.
single trunk. May
other gray-leaved
Dark brown shedding form root suckers.
plants and contrasts
bark.
Zones 3-7.
with darker green
foliage.
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Small Tree Name
Description
Maintenance
Comments
Halesia Carolina
Slow-growing, broad
Grow in moist,
Native to the
spreading, round
highly organic,
Southeast. Makes
Carolina silverbell
headed tree to 25 ft.,
acidic soil in full
an excellent under
sometimes 30 to 40
sun or partial
story in a
ft. Oval leaves 2 to 5
shade. Zones 5-9.
woodland garden.
inches long turn
Use in mixed
yellow in fall.
border or as a patio
Delicate, white bell-
tree. Looks best
shaped flowers in
with a dark
clusters dangle along
background that
undersides of
shows off flowers,
branches in mid-
or planted on a
spring.
hillside where
flowering branches
can be viewed
from below.
Magnolia stellata
Slow growing, often
Grow in full sun in
Use in mixed
multi-trunked tree or
loamy soil. Prune
border, as a
Star magnolia
shrub to 20 ft. Oblong to encourage
specimen, or
leaves 2 to 4 inches
growth of multiple
against a house
long turn yellow in
trunks. Late freezes wall or dark green
fall. Fragrant, many-
can destroy
background, giving
petaled, 3-inch
blossoms; avoid
it plenty of space.
flowers cover trees in
southern exposure,
‘Royal Star has
early spring before
which encourage
very large flowers
leaves emerge. Silver
early frost
and is most cold
gray bark.
susceptible
hardy; ‘Water lily’
flowers. Establish
is a bushy plant
strong branch
with pink buds
structure to avoid
opening white.
breaking from
winter ice. Zones
5-9.
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Small Tree Name
Description
Maintenance
Comments
Styrax japonicus
Moderate growing
Grow in moist,
A graceful tree,
tree with horizontal
acid soil in full sun perfect for a patio
branches, wider than
or partial shade.
or mixed border.
Japanese snowbell
tall, reaches 20 to 30
Remove low
Plant on a hillside
ft. Long pointed dark
growing branches
where blossoms
green leaves turn
if desired. Zones 6-
can be seen from
yellow in fall.
8 and moderate
below.
Numerous bell
regions of Zone 9.
shaped flowers
dangle along the
undersides of the
branch in late spring
and early summer.
Fissured bark.
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Medium Tree Name
Description
Maintenance
Comments
Amelanchier laevis
Moderate growing
Grow in full sun to
Native to the
tall shrub or small
partial shade in
eastern U.S., this
tree with multiple
moist, fertile, acid
shrubby tree works
Allegheny
trunks and an open
soil. Susceptible to
best naturalized in
serviceberry
branching pattern.
firelight and rose
woodland, where
shadblow
Reaches 35 to 40 ft.
family insects, but
its early spring
Leaves open red and
not usually serious
flowers brighten
change to gray green
in naturalized
the forest and the
in summer, turning
plantings. Zones 4-
summer berries
red and yellow in fall. 8.
feed birds.
Hazy white flowers in
early spring as the
leaves emerge. Small
red berries in the
summer. Bark is
ornamental pink gray.
Carpinus betulus
Slow growing, round
Grow in average
Excellent lawn tree
headed tree to 30 ft.;
soil in full sun;
for shade. Mass
eventually 50 ft. or
tolerates a wide
plant ‘Columnaris’
European
more. Dark green,
range of
as a windbreak or
hornbeam,
oblong, pointy leaves
conditions. Good
screen. ‘Fastigiata’
ironwood
with saw tooth edges
city tree. Zones 5-
is vase-shaped. Not
turn yellow or orange
7.
columnar.
in fall. Sinewy trunks
and branches with
smooth gray bark
similar to beech trees.
Cladrastis lutea
Slow growing, round
Grow in full sun in
Native to the
headed tree to 25 ft.
acid to alkaline
southern states and
Yellowwood
Light green
soils. Prune in
effective
compound leaves turn summer, since sap
naturalized in
gold and orange in
will bleed
woodland. Use as
fall. Clusters of
profusely in late
lawn shade tree
pendulous fragrant
winter and spring.
alone or in groups.
white flowers in early Zones 4-8.
Casts a dense
summer. Smooth gray
shade and is deep
bark.
rooted. Does not
bloom well when
young.
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Medium Tree Name
Description
Maintenance
Comments
Magnolia
Reaches 10 to 20 ft.
Grow in partial to
Native to regions
virgininiana
in the north and up to
full shade in acid,
along the east and
60 ft. in the south.
moist to wet soil.
gulf coasts.
Deciduous in the
Susceptible to ice
Excellent
Sweet bay
north, evergreen in
storm damage, but
naturalized in
the south. Leaves 3 to less so than most
woodland where
5 inches long, glossy
magnolias. Zones
evergreen foliage
green with white
5-9.
provides winter
undersides. Fragrant
interest. Good tree
3-inch blossoms
in border along
appear sparsely from
shady side of
late spring to autumn.
house.
Fall fruits with red
seeds.
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Tall Tree Name
Description
Maintenance
Comments
Acer saccharum
Moderate growing,
Grow in good,
Excellent lawn
round headed to oval
loamy soil in full
shade tree. Use to
tree, to 5 ft. Leaves 5
sun or light shade.
create woodland;
Sugar maple
lobed, medium green
Less tolerant of
may be planted as
in summer, turning
stress than other
an under story tree
brilliant yellow,
maples. May suffer that will eventually
orange, and red in
leaf scorch during
grow tall enough to
fall. Greenish yellow
drought years.
become the
haze of flowers
Zones 3-7.
dominant tree.
before foliage
emerges in spring.
Bark smooth gray
brown when young,
becoming deeply
furrowed with age.
Betula nigra
Moderate to fast
Grow in moist,
Stunning tree for
‘Heritage’
growing tree, reaches
acid soil in full
use in lawn or
40 to 70 ft. Leaves
sun. Tolerates wet
garden; casts light
toothed, arrow
soil. Resistant to
shade. Locate
‘Heritage’ river
headed, 3 inch long,
bores, which
where it can be
birch
open yellow green,
trouble other
appreciated in
changing to dark
birches. Cut out
winter. Be sure to
green in summer and
older trunks of
purchase the
yellow in fall.
maturing trees to
‘Heritage’ cultivar;
Ornamental reddish
encourage
the species has
brown bark peels to
regrowth with
variable bark
lighter patches of
attractive bark.
characteristics.
salmon and cream on
Zones 4-9.
young and middle
aged trees.
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Tall Tree Name
Description
Maintenance
Comments
Liquidambar
Moderate to fast
Grow in full sun in
Excellent lawn or
styraciflua
growing tree, reaches
moist, acid soil.
street tree. Plant in
60 to 75 ft. high.
Fruits are slow to
mixed border or
Sweet gum
Leaves are star-
break down and
woodland so fruits
shaped emerge pale
may be a cleanup
drop where no
green mature to
problem in some
clean up is needed.
glossy dark green,
situations. Does
changing to purple,
not tolerate air
red, yellow, and
pollution. Zones 5-
bronze in fall.
9.
Zelkova serrata
Moderate to fast
Grow in full sun in
Attractive lawn and
growing, vase shaped
moist, rich soil.
street tree,
tree, reaching 40 to
Tolerates draught
suggested as a
Japanese zelkova
80 ft. Oval toothed
and pollution once
replacement for
leaves emerge light
established. This
American elm.
green and mature to
elm is resistant to
‘Village Green’ is
dark green, changing
Dutch elm disease.
fast growing, with
to yellow-orange in
Zones 6-9.
a strong upright
fall. Smooth gray
vase-shape. Zones
bark.
5-9.
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Weekender Evergreen Tree Recommendations
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Evergreen
Description Maintenance
Comments
Tree Name
Chamae-cyparis
Moderate growing
Grow in full sun in
Use these large
lawsoniana
with soft, scale like
moist, loamy, acid
growing
evergreen needles;
soil. Prefer a cool,
evergreens as lawn
Lawson false
eventually reaching
humid climate;
trees or for
cypress
100 ft. C. obtuse has
may get mites in
screening.
a flat, fan shaped
hot climates. Zones
sprays of dark green
5-8.
needles. Both have
attractive shredding,
reddish brown bark.
Picea omorika
Slow growing,
Grow in full to
The more graceful
narrowly columnar
partial sun in deep,
spruce. Very useful
Serbian spruce
tree with symmetrical rich, moist soil.
because of its
pendulous branches.
Tolerates both acid narrow shape; use
Reaches 20 to 25 ft.
and alkaline
as a specimen,
after 50 years, 100 ft.
conditions. Protect
street tree, or
with great age.
from winter wind.
screen.
Glossy, dark green
Mites may be
needles marked with
troublesome in
white. Cones 2 inches warm climates.
long.
Zones 4-8.
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Evergreen
Description Maintenance
Comments
Tree Name
Pinus strobes
Fast growing, single
Grow in well-
Use as a specimen
trunked tree with
drained, fertile,
tree, or plant as a
White pine
open, airy branching.
acid soil. Tolerates
privacy screen or
Reaches 50 to 80 ft.
heavy soil and
distant background.
over 100 ft. with age.
drought once
May be sheared for
Needles 3-5 inches
established. Very
a formal hedge.
long, bright green to
susceptible to
bluish green. Cones
white pine blister
6-8 inches long.
rust, but the disease
needs nearby wild
or cultivated
currants as an
alternate host to
infect pines. Does
not tolerate air
pollution or road
salt. Zones 3-9.
Podocarpus
Slow growing,
Growing full sun to Use as a specimen
macrophyllus
upright, oval tree;
partial shade in
tree, or plant as a
reaches 20 to 35 ft.,
well-drained,
privacy screen or
Podocarpus, yew
but may be shorter in
fertile soil. Best in
distant background.
podocarpus
colder climates.
shade in the south;
May be sheared for
Needles 1 to 2 inches
protect from winter a formal hedge.
long, glossy dark
sun in all climates.
green, arranged
Branches may be
around stems. Red
thinned to restrict
berry like fruits.
size. Zones 8-9.
Pseudotsuga
Very slow growing
Grow in fertile,
Distinctive
menzieii
tree with horizontal
moist, acid soil in
evergreen with a
branches arranged in
full sun. Protect
course texture and
Douglas fir
whorls. Reaches 20 to from wind and late
very dark foliage.
30 ft., 60-90 ft. with
afternoon sun in
Use as a specimen
great age. Needles 5
hot climates. Zones or in a mixed