2018 Native Tree & Shrub Descriptions

Transcription

1 In alphabetical order 2018 Native Tree & Shrub Descriptions American Plum (Wild) - Prunus Americana Balsam Fir Abies balsamea This small rapid growing shrub or tree matures in 35 to 65 years, and reaches a height of feet with a broad spreading crown. The American Plum prefers a ph of 6.5 to 6.6 and well drained deep prairie loam, but will tolerate sand or gravely soils and a fairly wide range of soil ph conditions. American Plum is shade intolerant, but it can tolerate drought conditions. Dark green leaves turn pale golden-yellow in the fall. Armed with short thorn-like spur branches, showy white fragrant flowers appear in April or May. Edible fruit ripen in August or September and is red, orange, or yellow. This tree is susceptible to black knot, brown rot, plum pocket, fire blight, eastern tent caterpillar, and is suitable as a specimen tree. Balsam Fir is the best conifer to plant in shady areas, where it is most tolerant. With a moderate to rapid growth rate, its mature height is feet and crown spread is feet with shallow wide spreading roots. It prefers medium soils, loams, silt loams, and clay loams, but will grow more slowly in gravelly sands and peat swamps. Wildlife uses as a cover, especially in severe weather, but is a target for damage by sapsuckers. Do not plant near power lines. Birch, Paper Betula papyrifera Birch, River Betula nigra Paper Birch has a chalky, creamy white bark that peels into strips. It has a rapid growth rate and can reach a height of ft. with a crown spread of ft. at maturity (80 years). Multiple trunks are common for open-grown plants. It has an upright oval form. It prefers sandy loams with a ph range of 5.0 to 8.0, but will tolerate a variety of soil types. Plant in cool, moist, well-drained sites. It s shade and drought intolerant. Dark green leaves turn yellow in the fall. It is susceptible to bronze birch borer, leaf miner, canker, and decay. Uses include wildlife plantings, horticultural applications, and commercial products. Do not plant near power lines. River Birch is moderately fast growing and has a dark brown bark at the base of old trunks, deeply furrowed, becoming lustrous and reddish-brown higher up. Bark peels somewhat less freely than Paper Birch. With a height of feet, mature trees have shorter main trunks that divide into several large limbs that form a crown of slender drooping branchlets. Triangular shaped leaves with double-toothed edges have dark green upper surfaces with a pale yellow beneath, and turn yellow in fall. 1 inch long catkins are cone shaped and densely crowded. It is shade intolerant. Do not plant near power lines.

2 Black Cherry Prunus serotine Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa Black Cherry wood is a rich reddish-brown color and is strong, hard, and close-grained, making it one of the most valued cabinet and furniture woods in North America. Pitted fruits are edible and used by humans, but loved by songbirds, game birds, red fox, black bear, raccoon, opossum, squirrels, and rabbits. Includes profuse spring bloom of white flowers, attractive summer foliage and fall color. Black Cherry likes well-drained upland sites on sandy or loam soil, and is fairly drought resistant. Young trees tolerate shade, competing well under thin canopy of oak or aspen, and they grow fast, reaching 80 feet and living 200 years. Do not plant near power lines. The Black Chokeberry produces clusters of white flowers in spring and black, inedible fruits in fall. It has dark-green leaves. Best planted in open areas, away from faster growing shrubs. Tolerates various soils, but thrives in rich soil, where it spreads by rhizomes into colonies. Great in shrub borders. Choke Cherry Prunus virginiana Choke Cherry is typically a large, bushy shrub with multiple stems 7 16 feet tall. It can take the form of a small tree, reaching a height of feet with a crown spread of feet. Choke Cherry is short-lived and has an upright oval form. It prefers rich, loamy, moist, well-drained soil with a ph of 6.5 to 7.5, but will tolerate dryer conditions. Choke Cherry is shade intermediate and can tolerate drought. Choke Cherries produce long clusters of white flowers in spring. The small black fruit ripens in July August and can be used for preserves. Other uses include wildlife plantings, fuel wood, and horticultural plantings. Do not plant near power lines. Dogwood, Gray Cornus racemose Gray Dogwood has a moderate growth rate reaching a height of 6 12 ft. and a width of 6 8 ft. It has an oval shape and produces root suckers, is moderately tolerant of poor drainage, but prefers moist, well-drained soil. It will grow in clay or sandy soil, has dense light green foliage turns purplish in fall. 2 3 clusters of creamy white flat-topped flowers bloom June July. White berries on red stalks mature late summer, red stalks persist after berries and leaves have dropped. Great for making a screen since it withstands shearing because dense growth, and soil stabilization on banks due to its excellent root system.

3 Dogwood, Red-Osier Cornus sericea Elderberry Sambucus canadensis Red-Osier Dogwood makes its most striking display in winter, when bright-red twigs contrast against sky and snow. This shrub has a moderately fast growth rate and can reach a height of 10 feet with a crown spread of up to 12 feet. Red-Osier is a broad erect grower that is a many stemmed, thicket-forming shrub seldom with a single trunk. It is tolerant of diverse soil types and withstands poorly drained soils, preferring wet sites. Red-Osier grows well in either full sun or shade but is not tolerant of hot droughty locations. Elderberry has a fast growth rate, reaching heights of ft. with a crown spread of 10 ft. Elderberry is adaptable, produces suckers, and prefers a slightly acidic loamy soil, but will grow in other soils. It favors moist lowlands, but will grow in dryer sites and is somewhat drought tolerant. It prefers full sun but will tolerate partial sun. Compound leaves turn yellow in the fall. 10 white flattopped flower clusters appear late June July. Small dark fruit appear in large clusters ripening in late summer, is aromatic and has a full-bodied flavor, making it desirable for wine-making, preserves, and pies. Other uses include wildlife plantings (over 70 species rely on this plant), and as a border plant. Hazelnut Corylus americana Hazelnut can be found throughout Minnesota. Usually growing as a 6 8 foot tall, multi-stemmed shrub, it can be pruned to form a small tree reaching a height of feet. IT is best grown in natural areas, as windbreaks and wildlife shelterbelts, screenings and the back of a shrub border. It can spread by rhizomes into a large colony, or remove root suckers to prevent thickets. Grows in most soil conditions in full sun or part shade. Fall colors range from orange, rose, purplish red to yellow-green. Hazelnuts provide excellent food for many kinds of wildlife. Filberts (the nut) are edible, although wildlife will probably beat you to them. Highbush Cranberrybush Viburnum trilobum American (or Highbush) Cranberrybush is actually related to Nannyberry, not the bog cranberries we eat at Thanksgiving. It has a moderate growth rate and reaches a height and crown spread of up to 16 feet. It grows in most soil types, but prefers cool conditions in moist, well-drained soils. It does well in full sun but is fairly shade tolerant. Three-point leaves turn from dark green to bright red in the fall. White flat-topped clusters of flowers appear in June, followed by bright red fruit ripening in early September and persisting throughout the winter. The fruit is edible and can be used for preserves. It is susceptible to bean aphid, snowball aphid, and leaf spot. Uses include wildlife planting and horticultural planting.

4 Juneberry (Serviceberry or Saskatoon) - Amelanchier alnifolia Maple, Red Acer rubrum Juneberry is a thicket-forming (root sucker) shrub or tree that has a moderate growth rate reaching a height of up to 10 feet with a crown spread of 5 8 feet. The tree form is oval to irregular and the plant can be pruned into a single small tree. Juneberry prefers moist well-drained soil, full sun but tolerates partial shade. Leaves are a blue-green, turning yellow-orange to red-purple in fall. White showy flowers in early spring produce an edible bluish-purple fruit 1 inch in diameter that ripens in mid-summer. Juneberry is susceptible to leaf minor, wooly aphids, bored, rust, witches broom, fire blight, lead spot, and mildew. Uses include wildlife plantings, and horticultural applications including landscaping and borders. Red Maple is a moderate to fast growing tree, obtaining maturity in 70 to 80 years, and reaching heights of 50 to 70 feet with a crown spread of 40 to 60 feet. It prefers slightly acidic sandy loams that are well drained, but tolerates other conditions. It grows in partial shade but does best in full sun, is moderately tolerant of drought. Lobed leaves are a bright green and develop fall colors ranging from yellow to orange to red. Small red flowers appear early in spring before the leaves unfold. Seeds are winged and ripen in late April to mid-june. It is susceptible to scale, gall, tussock, looper, tar spot, canker, and wilt. Uses include horticultural practices as specimen tree, wood products, maple syrup. Do not plant near power lines. Maple, Silver Acer saccharinum Maple, Sugar Acer saccharum Silver Maple has a rapid growth rate and reaches maturity in 50 years with heights of 60 to 90+ ft., crown spread averaging 75 ft. It prefers moist, well-drained, coarse sandy loams to fine, sandy, or silty clays, but will grow in poor or wetter soils. It will grow well in partial shade but does best in full sun, is very resistant to drought conditions. Leaves are bright green above and silvery white underneath, turning yellow in fall. Small yellow to red flowers open in spring. Female trees release winged seeds in late spring. It is susceptible to scale, tussock, borers, looper, gall, tar spot, canker, and wilt. Because of its fast growth rate, it is used as a temporary tree in shelterbelts and as a shade tree. Do not plant near power lines. Sugar Maple has a slow to moderate growth rate obtaining a height and crown width of 60 to 80 ft. at maturity ( years). It has a dense upright oval to rounded crown. It prefers moist well-drained loams and clay loams, with a ph preference of 5.5 to 7.3. It is very shade tolerant but sensitive to drought, pollution, and salt. Bright green leaves develop outstanding fall color ranging from yellow to orange to red. Flowers appear in early spring with winged seeds that are released in fall. It is susceptible to borers, gall, tussock, aphids, tar spot, canker, and wilt. Uses include wildlife plantings, ornamental and street plantings, wood products, and maple syrup. Do not plant near power lines.

5 Mountain Ash Sorbus americana Nannyberry Viburnum lentago Mountain Ash is favored for its lovely berries, which persist through winter in bright red bundles. Given space, the tree reaches a height and crown spread of 15 to 25 feet. If prefers the richer soils of valleys and slopes, but will tolerate other types of soils. A ph range of 4.0 to 7.0 is acceptable. It is shade and drought intolerant. Leaves are thin and pinnately compound. Small white fragrant flowers in dense flat-topped clusters appear in June. Bright orange-red shiny fruit in large clusters ripen in September or October. Mountain Ash is susceptible to borers, aphids, lace miner, mites, wilt, powdery mildew, leaf blight and spot, canker and decay. Uses include wildlife plantings, décor in landscaping, and shelterbelt applications. Nannyberry is a fast-growing shrub that grows to a height of ft. and crown spread of ft. It can be pruned to acquire tree form. It prefers moist, moderately coarse sandy or gravelly loam, but does well in other types of soil. It grows best in full sun, but will tolerate some shade. Glossy green leaves turn deep maroon in the fall. Small white flowers in 2 3 inch flat topped clusters appear in May. Mature fruit is a bluish-black berry, ripe in September, that has a date-like flavor. It is susceptible to plant bug, tree hopper, aphids, leaf spot, and powdery mildew, especially when grown in shade with poor air circulation. Uses include wildlife plantings, and landscaping for borders, foundation plantings, and a specimen tree. Oak, Red Quercus rubra Ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius Ninebark is an adaptable shrub, with a round shape, maturing to 4 8 feet in height by the same width. Its growth rate is moderate and will grow in full sun or light shade, in dry sandy soils as well as heavy clay. Young stems are bright red and smooth, while old bark peels off in thin strips to expose a brown inner bark. Flowers are white or pinkish in terminal clusters. Fruit is small and red, and leaves turn yellow in the fall. The flowers are attractive to butterflies, insects, and birds. Red Oak has a rapid growth rate and can reach heights of feet with a crown spread of feet at maturity ( years). Red Oak is distinctly pyramidal in youth becoming rounded with age. It prefers well-drained, rich, moist soils, with a ph ranging from 4.5 to 7.0. The Red Oak will grow in partial shade and is moderately tolerant of drought conditions. Glossy dark green foliage turns orange to red for excellent fall color. Red Oak requires years to reach flowering stage. Uses include wildlife plantings, wood products, and landscaping as a specimen tree. Do not plant near power lines.

6 Oak, Bur Quercus macrocarpa Oak, White Quercus alba Bur Oak has a slow growth rate and can reach a height of 70 to 80+ ft, with a crown spread of ft at maturity ( years). It has a round to wide spreading form. It prefers moist, loamy, welldrained soils with a ph of 4.0 to 8.0, but will tolerate a wide range of soils with wet or dry conditions. It is intermediately tolerant of shade and is very drought tolerant. It is tolerant to urban pollution and root disturbance, but requires considerable space. Bur Oak will begin producing edible acorns when it is years old. Dark green leaves turn yellow, brown, or red in the fall. It is susceptible to twig pruner, canker worm, borers, oak lace bug, oak worm, oak leaf caterpillar, and anthracnose. Do not plant near power lines. A large forest tree growing up to 100 feet, White Oak prefers deep, well-drained, acidic soils, usually sand or sandy loam. It typically occurs with Bur Oak, Northern Pin Oak, and Aspen, and its deep roots make it very drought resistant. White Oak is slow growing and very long-lived at years. Given space, it will grow broad and tall. In spring the young leaves are a delicate, silvery pink and covered with soft down, turning maroon in fall and persisting well into winter. Acorns are prized by wildlife, and the hardwood, also known as stave oak, is water and rot-resistant, often milled for lumber and flooring. Do not plant near power lines. Peach Leaf Willow Salix amygdaloides Pin Cherry Prunus pensylvanica Peach Leaf Willow likes seasonal flooding, making it a great pioneer for lakeshores, riverbanks, marshes, swales, and flood-prone lowlands. This midsize tree grows up to 60 feet tall, has one or a few upright, leaning trunks, with deep furrows and interlacing ridges in the bark. The Peach Leaf Willow needs full sun. Long, slender leaves are dark green above and pale green beneath. Forest-grown specimens usually have a single tall, straight trunk, Grown in the open, multiple trunks will lean diagonally. Do not plant near power lines. The Pin Cherry is a member of the rose family and is native reaching into the far north of Canada. The bark of young trees often has a distinctive metallic sheen. This winder-hardy tree produces small, bright fruit containing a single seed in August. Fruist are bright red, about 1/4 inch across, and is suitable for preserves. Pin Cherry needs rich soil and full sun. Root system is shallow. The tree can reach 20 feet in height, but is usually shorter. Good for specimen tree, wildlife plantings.

7 Pine, Jack Pinus banksiana Pine, Norway (Red Pine) - Pinus resinosa Jack Pine has the shortest needles of the pine varieties, occurring in pairs that fork out like jackrabbit ears. Rapid growth rate at first then slows until it reaches a mature height of feet. Seedlings need direct sun and do not tolerate shade. Prefers moist, welldrained soils. They can tolerate sandy soils with low nutrient levels and little organic matter. Though often portrayed as small, scraggly, and short-lived, specimens in favorable conditions can reach 100 feet tall and are known to have lived over 200 years. Fair to good wildlife value for birds. Do not plant near power lines. The Minnesota State Tree. It is moderate to fast growing, reaches a height of ft. crown spread of ft. at maturity ( years). It is pyramidal when young, developing a unique tufted appearance with age. Needles are medium to yellow green. It prefers slightly acidic, sandy soils that are well drained, but will grow in poor, dry soil and is winter hardy. Red Pine is shade intolerant and moderately tolerant of drought conditions. It is very susceptible to salt damage. It is susceptible to weevil, sawfly, budworm, scale, shoot moth, spittlebug, rust, canker, blight, and root rot. Uses include wildlife plantings, wood products, landscaping as a specimen tree, and Christmas trees. Do not plant near power lines. Pine, White Pinus strobus Riverbank Grape Vitis riparia White Pine is the tallest conifer in Minnesota. This tree has a rapid growth rate and reaches a height of feet with a crown spread of feet at maturity ( years). It has a somewhat pyramidal form when young and becomes broad with age. It prefers well-drained moist loam, silt loam, or loamy sand soils, but will do well in a variety of soils. Its ph preference is 4.5 to 6.5. White Pine can grow in partial shade but is intolerant of drought conditions. White Pine is susceptible to White Pine blister rust (do not plant near currant or gooseberry bushes) and deer browse. Bud capping is recommended. Uses include wildlife plantings, landscaping, and wood products. Do not plant near power lines. Riverbank Grape is commonly seen in woodlands and along stream banks. It is highly tolerant of seasonal flooding and sedimentation. It even does well in dry habitats like sand dunes and rocky bluffs. It is by nature a climbing vine, and it occasionally climbs as high as feet, yet it never quite reaches the tops of large trees and will cause no significant damage. Fruit is small, purple-blue in color when ripe, and is edible as well as the leaf.

8 Sand Cherry Prunus besseyi Sand Cherry typically grows in small clumps and produces multiple short stems, each no more than about waist high. Leaves are silvery green and it reaches a height and width of 6 feet. It produces a profusion of white flowers in spring, followed by purple to black, edible fruit. In ideal conditions the plant will grow from 12 to 18 inches a year. Prefers full sun and can tolerate hot, dry sites. Native habitats include dunes, sand barrens, bedrock outcrops, and openings in pine forests. Spruce, Black Picea mariana Black Spruce is the only conifer that thrives in wet or poorly drained soils. It is slow-growing, reaching a height of feet and living years or more. Small to medium pyramidal shape with sparse upper drooping branches. Can have many dead lower branches. Purple pine cones will remain on the tree for up to 15 years. Fire causes cones to open, dispersing seeds. Do not plant near power lines. Spruce, White Picea glauca Staghorn Sumac Rhus hirta White Spruce is a fairly rapid growing evergreen tree, reaching heights of feet and a crown spread of feet at maturity. It is densely pyramidal in shape. White Spruce prefers moist, well-drained medium to fine textured soils, but will grow in a variety of soils with a ph range of 4.5 to 7.5. White Spruce is shade tolerant and moderately tolerant of drought conditions. Needles are dusty green to blue-green, and the spruce cones are 1 2 1/2 inches long, and rarely persists through winter. White Spruce is susceptible to sawfly, budworm, spider mite, adelgid, dwarf mistletoe, rust, and root rot. Uses include wildlife plantings, shelterbelts, Christmas trees, landscaping, and wood products. Do not plant near power lines. Staghorn Sumac is a native shrub named for the long, soft hairs that look like antler velvet covering its branching twigs. Sumac spreads by root suckers to form dense thickets. However, root suckers can be eliminated and the plant grown as a loose, round headed, small tree which will reach a height of feet. Grows in poor or dry soils where other shrubs will not grow. Prefers full sun. Excellent fall colors range from orange to bright red to maroon. Fruit have a dense covering of metallic-red hairs, and often persist through winter. Plant on steep slopes to prevent erosion.

9 Tamarack Larix laricina White Cedar (Arborvitae) Thuja occidentalis Tamarack is unique as a needle-leafed deciduous tree; its needles turn golden-yellow in fall, drop in winter, and reappear as soft green in spring. This tree has a fairly rapid growth rate, slower in wetter sites, reaching maturity in years. It may reach a height of feet with a crown spread of feet. Tamarack is pyramidal when young, becoming more irregular and wider with age. It prefers a ph of 4.0 to 7.5. Most commonly found in swamps, it will grow on well-drained upland sites and can tolerate a wide range of soil moisture conditions. Tamarack is very intolerant of shade and drought. Tamarack is susceptible to larch sawfly and larch canker. Uses include wildlife plantings, shelterbelts, wood products, and horticultural plantings. Do not plant near power lines. White Cedar commonly overhangs rivers and lakeshores. It has a slow to moderate growth rate and can reach a height of ft. with a crown spread of ft. at maturity (200 yrs). It has a dense columnar to pyramidal shape, and the main trunk often divides into several leaders. It prefers soils that are fine clay, medium loams, or moderately coarse sandy loams that are not limestone. Will grow in wet or dry soils. It is moderately tolerant to shade and can withstand drought conditions. Needles are a soft yellow-green to bright green and may turn brown in the winter. Fruit is a small brown cone that matures in fall. It is susceptible to deer browse, spider mite, root weevil, blight, and canker. Uses include wildlife plantings, wood products, and is excellent for shelterbelts. Do not plant near power lines. For more information on selecting the correct site on your property and the correct tree, please contact SWCD Forestry at All photos by Katy Chayka and Peter Dzuik, of minnesotawildflowers.info, used with permission.