Selecting Trees
Selecting a tree that will survive and flourish isn’t always as easy as a trip to
the garden center. We often select a tree for its aesthetic attributes such as showy
spring flowers, fall color, or unique leaf or bark without even looking at the site
and conditions it will have to grow in. Before you get your heart set on a certain
tree for your yard, there are several things you need to look at and think about.
-
Evaluate the above and below ground growing space. If high voltage electric lines
exist overhead, select a tree species that will mature at 25-30 feet, such as crabapple,
tree lilac, hedge maple, or ornamental cherry, to name a few.
-
Examine the soil texture, pH, drainage and compaction levels. If the soils are a
heavy clay or drain slowly, that will limit species selection because many trees
can not survive in these soils. Soil pH is a measure of acidity and 7.0 or greater
will not grow healthy oaks and red maples.
-
If the tree will be planted along a road or sidewalk, select a species that will
tolerate deicing salts.
-
Avoid selecting trees that have poor branch structure and are prone to branch breakage
such as ‘Bradford’ Callery Pear, Willow, Poplar, Siberian Elm, or Silver Maple.
Do not plant these close to homes or structures.
-
Avoid planting invasive species that will quickly take over a site and displace
native plants, degrading habitat for native insects, birds and animals.
- Avoid some species that are currently under stress and declining in our landscapes,
due to introduced insects and diseases.
The best success will come from matching the planting site limitations with a tree
that will tolerate those conditions. The following websites will provide you more
in-depth information about analyzing your site conditions and selecting a tree species
that will flourish in that site.
Penn State University publications on selecting Conifers, Shade and Ornamental Trees
Penn State University’s Landscape Factsheet - this publication contains over 200
different species and cutivars, color images for each, and facts about their growing
requirements, limitations, and growth habits/mature size.
This book can be ordered at
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu
It is also now available on CD Rom for digital use – call 814-865-7541 or email
ForestResources@psu.edu
Getting the Roots Right – Article by Gary Watson, Morton Arboretum
http://www.mortonarb.org/res/RESEARCH_watson_GettingRootsRight.pdf
Penn State Consumer Horticulture Website
Cornell University’s
Urban Horticulture Institute website
Free downloadable Cornell publication titled “Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Selection
for Stress Tolerant Planting’
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/bassuk/uhi/outreach/recurbtree/index.html
Northern Trees – a tree selection website designed by Rutgers, University of FL, and the USDA Forest
Service
http://orb.at.ufl.edu/TREES/index.html
Ornamental Plants Websites listed
at University of Connecticut
"Plants Fact Plant Lists" - Ohio State University
“Urban Trees and Shrubs: A Guide to the Selection of Trees and Shrubs in Urban Areas” – USDA Forest Service
“The Right Tree Handbook” – University of MN, for selecting trees that are compatible with utility lines
How to Choose the Right Tree – Heartland Tree Alliance
National Arbor Day Foundation Guide
to Selecting Trees
Tree Selection – International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
Tree Selection for Urban and Suburban Landscapes - Dr. Ed Gilman, University of FL
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/selection.html
Energy Conservation Planting Strategies – MN Dept of Natural Resources
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/treecare/energy/strategies.html
Cornell University’s Poisonous Plants Database
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/alphalist.html