Gardening Topic for April 2008
Small Trees for the Yard

Provided by the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association
www.wmassmastergardeners.org.

When driving around the Pioneer Valley from early to late spring, like most of us, I take great pleasure from the many flowering trees in the yards I pass. The Florida and Kousa dogwoods are spectacular with their wonderful forms and dramatic flowers (really bracts rather than flowers); however, I also wonder why so many yards are host to the same small group of trees, however desirable they are. As gardeners are increasingly interested in native trees, shrubs and perennials, I wonder why more people aren’t planting the Pagoda dogwood, for example. It is a native dogwood that isn’t subject to some of the disease problems encountered with the Florida dogwoods. Therefore, a list of outstanding small trees is provided below to offer interesting options when considering the addition of a new tree. Not all of these trees flower in dramatic ways, but may offer exceptional form or leaf color, good fall color or interesting bark for winter interest. This is just a sampling of small trees that will do well in Zone 5 (many also are hardy to Zone 4).

There are some types of trees that I did not include, such as magnolias, which are well represented in our area by star and saucer magnolias; there are other more unusual types of magnolias that are suitable here as well. In addition, I only touched lightly on the range of Japanese maples, which are of interest, but that is a topic unto itself. Good evergreens, such as various cultivars of Chamaecyparis, also need to be discussed in greater depth than is possible here. I also don’t discuss crab apples here, as beautiful as they are, since they are frequently used and there are many cultivars. With crab apples, it is important to select a cultivar that is known to be resistant to cedar apple rust. Also try to pick a cultivar with fruit that holds into the winter.

If you encounter attractive but unfamiliar trees at garden centers, ask if they have a copy of Michael Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants on site and if they do, ask to read about the tree you are considering to be sure that it is suitable for your location. This is a fantastic book, but it does not have photos, so it is important first to find a photo book of trees (there is one also by Dirr named Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs) to identify those trees to which you are most attracted or which are most suitable for your property. I depend on Dirr’s somewhat opinionated commentary about each tree in his “landscape value” sections.

The following are good trees that are 20-25 feet; many are understory trees and good in shade, while a few prefer full sun:

• Acer triflorum: three flower maple. It has exfoliating bark that becomes vertically fissured; excellent fall color.
• Acer griseum: paperbark maple. Exfoliating bark in dramatic way.
• Acer palmatum: Japanese maple; there are a large number of interesting varieties with dissected leaves (dissectum), weeping or mounding, variegation, green or purple (Bloodgood).
• Amelanchier Canadensis or shadblow or serviceberry; a native tree with a loose habit, or can be multi-stemmed. It has a fairly brief show of airy white flowers early in spring. It produces dappled shade and lovely berries that are edible when blue but quickly eaten by birds. The leaves are oval and attractive. It is fairly delicate and not high impact visually but quite lovely, especially in woodlands. Good fall color especially in cultivar Autumn Brilliance.
• Betula nigra, River Birch. Heritage is good cultivar. Has exfoliating bark and is resistant to bronze birch borer. It can grow taller than 25 feet.
• Cercidiphyllum japonicum: Katsura. This is a very large specimen tree. It is very beautiful but needs a lot of space. However, cultivars pendula and Heronswood globe are in weeping or mounding form and do not get so large. Leaves are heart-shaped and emerge reddish, and the bark exfoliates. It is Michael Dirr’s favorite tree. Great fall color. Needs sun.
• Cercis canadensis: Redbud. It is a native woodland tree, with beautiful early violet or reddish purple flowers along the branches before it leafs out. Leaves are very attractive, large and heart-shaped, and also reddish when emerging. In Albany, I had winter dieback, but it might do better in Western Massachusetts; it is officially Zone 4. Alba is white cultivar; Forest Pansy has beautiful burgundy leaves, is somewhat less hardy, but it grows in our area.
• Chionanthus virginicus; white fringetree. It has interesting bark as well as flowers and fruit. The flowers create a very light lacy appearance. It is a native.
• Clethra barbinervis: Japanese clethra. It can be a large shrub or small tree and has white fragrant flowers late in the summer; it is very attractive to insects. The bark is smooth, polished gray to rich brown and may exfoliate.
• Cornus alternifolia; Pagoda dogwood. Native small tree with white flower, not as beautiful as other dogwood flowers but the layered branching of the tree is wonderful and gives strong horizontal effect. Variegata has creamy margins on leaves.
• Cornus mas; Cornelian cherry. A looser habit with very early bright yellow flowers and red fruit; can sucker.
• Halesia Carolina; Carolina silverbell. Can be tall; very beautiful with lovely dangling white bell-shaped flowers; there is a pink cultivar.
• Hamamelis; witch hazels. Many different types, most with yellow or burnt orange spidery flowers. Blooms in February and March and most are fragrant. Smith has a number on campus. Jelena is copper-colored and has a horizontal habit.
• Heptacoidium miconoioides; Seven-son flower. Multi-stemmed; can be pruned to stay a bush; has beautiful white flowers in late summer; red fall calyxes; interesting with long, dark leaves; fragrant. Best in full sun but can take semi-shade.
• Koelreuteria paniculata; Golden rain tree. Not always hardy in our area but there are several happy specimens locally. Flowers in yellow panicles in June or July.
• Oxydendron arboretum; sourwood. A wonderful pyramidal, usually narrow, native tree with white drooping panicles of flowers that look a little like flowers of pieris. Fantastic red fall color. One is on right side of the Smith boathouse on Paradise Pond.
• Parrotia persica; somewhat larger tree, new leaves are reddish, purple; has interesting bark; good fall color
• Pinus densiflora umbraculifera; Tanyosho pine; flat-headed or puffy 10-20 feet with handsome cinnamon exfoliating bark.
• Prunus maackii; amur cherry has fuzzy white flowers but the main attraction is fabulous shiny, amber bronze bark that exfoliates.
• Prunus Hally jolivette, a cherry tree with pink flowers; needs sun.
• Rhamnus frangula “asplenifolia; more of a tall shrub, 10-12 feet with ribbon-like leaves; narrow and columnar and very airy. Fine Line cultivar not as tall and chubbier in the center with different silhouette.
• Sciadopitys verticillata; Japanese umbrella pine; strange looking and interesting; slow growing.
• Stewartia pseudocamellia; camellia-like gorgeous white flowers; wonderful exfoliating multi-color bark; sun or partial shade.
• Styrax japonica; Japanese snowbell. Delicate with drooping white flower bells. A big hit on 2007 Forges Library garden tour. Airy and open canopy.
• Styrax obassia; fragrant snowbell; much larger and more tropical-looking leaves than japonica; very dramatic in form and leaf with lovely flower sometimes hidden by leaves.
• Tsuga Canadensis Sargentii; weeping hemlock. Cascading waves of branches; very dramatic; can get very wide but can be pruned.

• On-Line Sites for Information

o Horticulture at the University of Conn: http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/index.html
o University of MO Botanical Garden: http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/plantkey.asp
o Dave’s Garden Forum: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/77217/

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Provided by the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association
www.wmassmastergardeners.org