Tree of the Month Blog

  Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima) The Chinese chestnut was originally introduced to cultivation in the US in 1853.  Its nut, while not as sweet as the American chestnut, is valuable for human consumption and is also good for...

A beautiful medium-sized ornamental tree that was introduced from China and Japan in 1903, and is now planted widely throughout the U.S. Its main attribute is its beautiful spring floral display.  Double, deep rose pink flowers appear with...

Introduced from Eurasia, the Callery Pear, named after French missionary Joseph Callery, who first collected the species in 1858, has become one of America’s most popular street and garden trees. Through nursery selection, its messy fruits and...

Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana) The Saucer Magnolia is a cross between two Chinese species, the Yulu and Lily Magnolias.  It is planted widely in the U.S. as an ornamental tree.  It is a medium growing tree to 30 feet in height...

    The Sawtooth oak is a native of China, Japan and eastern Asia.  It was first imported to North America in 1862 and was mainly used as a supplemental feed crop for wildlife and stock animals, but the acorns are bitter and are...

  European White Birch (Betula pendula) A beautiful and graceful specimen mainly prized for its white bark.  The tree starts with a pyramidal habit and becomes more rounded with age attaining heights of 80-100 feet in its native Europe,...

Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba) The Ginkgo is native to China but is planted in landscapes and streetscapes around the world.  It is one of the oldest trees identified in the fossil record. They are very hardy trees with few insect...

American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) Native to wet sites on the East Coast, this tree adapts well to lawn and park settings.  It is a medium to fast growing tree and will easily reach 50 to 75 feet or more and nearly as wide.  It...

A beautiful name for a tree, often considered a noxious weed. In Victoria, Australia, its cultivation is strictly forbidden. Introduced to the U.S. in 1784 from China, it has since naturalized and has been proclaimed as an invasive species in USDA...

The Mimosa or Silk-Tree, a native of South Asia, was introduced to North America in 1745, and has adapted well to a wide variety of conditions here in the U.S. It transplants easily and often seeds itself readily, sometimes to the point of being...

The Crimson King is the most famous cultivar of the Norway Maples. It is noted for its maroon leaves that last all summer. It was introduced to the United States in 1948 from France. Commonly planted as a street tree, it is usually intermixed with...

  The leaves are 1 to 2 inches long and are green to reddish green in color.  Fall color can be nice shades of yellow and orange, but it depends on the cultivar.  There are currently over 700 named cultivars and varieties worldwide.  Some...