Tree of the Month Blog

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,...

  Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra) A native of the Alps and Carpathian Mountains of central Europe, Swiss Stone Pine was introduced to the US as a tough and cold hardy addition to our suburban landscapes. It can attain heights of 80 to 120 feet...

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...

Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) A small, fast growing native, smooth sumac is an ideal plant for troubled soils.  Native to the Eastern United States, it has been cultivated since 1629 and distributed throughout most of the country since...

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...

A cross between the Oriental Planetree and American Sycamore, the London Planetree was first recorded growing in London in 1663.  It takes its common name from this fact and also that it is the primary street and park tree in London. ...