WHAT IS AN IMPROVED NATIVE
Part TWO: deciduous TREES
With the need to ban invasive plant species the last several years there has been a push to plant natives (Please review The Invasive Trees and Shrubs blog for details). Unfortunately, some of the natives are not super tough or dependable. Improved natives are indigenous plants that have developed by nurseries because of their exceptional qualities and dependability. If you want to plant natives, we have few great native trees and to consider.
Disclaimer1 Plants do not come with an instruction manual but with a little research you can pick the right plant for the right spot. Please take note of size, light and soil moisture requirements. If you choose a plant that grows naturally in part shade in wet areas and you plant it in sandy soil in full sun, guess what? The plants we recommend are tough and pretty adaptable but not bullet proof.
ten GREAT native TREEs to consider
Swamp White Oak is a very clean large shade tree with deep green shiny lobed leaves that display a deep red fall color. It has a grey-white bark that exfoliates as it grows. It tolerates wet and dry soil which makes it a great urban tree.
The swamp white oak has beautiful shiny deep green leaves
The uniform shape of the basswood American sentry
Basswood American Sentry is a uniform upright oval-shaped shade tree with large leaves. In the summer it has large creamy white fragrant flowers that are great for pollinators. It is a very tough tree tolerant of poor soil. It has a great yellow- golden fall color.
Sassafras is a medium-sized tree that grows in stands of root sprouts. It has three distinct shaped leaves. It also has great fall color and interesting deep-furrowed bark.
If you look closely you can see the three different leave shapes,
Green Gable Tupelo in brilliant fall color
Tupelo Green Gable is a wonderful improved native. A clean medium tree that tolerates different soil types. It is native to wetlands which makes it a great tree for wet soil conditions. It has a fabulous scarlet fall color.
Sweetgum is a medium to large tree. It has amazing fall colors with a range of yellow, purple, and red. The leaves are almost star-shaped with 5-7 points that are bright green in the summer. Its winged bark on its smaller stems gives it and interesting silhouette. The fruit can be problematic but its other attributes make it a great tree.
The interesting shaped sweetgum leaves in a mix of fall colors
The Crusader hawthorn (in bloom) is an under used small tree
Hawthorn Crusader is a small to medium tree with year-round interest. White flowers in the spring, glossy dark green leaves in the summer that turn a beautiful orange-yellow in the fall. Its small red fruit persists through the fall and winter attracting wild life.
Redbud Minnesota Strain is a great native tree with magenta flowers in the spring before the leaves emerge. It is a small to medium-sized tree. The leaves are deep green and heart-shaped. This is a great tree that can struggle with cold hardiness (for that reason it is sometimes called the dead bud) so this cultivar developed in Minnesota is an excellent choice for New England.
The iconic redbud blooms on this hardy variety
Paper birch is the best choice of all the white birch for New England
Paper Birch Oasis, Reflection, this is a great Improved Native. The paper birch is the best of the white birch trees. It does have a native borer insect that can be problematic but it is not a problem as long as you keep this tree well-watered. It is under used for that reason but it is well worth the effort. It is a great tree in clump or single stem form.
River Birch Heritage This tree has unfortunately been overused during the last 10-20 years but that is because it is so reliable. It is a beautiful medium to a large tree. The good news is that it grows very fast, the bad news is it grows very fast and gets big quickly. Whether you use a single stem or clump form be sure to plant this medium to large tree in an area with lots of room.
The large sheets of exfoliating pinkish bark is its most obvious feature
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