Step 1 - Find the right tree for your space (and Check Availability)

1. Cornus florida - Flowering Dogwood (SOLD OUT)

Habitat

• native to the eastern and central United States
• zone 5 with selection of proper genetic material
• grows naturally as an understory tree

Habit and Form

• a small deciduous tree
• grows to about 30' tall with an equal or greater spread
• shape is rounded to somewhat flat-topped
• branching is approaching horizontal
• branches low to the ground with a short trunk

Summer Foliage

• opposite, simple leaves
• oval to ovate shape
• leaves 3" to 6" long
• leaf color is medium green

Autumn Foliage

• red or reddish purple
• generally quite showy
• colors early and color holds for an extended period

Flowers

• flowers are small and yellowish green
• the showy part of the bloom the four white bracts
• bloom time is mid-May
• bloom is effective for 2 weeks
• flowering occurs before leaf out

Fruit

• bright, shiny red fruits
• held in tight clusters of 3 to 4
• each fruit is 0.33" to 0.5" long and elongated

Bark

• quite attractive
• develops small square or rectangular blocks
• resembles alligator skin
• color is dark gray, brown or black

Culture

• prefers a cool, moist, acidic soil that contains organic matter
• full sun promotes greatest flowering but tolerates partial shade well
• not tolerant of stresses such as heat, drought, pollution, road salt
• best transplanted at a small size

Landscape Uses

• lawn tree
• specimen
• border
• has four season appeal in flowers, fruits, fall, color, bark and branching character

Liabilities

• flower buds can be killed or injured by cold in zone 5
• dogwood borer
• dogwood anthracnose
• powdery mildew

2. Nyssa sylvatica - Pepperidge / aka Black Gum / Black tupelo  (1 available)

 Habitat

• native to northeastern United States down through Texas
• hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form

• a large deciduous tree
• 30' to 50' tall
• 20' to 30' wide
• pyramidal in youth maturing to a flat-topped crown
• slow growth rate

Summer Foliage

• alternate leaf arrangement
• simple, ovate leaves
• 3" to 6" long
• dark green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

• florescent yellow to orange to red or purple colors
• very showy

Flowers

• not ornamentally significant
• polygamo-dioeceous; primarily acts like a dioecious species

Fruit

• bluish-black drupes
• 0.5' long
• ripens in late September

Bark

• dark gray brown bark color
• bark has irregular ridges, block-like

Culture

• has a taproot, making it difficult to transplant
• prefers moist, well-drained, acidic deep soils
• full sun
• fire resistant
• fall pruning recommended

Landscape Use

• specimen
• street tree
• lawn tree
• for fall foliage

Liabilities

• leaf spot
• rusts
• tupelo leaf miner

3. Franklinia alatamaha - Franklin Tree (SOLD OUT)

Habitat

• native to southeastern United States
• zone 5

Habit and Form

• a small deciduous tree
• 15' to 25' tall
• almost as wide
• rounded to conical dense crown
• upright
• medium texture
• slow growth rate

Summer Foliage

• alternate leaf arrangement
• simple, deciduous leaves
• oblong leaf shape
• 4" to 8" long
• serrate leaf margin
• bright green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

• orange-red fall color
• showy

Flowers

• white flowers
• blooms in summer
• fragrant
• showy
• 3" in diameter

Fruit

• dry rounded fruit
• up to 1" in diameter
• not ornamentally important

Bark

• branches low on trunk
• white stripes along bark
• winter interest

Culture

• prefers well-drained, rich, acidic soil
• needs moisture
• partial sun to full

Landscape Use

• specimen
• patio tree
• for fragrant flowers
• good four season plant

Liabilities

• root rot
• needs extra watering

4. Halesia carolina - Carolina silverbell (SOLD OUT)

With its showy silvery flowers Carolina Silverbells, Halesia carolina, creates a show-stopping display in spring. Bells of white bloom in spring before leaves appear. This open-form tree grows into a loose pyramidal shape, slowly to 20-30′ tall and wide. A lover of acidic soils and part shade, Carolina Silverbells is a perfect choice planted with Azaleas, Hydrangeas and other acid-loving shrubs. Deer resistance.

 Habitat

• native to southeastern United States
• zone 5
• in native areas it grows as an understory small tree

Habit and Form

• a small to medium-sized, flowering tree
• reaches 30' to 40' tall
• 25' to 35' wide
• shape is irregular to rounded and broad
• branching often begins low on the trunk

Summer Foliage

• alternate, deciduous leaves
• simple, ovate or elliptic shape
• dark green color

Autumn Foliage

• yellow-green
• develops early in the fall

Flowers

• pendulous, white, bell-shaped flowers
• in clusters of up to 5
• bloom time is early May

Fruit

• interesting four-winged, oblong fruit
• persists into winter
• 1" to 0.5" long

Bark

• attractive, smooth, muscle-like bark
• base color is steel-gray with creamy-white striping
• bark on twigs exfoliates slightly in fine silvery shreds

Culture

• full sun to partial shade
• prefers a moist, well-drained, acid soil
• use container grown material; B&B plants are difficult to establish

Landscape Uses

• for showy spring flowers
• as a specimen
• mixes well with evergreens such as rhododendron
• as a small shade tree

Liabilities

• chlorosis on high pH soils
• twig kill in severe winters
• relatively pest-free

5. Asimina triloba  - Pawpaw tree (SOLD OUT - should plant in pairs for fruit)

With leaves and branches that deer avoid, and fruit that is loved by all, the pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a fascinating native tree. It’s the only local member of a large, mainly-tropical plant family (Annonaceae), and produces the largest edible fruit native to North America.  

Habitat

• native to New York down through Florida across through Nebraska
• hardy to zone 5

Habit and Form

• a deciduous small tree or large shrub
• multi-stemmed
• spreading branches form a rounded crown
• 15' to 20' tall and equally as wide

Summer Foliage

• alternate leaf arrangement
• simple, deciduous leaves
• 6" to 12" long, 3" to 6" wide
• dark green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

• yellow fall color

Flowers

• purple flowers
• 1" to 2" in diameter
• blooms in early May
• somewhat showy

Fruit

• greenish-yellow berry, turning black
• edible
• 2" to 5" long
• taste like bananas

Bark

• dark brown
• rough and scaly
• fecal odor

Culture

• transplant from containers
• prefers moist, fertile slightly acidic soils
• full sun
• prune tolerant

Landscape Uses

• naturalized areas
• for fruit
• street tree

Liabilities

• no serious pest problems
• fruit can be a litter problem
• hard to transplant

6. Cersis canadensis  - Eastern Redbud (SOLD OUT)

Habitat

• native to the southeastern and central United States, from New Jersey south
• hardy to zone 5 and protected, warm parts of 4
• proper choice of genetic material is necessary for success in zone 5 and colder

Habit and Form

• a small, deciduous tree
• 20' to 30' tall
• 25' to 35' wide
• shape is rounded to broad and flat-topped
• branching is upright and spreading to irregular

Summer Foliage

• alternately-arranged, simple leaves
• wide, heart-shaped leaves
• leaves emerge bright green tinged red and mature to a dark green
• stems have a zigzag growth pattern

Autumn Foliage

• color is yellow-green
• can be a showy, bright yellow on some plants in some years

Flowers

• very showy
• small, purplish-pink pea-like flowers
• numerous and appearing before the foliage
• bloom time is late April to early may
• in clusters of 4 to 8

Fruit

• flattened legume pods
• 2" to 3" long
• often numerous and persistent

Bark

• bark on stems is glabrous and reddish-brown to dark brown
• older branches have a scaly dark brown bark that exfoliates some to reveal orangish inner bark
• somewhat ornamentally appealing, especially when coupled with the branching habit

Culture

• full sun to light shade
• likes a moist, well-drained, soil, but is adaptable to most soils that are not permanently wet
• avoid very dry and hot locations

Landscape Use

• lawn tree
• specimen
• for showy spring flowering

Liabilities

• lack of cold hardiness if proper genetic material isn't used
• twig kill and dieback in zones 5 and 4
• wood can be brittle with trees splitting at crotches
• canker