Trees Flashcards
Bigtooth Maple
Acer grandidentatum
Water Use: Low
Bigtooth or canyon maple (Acer grandidentatum) is a small deciduous tree native to much of the western United States. It is closely related to the eastern sugar maple as confirmed in part by its sweet sap, brilliant fall colors, and deeply lobed leaves reminiscent of the Canadian flag. Bigtooth maple is highly desirable in the landscape for its hardiness, drought tolerance and fall color that varies from yellow to orange to red to maroon. It can be planted in full sun or partial shade and works well as a small specimen tree or as multiple stem clumps. It is relatively low maintenance and pest free.
‘Hot Wings’ Tatarian Maple
Acer tataricum ‘Hot Wings’
Water Use: Low
This small-statured tree is native to Southeastern Europe and Western Asia but is well-adapted to our cold winters and alkaline soils. Its spring bloom is followed by reddish fruit and the cultivar ‘Hot Wings’ is valued for its brilliant red fruit or helicopters’. The deep green leaves turn to an orange-red shade in the fall.
Downy Serviceberry
Amelanchier arborea ‘Autumn Brilliance’
Water Use: Low - Moderate
Native to the midwest and east coast of the US and up into Canada, A. arborea is grown for its drooping clusters of faintly fragrant, white flowers in the spring, and brilliant red color in the fall. Berries are edible if you can get to them before the birds. ‘Autumn Brilliance’ is a commonly available selection that has rust-red color in the fall. Part-shade or full sun.
Western, or California Redbud
Cercis occidentalis (syn. orbiculata)
Water Use: Low
California or Western redbud is a small shrub/tree (usually less than 20 feet tall) that is native to California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. In Utah it is restricted to canyons of the Colorado Plateau and in the Mojave Desert portion of Washington County. The plant may occur singly or in thickets. It is found on steep slopes, often in harsh sites with poor soils that are well-drained. Very drought tolerant and does best in full sun. Leaves are a rusty color when they
Similar to Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), it has beautiful magenta flowers that bloom in early spring before leaf buds have opened. Leaves are a rusty color when they open up, and turn to a blue-green before turning yellow in the fall. Leguminous seed pods. Best grown as a multi-stemmed tree or large shrub. Pruning is required to maintain a multi-stemmed tree.
Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis
Water Use: Very low - Low
Desert willows make an outstanding patio tree with their compact form, wispy foliage, and stunning flowers that entice hummingbirds. Typically shrubby, desert willow can be pruned into an open multi-stemmed tree. Native to deserts of the southwest, they are found growing along dry washes and riverbanks. Thus it makes sense that the desert willow can handle seasonal flooding and drought. Desert willow is heat tolerant and does best in full sun. Marginally hardy in Northern Utah, if there is winter kill it will generally regrow from the base and can be treated more of a shrub instead of a tree.
Ginkgo or Maidenhair Tree
Ginkgo biloba
Kentucky Coffeetree
Gymnocladus dioicus
Russian Hawthorn
Crataegus ambigua
Rocky Mountain Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum
Water Use: Very low - Low
There are several excellent columnar selections of the native Rocky Mountain juniper available. They offer blue-green to green foilage and a vertical, evergreen element to the landscape. Like most junipers, they are very drought tolerant.
Golden Rain Tree
Koelreuteria paniculata
Water Use: Low - Moderate
This small to medium sized tree is an ideal street tree in low-water landscapes. Covered in yellow flowers in mid summer, these turn to attractive seedheads in the fall, that resemble Chinese paper lanterns.
Pinyon Pine
Pinus edulis & P. monophylla
Water Use: Very low - Low
P. edulis (pictured) has groups of 2 needles, while P. monophylla has only one and is aptly called single-needle pinyon.
Pinyon pine is one of the best native conifer trees in the Intermountain West to use in a low-water use landscape. It is a small, slow-growingwater-thrifty evergreen that requires minimal maintenance and is known for its tasty edible pine nuts. Plant in hot, dry locations and avoid low spots where water collects and lawns, except buffalograss or blue grama. Pinyon pines provide valuable cover for many wildlife species.
Bosnian Pine
Pinus heldreichii
Water Use: Low - Moderate
Bosnian pine is slow-growing pine that is a beautiful evergreen for low-water landscapes. It has dark green finely texture needles and a nice pyramidal shape. It is tolerant of salt, but not shade. There are also dwarf forms available such as ‘Schmidtii’ that is as small as 3’ x 3’.
‘Arnold Sentinel’ Austrian Pine
Pinus nigra ‘Arnold Sentinel’
Water Use: Low - Moderate
Upright branches with pairs of long, evergreen needles create a densely columnar shape in this selection of Austrian pine. ‘Arnold Sentinel’s’ size makes it ideal for screening and privacy in smaller landscapes and its narrow shape breaks up building and spaces and makes a nice focal point in the garden. Water deeply until established.
Gambel Oak
Quercus gambelii
Water Use: Low
Gambel oak (Q. gambelii) is native to most of the foothills of Utah and throughout the Intermountain West and the southern and central Rockies (though not found in Logan Canyon). Grows on fairly dry lower mountain slopes; this is the common “scrub” oak along the foothills of the Wasatch. It grows in clumps and is usually fairly shrubby, forming fairly dense, pure stands with a lot of open spaces. Reproduces vigorously from root sprouts after a fire or other disturbance. Very drought tolerant. Shade intolerant.
This is a desirable landscape tree in many ways, with its attractive, clumpy growth form, its interesting leaves and fruit, and its good to fair fall color. Unfortunately, it also is fire-prone on native sites and should be thinned around buildings to reduce fuel. Occasionally planted and good for tough, dry sites, but availability is somewhat limited. No cultivars are available, though some nurseries have hybrids of Gambel and bur oaks.
Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa
Water Use: Low - Moderate
The bur oak (Quercus macropcarpa) is native to the Great Plains and throughout the Midwest, where it grows on fairly dry upland sites as well as lower, wetter spots. This is one of the best non-native trees for planting in most parts of Utah. Many of these oaks that grow into the edges of the Great Plains do well in Utah because of their adaptations to high soil pH, moderate to severe drought, heat, cold, and winds that are common on the Plains. Bur oak grows at a medium rate and gets fairly large; has an excellent broad canopy and beautiful dark-green leaves; and is affected by few pests.
Bur oak has large, shiny, dark green leaves on top, and paler and hairy underneath. Acorns are about 1” long and can be a nuisance depending on where they are planted. However, it can take up to 35 years before it bears its first crop of acorns. The bark is thick, gray brown and deeply furrowed.
Yellowhorn
Xanthoceras sorbifolium
