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River Birch (Betula Nigra), Nebraska Forest Service
River Birch (Betula Nigra), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
River Birch (Betula nigra) has become a very popular landscape tree in Nebraska. It is similar to the white birch but without the insect and borer problems and it is used to the heat of summer since it is a more southerly variety of birch. It grows best along rivers and streams in its native habitat but it does very well as a landscape tree or as a visual barrier planted in a row. River Birch is native to the Atlantic coastal states, southern states, the lower Midwest, eastern Great Plains, and lower Mississippi River valley. It is …
Serviceberry (Amelanchier Sp.), Nebraska Forest Service
Serviceberry (Amelanchier Sp.), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.), is a small forest tree that gives the promise of spring. It is one of the first to bloom with delicate white flowers. There are many varieties of serviceberry including Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), Autumn Brilliance Apple serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance'), Downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), and Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia). There are others but these seem to be the most popular in the Nebraska/Iowa area.
Silver Maple (Acer Saccharinum), Nebraska Forest Service
Silver Maple (Acer Saccharinum), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) is not highly recommended but it is perhaps one of the most common maples planted in cities across the eastern United States and into the prairie states. The tree is easy to plant and grow and quite honestly, it is hard to kill. But it does have its drawbacks and that has given it a bad reputation in tree planting circles.
American Sycamore (Platanus Occidentalis), Nebraska Forest Service
American Sycamore (Platanus Occidentalis), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
A tree that can warm your heart even on the coldest day of winter is the American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). American sycamore is also known as American Planetree, Buttonwood, and Buttonball tree. American Sycamore is native in 36 states including Nebraska. You can go to just about any eastern Nebraska community and find at least a few larger sycamore trees. On farms it was (and still is) often planted for shade.
American Linden (Tilia Americana), Nebraska Forest Service
American Linden (Tilia Americana), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
American Linden (Tilia americana) is native along much of the Missouri River that borders Nebraska. It is a large tree with a rounded and very dense crown. American Linden, also known as basswood, has been a favorite for planting in the city as well as around farm homes. Because of its size and shape it makes an excellent shade tree.
Swamp White Oak (Quercus Bicolor), Nebraska Forest Service
Swamp White Oak (Quercus Bicolor), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Oak is one of the most common trees in the United States. Indeed there is a species of oak that grows in every state. As a matter of fact there are over 80 species of oak growing in North America. Here in Nebraska the list is a little more limited but surprisingly long. The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and the Nebraska Forest Service list the following oaks for planting in Nebraska: Sawtooth Oak, White Oak, Swamp White Oak, Scarlet Oak, Shingle Oak, Bur Oak, Chinkapin Oak, Pin Oak, Chestnut Oak, English Oak, Red Oak, Shumard Oak, Black Oak, Blackjack Oak, and …
Amur Maple (Acer Ginnala), Nebraska Forest Service
Amur Maple (Acer Ginnala), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Fall is Nebraska’s most consistent season and one that just begs for a drive in the country. The contrasting colors created by the fields of crops, ready for harvest, against the beauty of the fall coloration of trees is a site to remember. Even in the driest years, the colors always seem to put a nice end on the summer months. This publications is about the Amur Maple (Acer ginnala).
Baldcypress (Taxodium Distichum), Nebraska Forest Service
Baldcypress (Taxodium Distichum), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) is not a very common tree in Nebraska but it is beginning to gain more popularity. Baldcypress is most familiar as a swamp loving tree in a more southerly location but it is very adaptable and can be planted with success in Nebraska and Iowa. Baldcypress is a deciduous evergreen. It looks like a pine or spruce during the summer but then in the fall, the needles turn a lovely rust color and fall off. Sometimes those who are not familiar with the tree assume that it has died and have it cut down, a …
Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra), Nebraska Forest Service
Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
The Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) is not a very common tree to plant in your landscape. The large nuts can cause a real problem in the fall and most landowners tend to shy away from trees with heavy fruit. But Black Walnut remains as a very lovely tree through its life and it is found on many farms in woodlots and around the farm buildings. It is most well known for its wood that is used for veneer to make fine paneling and furniture. High quality cabinets as well as many other products including musical instruments rely on …
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga Menziesii), Nebraska Forest Service
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga Menziesii), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is one of the most important timber trees in the United States. It is harvested for a wide variety of uses and is the backbone of the western timber industry. The wood has great strength and yet it is not a very heavy. That has made it most valuable as a raw material for all types of construction. In addition to being an important timber tree, Douglas Fir is also a very popular tree for landscape planting and even for windbreaks. The tree is named for David Douglas, a 19th century Scottish botanist and …
Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus Dioicus), Nebraska Forest Service
Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus Dioicus), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
One of the more unusual trees that occur in Nebraska is the Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus). Some books will tell you it is a medium sized tree but in this part of the country medium and large trees tend to blend together. Kentucky Coffeetree is native from Lake Erie to Oklahoma and includes Kentucky on the southeastern side and Minnesota on the northwest. To no one’s surprise it is the state tree of Kentucky.
Ginkgo (Ginkgo Biloba), Nebraska Forest Service
Ginkgo (Ginkgo Biloba), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) has long been a favorite for city planting and it has found a home as a specimen tree in the landscape. It is undoubtedly one of the most distinct of all deciduous trees. The bright green fan shaped leaves are unique among all trees and turn a golden yellow in the fall. Ginkgo has been dated back over 150 million years and at one time was native to North America. Leaf prints can be found in fossils and thus the tree is sometimes called a living fossil.
Norway Maple (Acer Platanoides), Nebraska Forest Service
Norway Maple (Acer Platanoides), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
The Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) is one of the more popular trees in the nursery trade. It is easily transplanted and it has very few insect or disease enemies. It can, however, have problems with the sometimes-harsh climate in this area. The Norway Maple is a common tree throughout much of Europe, including (not surprisingly) Norway. It is an important commercial species there just as sugar maple is here in North America. It is used for furniture, flooring and musical instruments. In fact, the Stradivarius violins are said to be made of Norway Maple.
Eastern Redbud (Cercis Canadensis), Nebraska Forest Service
Eastern Redbud (Cercis Canadensis), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is one of the first trees to flower in the spring of the year. It is a native to the eastern and central hardwood forest regions and is found in most of Iowa and Missouri and in the southeast part of Nebraska.
Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum), Nebraska Forest Service
Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) is one of the most well known of the maple family. It is native of southern Canada and the northeastern United States. Its natural range goes as far west as the eastern edge of North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The tree is not native to Nebraska. Sugar Maple is the state tree of both Vermont and Wisconsin.
Japanese Tree Lilac (Syringa Reticulata), Nebraska Forest Service
Japanese Tree Lilac (Syringa Reticulata), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
The common lilac shrub has long been a staple in both the amateur and professional landscaper’s plant palette. Its dark green leaves blending with its fragrant lavender flowers are a favorite of springtime landscapes. Lilac lovers prefer the multi-stemmed shrub. But there are those that prefer the single stem, more formal look. The Japanese Tree Lilac fulfills that need
Black Locust (Robinia Pseudoacacia), Nebraska Forest Service
Black Locust (Robinia Pseudoacacia), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Black Locust (Robinia psuedoacacia), once a native to the southern Appalachian region of the eastern United States, has now spread throughout most of the world. It can be found along the Missouri River corridor in Nebraska and has moved a little to the west. It is an aggressive and rapidly growing tree where growing conditions are good. Black Locust has been used in the east for erosion control in road cuts, abandoned fields, and strip mined areas. The tree colonizes by seeds and it also suckers from roots.
Northern Red Oak (Quercus Rubra), Nebraska Forest Service
Northern Red Oak (Quercus Rubra), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
The Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) has a national reputation. Oak was selected by the National Arbor Day Foundation as the National Tree for the United States and a northern red oak was planted in Washington, DC to commemorate the vote in 2001. Oaks grow in every state of the Union. Red Oak is possibly the most popular of the oaks, especially in the Nebraska–Iowa region. Bur Oak may run a strong second. Quercus means oak in Latin and rubra means red. Red Oak is native from the east coast all the way to the center of the …
Norway Spruce (Picea Abies), Nebraska Forest Service
Norway Spruce (Picea Abies), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Norway Spruce (Picea abies) is a native of Norway and northern Europe as the name implies. When Europeans first began to settle the new world (now known as the United States) they brought all their worldly belongings with them. This sometimes included trees from their homeland so that they could still remain connected to their homeland. Often times, that tree was a Norway Spruce. It is not unusual to travel rural roads in the northeastern part of the United States and see two Norway Spruce standing side by side either in front of an old farmhouse or alone. …
White Fir (Abies Concolor), Nebraska Forest Service
White Fir (Abies Concolor), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
White Fir (Abies concolor) is a tree that has been planted in Nebraska for some time. It is becoming more popular as an alternative to some of the pines that are beginning to show long term problems. White Fir is also called Concolor Fir using its Latin name. The Latin name, Abies concolor, means tall or rising tree with needles of one color.
Serbian Spruce (Picea Omorika), Nebraska Forest Service
Serbian Spruce (Picea Omorika), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
There are several kinds of spruce that are planted in Nebraska. The most common are Colorado, Norway, and White (sometimes referred to as Black Hills). The Serbian Spruce (Picea omorika) is a new comer to the spruce line up and there is not a great deal of information about the tree. It has been planted in the past but it is now becoming a little more common as we look for more diversity in our evergreen plantings.
Colorado Spruce (Picea Pungens) Nebraska Forest Service
Colorado Spruce (Picea Pungens) Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens) is native to the Rocky Mountain region and the southwestern United States. It is the state tree of Colorado and has been widely planted in Nebraska and many other parts of the country. It is one of the most popular of evergreens because of the characteristic blue color of the leaves. Colorado Spruce is often called “Blue” spruce or “Colorado Blue” Spruce. The tree has been widely propagated and selected for color and growth habit. The blue color can range from a very bright blue to a dark green and the tree can often …
Red Maple (Acer Rubrum), Nebraska Forest Service
Red Maple (Acer Rubrum), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
The northeastern United States is well known for fall color and perhaps the tree that stands out the most is the Red Maple (Acer rubrum). Maples in general produce some of the most striking colors in fall. But red maple lives up to its name with brilliant red colors.
Northern Catalpa (Catalpa Speciosa), Nebraska Forest Service
Northern Catalpa (Catalpa Speciosa), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
Northern Catalpa is a tree that is not usually planted as a landscape specimen and it is often overlooked for rural plantings as well. But the tree does have some excellent qualities that should not be overlooked.
Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus), Nebraska Forest Service
Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus), Nebraska Forest Service
Nebraska's Landscape Tree Information
An often-overlooked evergreen in Nebraska is the Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus). Eastern White Pine is native to the northeastern and north-central part of the United States and it grows to be a very large evergreen tree sometimes reaching heights of more than 100 feet. The tallest White Pine in the United States is 167 feet tall and is located in Michigan. White Pine is the state tree of both Maine and Michigan. In the early days of settlement in the United States, White Pine was used as masts for sailing vessels. Its long straight stem was much …