Tree Seedling Sale 2023
Tree and shrub seedlings, ground cover, and various seed mixes are offered in this year’s sale. These products are excellent for wildlife habitat, windbreaks, landscaping, stream buffers, ground cover, Christmas trees, and more. The sale is open to everyone and plants may be planted without restriction.
Seedlings are 1-3 years old and average 6-18 inches in height. Seedlings are bare rootstock and are dipped into a preservative gel before they are placed into a plastic bag in order to keep them moist. Each packet can be carried in one hand. The District does not offer reimbursements for any trees that do not survive.
Please note that Pickaway SWCD and several other SWCDs order all of our trees through Athens SWCD. Athens SWCD works with various greenhouses on varieties, and they are the distributor. The Athens Soil and Water Conservation District reserves the right to substitute species in the Specialty Tree Packets, Erosion Control Seed Mix and Wildlife Food Plot Seed Mix based upon availability.
To Order
Orders are due to Pickaway SWCD by Thursday, February 9, 2023. Be sure to include your mailing address, telephone number, and email address if available on the order form. Please mail or deliver in person the order form with your payment to: Pickaway SWCD 110 Island Road, Suite D, Circleville, Ohio 43113.
Orders can be paid with cash or check only. Please make checks out to Pickaway SWCD. If you include your email on the order form, a confirmation email and copy of your receipt will be emailed to you. Hard copies of all receipts will be given at pick up. If you have any questions, please call the office at 740-477-1693.
Pick Up
Pick up will be on Friday, March 31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Garage attached to the Pickaway County Emergency Management Agency, in the lower parking lot of the Service Center, located at 160 Island Road. Please send someone to pick up your seedlings if you are not able to come yourself. A postcard will be sent to confirm exact pick up date, location, and times.
Seedlings are 1-3 years old and average 6-18 inches in height. Seedlings are bare rootstock and are dipped into a preservative gel before they are placed into a plastic bag in order to keep them moist. Each packet can be carried in one hand. The District does not offer reimbursements for any trees that do not survive.
Please note that Pickaway SWCD and several other SWCDs order all of our trees through Athens SWCD. Athens SWCD works with various greenhouses on varieties, and they are the distributor. The Athens Soil and Water Conservation District reserves the right to substitute species in the Specialty Tree Packets, Erosion Control Seed Mix and Wildlife Food Plot Seed Mix based upon availability.
To Order
Orders are due to Pickaway SWCD by Thursday, February 9, 2023. Be sure to include your mailing address, telephone number, and email address if available on the order form. Please mail or deliver in person the order form with your payment to: Pickaway SWCD 110 Island Road, Suite D, Circleville, Ohio 43113.
Orders can be paid with cash or check only. Please make checks out to Pickaway SWCD. If you include your email on the order form, a confirmation email and copy of your receipt will be emailed to you. Hard copies of all receipts will be given at pick up. If you have any questions, please call the office at 740-477-1693.
Pick Up
Pick up will be on Friday, March 31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Garage attached to the Pickaway County Emergency Management Agency, in the lower parking lot of the Service Center, located at 160 Island Road. Please send someone to pick up your seedlings if you are not able to come yourself. A postcard will be sent to confirm exact pick up date, location, and times.
Tax Exempt Form
Required by the state beginning January 1, 2022, Pickaway SWCD will be charging sales tax (7.25%) for items rented and sold. If you are a tax-exempt entity and you purchase or rent items from the District, please turn your tax-exempt form into the office.
Required by the state beginning January 1, 2022, Pickaway SWCD will be charging sales tax (7.25%) for items rented and sold. If you are a tax-exempt entity and you purchase or rent items from the District, please turn your tax-exempt form into the office.
Tree & Shrub Descriptions
All photos and descriptions come from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry website. Visit the website for additional information.
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Mature Height: 60'
Mature Spread: 30'
Growth Rate: Medium
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Deep, moist, rich, well-drained, variable pH
Black Cherry, a rapidly growing woodland tree common throughout all of Ohio, is often found in open fields and previously harvested forests. Its beautiful, fine-grained, orange-brown to mahogany-colored heartwood ranks second only to Black Walnut as the ultimate choice for making solid wood furniture, interior trim, and high-quality veneer. Its small fruits are relished by birds and mammals as a food source in late summer. This tree is named for its ripened black cherries as well as its black-gray, flaky mature bark, which looks like black cornflakes pasted on the trunk of the tree.
A native of eastern and midwestern North America, Black Cherry is a pioneer invader tree in open fields or woodlots, and as such can become a "woody weed" as an aggressive sapling. In youth, it displays a symmetrical, often pyramidal growth habit, but it often divides into several upright branches due to storm damage and assumes an irregular shape as it matures. Also known as Wild Black Cherry, this tree may grow to 60 feet tall by 30 feet wide (or larger) when it is found in an open field. As a member of the Rose Family, it also is related to orchard trees (Apples, Plums, Peaches, Apricots, Cherries, Pears, and Almonds) as well as to Strawberries, Roses, and Blackberries, among others.
Planting Requirements - Black Cherry quickly invades a variety of sites due to its prolific fruit production and the resulting distribution of its seeds by birds and mammals. It prefers deep, moist, rich, well-drained soils of variable pH under full sun to partial sun conditions, but tolerates relatively dry, poor soils as well, with a reduced growth rate. It grows in zones 3 to 9.
Potential Problems - Like many members of the Rose Family, Black Cherry is beset with pest problems (the most serious being tent caterpillars, borers, scales, and aphids), and also has some diseases (primarily leaf spot and trunk canker). Abundant seedlings may arise in recently disturbed open areas and along fencerows, creating a weedy thicket of saplings in just a few years. Occasional storm damage occurs to the upper branches of this fast-growing tree due to its relatively weak sapwood.
Mature Height: 60'
Mature Spread: 30'
Growth Rate: Medium
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Deep, moist, rich, well-drained, variable pH
Black Cherry, a rapidly growing woodland tree common throughout all of Ohio, is often found in open fields and previously harvested forests. Its beautiful, fine-grained, orange-brown to mahogany-colored heartwood ranks second only to Black Walnut as the ultimate choice for making solid wood furniture, interior trim, and high-quality veneer. Its small fruits are relished by birds and mammals as a food source in late summer. This tree is named for its ripened black cherries as well as its black-gray, flaky mature bark, which looks like black cornflakes pasted on the trunk of the tree.
A native of eastern and midwestern North America, Black Cherry is a pioneer invader tree in open fields or woodlots, and as such can become a "woody weed" as an aggressive sapling. In youth, it displays a symmetrical, often pyramidal growth habit, but it often divides into several upright branches due to storm damage and assumes an irregular shape as it matures. Also known as Wild Black Cherry, this tree may grow to 60 feet tall by 30 feet wide (or larger) when it is found in an open field. As a member of the Rose Family, it also is related to orchard trees (Apples, Plums, Peaches, Apricots, Cherries, Pears, and Almonds) as well as to Strawberries, Roses, and Blackberries, among others.
Planting Requirements - Black Cherry quickly invades a variety of sites due to its prolific fruit production and the resulting distribution of its seeds by birds and mammals. It prefers deep, moist, rich, well-drained soils of variable pH under full sun to partial sun conditions, but tolerates relatively dry, poor soils as well, with a reduced growth rate. It grows in zones 3 to 9.
Potential Problems - Like many members of the Rose Family, Black Cherry is beset with pest problems (the most serious being tent caterpillars, borers, scales, and aphids), and also has some diseases (primarily leaf spot and trunk canker). Abundant seedlings may arise in recently disturbed open areas and along fencerows, creating a weedy thicket of saplings in just a few years. Occasional storm damage occurs to the upper branches of this fast-growing tree due to its relatively weak sapwood.
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
Mature Height: 70'
Mature Spread: 70'
Growth Rate: Rapid
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Prefers deep, moist, rich, well-drained
Black Walnut, a rapidly growing tree common in all of Ohio, is most common in moist bottomlands and open fields, but is found everywhere due to squirrels burying its nuts.
Its beautiful, fine-grained, chocolate-brown, relatively lightweight heartwood is the ultimate choice for making solid wood furniture, interior trim, gunstocks, and high-quality veneer. The large nut contained beneath the husks of Black Walnut is round and can be cracked open to expose the bittersweet, oily, and highly nutritious kernel.
A native of the Eastern, Midwestern, and Great Plains regions of the United States, Black Walnut is a pioneer invader tree in open fields or cut-over woodlots, and grows rapidly in youth. It displays an irregular and open growth habit when young, dividing into several spreading branches that give it an upright rounded shape as it matures. Its bold winter texture makes it an outstanding tree to observe during the dormant season.
This tree may easily grow to 70 feet tall by 70 feet wide when it is found in the open. As a member of the Walnut Family, it is related to other Walnuts and to the Hickories.
Planting Requirements - Black Walnut prefers deep, moist, rich, well-drained soils under sunny conditions, especially the bottomlands of rivers and streams. It also tolerates relatively dry, poor soils, but with a significantly reduced growth rate. Seedlings and saplings are notorious for having a single, very deep taproot that makes transplanting difficult. Black Walnut grows in full sun to partial sun, and is found in zones 4 to 9.
Potential Problems - Aside from leaf spot, Black Walnut is virtually disease and pest free. However, it is famous for the production by its roots of juglone, a chemical that is toxic to some nearby competitor plants. In a woodland setting, very few plants grow under the canopy of this species. When summer drought occurs, the response of this tree is to begin dropping leaves, in spite of its deep taproot system. In an urban setting, a constant rain of leaflets, rachises, dead twigs, stain-laden whole fruits, and debris from squirrel feeding occurs from mid-summer until late autumn, presenting a constant clean-up chore and mowing hazard.
Mature Height: 70'
Mature Spread: 70'
Growth Rate: Rapid
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Prefers deep, moist, rich, well-drained
Black Walnut, a rapidly growing tree common in all of Ohio, is most common in moist bottomlands and open fields, but is found everywhere due to squirrels burying its nuts.
Its beautiful, fine-grained, chocolate-brown, relatively lightweight heartwood is the ultimate choice for making solid wood furniture, interior trim, gunstocks, and high-quality veneer. The large nut contained beneath the husks of Black Walnut is round and can be cracked open to expose the bittersweet, oily, and highly nutritious kernel.
A native of the Eastern, Midwestern, and Great Plains regions of the United States, Black Walnut is a pioneer invader tree in open fields or cut-over woodlots, and grows rapidly in youth. It displays an irregular and open growth habit when young, dividing into several spreading branches that give it an upright rounded shape as it matures. Its bold winter texture makes it an outstanding tree to observe during the dormant season.
This tree may easily grow to 70 feet tall by 70 feet wide when it is found in the open. As a member of the Walnut Family, it is related to other Walnuts and to the Hickories.
Planting Requirements - Black Walnut prefers deep, moist, rich, well-drained soils under sunny conditions, especially the bottomlands of rivers and streams. It also tolerates relatively dry, poor soils, but with a significantly reduced growth rate. Seedlings and saplings are notorious for having a single, very deep taproot that makes transplanting difficult. Black Walnut grows in full sun to partial sun, and is found in zones 4 to 9.
Potential Problems - Aside from leaf spot, Black Walnut is virtually disease and pest free. However, it is famous for the production by its roots of juglone, a chemical that is toxic to some nearby competitor plants. In a woodland setting, very few plants grow under the canopy of this species. When summer drought occurs, the response of this tree is to begin dropping leaves, in spite of its deep taproot system. In an urban setting, a constant rain of leaflets, rachises, dead twigs, stain-laden whole fruits, and debris from squirrel feeding occurs from mid-summer until late autumn, presenting a constant clean-up chore and mowing hazard.
Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Mature Height: 60'
Mature Spread: 70'
Growth Rate: Rapid and vigorous
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Deep, moist, rich, well-drained
Red Oak is a major timber tree of the eastern and Midwestern United States. The tough, heavy wood of Red Oak has a reddish-orange coloration and is an important hardwood for the Ohio timber industry, involved in the production of beams, railroad ties, furniture, flooring, and other usages.
Along with Pin Oak, it is also one of the few Oaks that is an important shade tree in the landscape industry, noted for its brick-red autumn color and its rapid and vigorous growth rate. It is also known as Northern Red Oak (since there is also a Southern Red Oak of the southern United States) and may be found cited in older literature by its previous scientific name of Quercus borealis. Its large acorns mature earlier in the season than those of most other Oaks, thus providing a source of food by late summer and throughout autumn and winter for many forms of wildlife.
Reaching 60 feet tall by 70 feet wide when found in the open under urban landscape conditions, it may grow taller and more massive in the wild. As the flagship member of the Red Oak group and as a member of the Beech Family, it is related to the Beeches, Chestnuts, and other Oaks.
Planting Requirements - Red Oak prefers moist, deep, rich, well-drained soils of slightly acidic pH. It adapts readily to dry soils of acidic, neutral, or slightly alkaline pH (some specimens develop chlorosis in high pH soils). It thrives in full sun to partial sun (but is shade tolerant in youth) and is found in zones 3 to 7.
Potential Problems - Other than cosmetic blemishes on its dark green foliage due to minor insect feeding, Red Oak is basically problem-free, although it may on occasion be subject to the standard army of pests and pathogens that afflict the Oaks.
Mature Height: 60'
Mature Spread: 70'
Growth Rate: Rapid and vigorous
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Deep, moist, rich, well-drained
Red Oak is a major timber tree of the eastern and Midwestern United States. The tough, heavy wood of Red Oak has a reddish-orange coloration and is an important hardwood for the Ohio timber industry, involved in the production of beams, railroad ties, furniture, flooring, and other usages.
Along with Pin Oak, it is also one of the few Oaks that is an important shade tree in the landscape industry, noted for its brick-red autumn color and its rapid and vigorous growth rate. It is also known as Northern Red Oak (since there is also a Southern Red Oak of the southern United States) and may be found cited in older literature by its previous scientific name of Quercus borealis. Its large acorns mature earlier in the season than those of most other Oaks, thus providing a source of food by late summer and throughout autumn and winter for many forms of wildlife.
Reaching 60 feet tall by 70 feet wide when found in the open under urban landscape conditions, it may grow taller and more massive in the wild. As the flagship member of the Red Oak group and as a member of the Beech Family, it is related to the Beeches, Chestnuts, and other Oaks.
Planting Requirements - Red Oak prefers moist, deep, rich, well-drained soils of slightly acidic pH. It adapts readily to dry soils of acidic, neutral, or slightly alkaline pH (some specimens develop chlorosis in high pH soils). It thrives in full sun to partial sun (but is shade tolerant in youth) and is found in zones 3 to 7.
Potential Problems - Other than cosmetic blemishes on its dark green foliage due to minor insect feeding, Red Oak is basically problem-free, although it may on occasion be subject to the standard army of pests and pathogens that afflict the Oaks.
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Mature Height: 80'
Mature Spread: 40'
Growth Rate: Slow
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Deep, moderately deep, even moisture, good drainage
Sugar Maple is a favorite shade tree with reliable fall color, found in the forests and meadows throughout all of Ohio, but flourishing in the cooler climates and more acidic soils of northeastern Ohio and Appalachia. It is valued for its hard, dense, fine-grained and difficult-to-split wood, which is utilized for floors, furniture, veneer, musical instruments, and railroad ties.
The hardness of the wood gives it the alternative common name of Rock Maple. Native Americans invented the process of maple sap collection and its distillation into maple sugar and maple syrup. A native of southern Canada, the greater Midwest, and the Northeastern United States, trees found in the open may easily grow to 80 feet tall by 40 feet wide. As a member of the Maple Family, it is related to all other species of Maple.
Planting Requirements - Sugar Maple thrives when it is planted or transplanted into rich, moderately deep soils having even moisture coupled with good drainage. While it prefers acidic soils, it adapts readily to those of neutral or alkaline pH. Clay soils cause it to struggle more in terms of root penetration to tap into deep soil moisture in times of drought. The key to the preservation of established Sugar Maples is to not disturb the roots by extensive digging, or compact the soil above them with heavy equipment or vehicles, or a serious decline in tree health will likely occur. Sugar Maple adapts to shady conditions in its youth, but must eventually grow in full sun to partial sun, and is found in zones 4 to 8.
Potential Problems - Sugar Maple does not perform nearly as well in the southern limits of its range (zones 7 and 8), where the heat, humidity, and drought of summer take their toll. More commonly, encroachment of construction traffic and the associated soil compaction, soil grade change, root disturbance, and various pollutions associated with housing construction and subsequent urban conditions do not favor established Sugar Maples, and they often respond with a rapid decline or death when their forest is converted into a subdivision. Sugar Maple also does not like being transplanted into heavy clay soils or to long periods of drought in summer. Verticillium wilt is an occasional disease primarily occurring in wet springs, and leaf scorch is a perennial problem when drought occurs.
Mature Height: 80'
Mature Spread: 40'
Growth Rate: Slow
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Deep, moderately deep, even moisture, good drainage
Sugar Maple is a favorite shade tree with reliable fall color, found in the forests and meadows throughout all of Ohio, but flourishing in the cooler climates and more acidic soils of northeastern Ohio and Appalachia. It is valued for its hard, dense, fine-grained and difficult-to-split wood, which is utilized for floors, furniture, veneer, musical instruments, and railroad ties.
The hardness of the wood gives it the alternative common name of Rock Maple. Native Americans invented the process of maple sap collection and its distillation into maple sugar and maple syrup. A native of southern Canada, the greater Midwest, and the Northeastern United States, trees found in the open may easily grow to 80 feet tall by 40 feet wide. As a member of the Maple Family, it is related to all other species of Maple.
Planting Requirements - Sugar Maple thrives when it is planted or transplanted into rich, moderately deep soils having even moisture coupled with good drainage. While it prefers acidic soils, it adapts readily to those of neutral or alkaline pH. Clay soils cause it to struggle more in terms of root penetration to tap into deep soil moisture in times of drought. The key to the preservation of established Sugar Maples is to not disturb the roots by extensive digging, or compact the soil above them with heavy equipment or vehicles, or a serious decline in tree health will likely occur. Sugar Maple adapts to shady conditions in its youth, but must eventually grow in full sun to partial sun, and is found in zones 4 to 8.
Potential Problems - Sugar Maple does not perform nearly as well in the southern limits of its range (zones 7 and 8), where the heat, humidity, and drought of summer take their toll. More commonly, encroachment of construction traffic and the associated soil compaction, soil grade change, root disturbance, and various pollutions associated with housing construction and subsequent urban conditions do not favor established Sugar Maples, and they often respond with a rapid decline or death when their forest is converted into a subdivision. Sugar Maple also does not like being transplanted into heavy clay soils or to long periods of drought in summer. Verticillium wilt is an occasional disease primarily occurring in wet springs, and leaf scorch is a perennial problem when drought occurs.
White Oak (Quercus alba)
Mature Height: 70'
Mature Spread: 70'
Growth Rate: Slow to medium
Sunlight: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, acidic
White Oak, native to the entire eastern half of the United States, is found throughout all of Ohio, in habitats ranging from dry forests and fields to mesic woodlands and down slopes. Like many members of the White Oak group, the undersides of its leaves are white-green, and its wood is a light-colored beige that is almost white when freshly cut; hence its common name.
It is the most important timber tree of the White Oak group and in fact one of the most important hardwoods, with its hard, heavy, tough wood used as lumber for beams, railroad ties, flooring, barrels, furniture, and many other uses.
Its canopy is more spreading that most other trees in closely-packed mature forests or in open fields, and its fall color is often reddish-brown to reddish-purple, one of the best Oaks in this regard. White Oak acorns are relatively large and often borne in great abundance. It may reach 80 feet tall by 100 feet wide at maturity, when found in the open. As the flagship member of the White Oak group and as a member of the Beech Family, it is related to the Beeches, Chestnuts, and other Oaks.
Planting Requirements - White Oak prefers rich, deep, moist, well-drained, acidic soils, but adapts well to dry and average soils that are neutral to slightly alkaline in pH. It thrives in full sun to partial sun but is shade tolerant in youth and is found in zones 4 to 9.
Potential Problems - White Oak is generally a healthy and long-lived oak, with regular but minor cosmetic damage to its leaves and twigs due to chewing insects and pathogens.
Mature Height: 70'
Mature Spread: 70'
Growth Rate: Slow to medium
Sunlight: Full
Soil Type: Well-drained, acidic
White Oak, native to the entire eastern half of the United States, is found throughout all of Ohio, in habitats ranging from dry forests and fields to mesic woodlands and down slopes. Like many members of the White Oak group, the undersides of its leaves are white-green, and its wood is a light-colored beige that is almost white when freshly cut; hence its common name.
It is the most important timber tree of the White Oak group and in fact one of the most important hardwoods, with its hard, heavy, tough wood used as lumber for beams, railroad ties, flooring, barrels, furniture, and many other uses.
Its canopy is more spreading that most other trees in closely-packed mature forests or in open fields, and its fall color is often reddish-brown to reddish-purple, one of the best Oaks in this regard. White Oak acorns are relatively large and often borne in great abundance. It may reach 80 feet tall by 100 feet wide at maturity, when found in the open. As the flagship member of the White Oak group and as a member of the Beech Family, it is related to the Beeches, Chestnuts, and other Oaks.
Planting Requirements - White Oak prefers rich, deep, moist, well-drained, acidic soils, but adapts well to dry and average soils that are neutral to slightly alkaline in pH. It thrives in full sun to partial sun but is shade tolerant in youth and is found in zones 4 to 9.
Potential Problems - White Oak is generally a healthy and long-lived oak, with regular but minor cosmetic damage to its leaves and twigs due to chewing insects and pathogens.
Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)
Mature Height: 60'
Mature Spread: 25'
Growth Rate: Rapid
Sunlight: Full sun/part shade
Soil Type: Prefers moist to wet
Baldcypress, a deciduous conifer (like the Larches), is native to wet areas of the lower and middle Mississippi Valley drainage basin, the south Atlantic and Gulf Coastal states, and especially Florida. Its northernmost native range is the extreme southern tips of Indiana and Illinois, but this tree is extensively planted in dry areas throughout the Eastern United States as an ornamental tree, including Ohio. Its pyramidal to spire-like growth is formal in youth, becoming more columnar and open with great age. This is the tree from which cypress mulch is made, and the source trees (especially in Florida) are being rapidly depleted.
As a deciduous conifer, the leaves of Baldcypress drop off in autumn, and its cones are round balls that release their seeds in autumn and winter. Trees in Ohio may reach 80 feet tall by 30 feet wide when found in the open. As a member of the Baldcypress Family, it is also related to Dawn Redwood and Giant Redwood. The outline of young Baldcypress ranges from strongly pyramidal to upright oval, and in winter one can see the multitude of horizontal branches that make up the canopy. Older trees retain the broad columnar outline.
Planting Requirements - Baldcypress actually prefers moist, acidic, sandy loam soils with moderately good drainage, but is often found in flooded situations or at the edge of bodies of water, with some or all of its roots submerged in water. It adapts readily to moist and well- drained soils, or even dry soils of rich, poor, or average composition, and can be completely "land-locked" with no ill effects. It thrives in full sun to partial sun, and is found in zones 4 to 11.
Baldcypress Potential Problems - Baldcypress has several diseases and pests that can cause problems, but these do not usually occur. Chlorosis can be a problem in high pH soils; otherwise, this is a trouble-free species.
Mature Height: 60'
Mature Spread: 25'
Growth Rate: Rapid
Sunlight: Full sun/part shade
Soil Type: Prefers moist to wet
Baldcypress, a deciduous conifer (like the Larches), is native to wet areas of the lower and middle Mississippi Valley drainage basin, the south Atlantic and Gulf Coastal states, and especially Florida. Its northernmost native range is the extreme southern tips of Indiana and Illinois, but this tree is extensively planted in dry areas throughout the Eastern United States as an ornamental tree, including Ohio. Its pyramidal to spire-like growth is formal in youth, becoming more columnar and open with great age. This is the tree from which cypress mulch is made, and the source trees (especially in Florida) are being rapidly depleted.
As a deciduous conifer, the leaves of Baldcypress drop off in autumn, and its cones are round balls that release their seeds in autumn and winter. Trees in Ohio may reach 80 feet tall by 30 feet wide when found in the open. As a member of the Baldcypress Family, it is also related to Dawn Redwood and Giant Redwood. The outline of young Baldcypress ranges from strongly pyramidal to upright oval, and in winter one can see the multitude of horizontal branches that make up the canopy. Older trees retain the broad columnar outline.
Planting Requirements - Baldcypress actually prefers moist, acidic, sandy loam soils with moderately good drainage, but is often found in flooded situations or at the edge of bodies of water, with some or all of its roots submerged in water. It adapts readily to moist and well- drained soils, or even dry soils of rich, poor, or average composition, and can be completely "land-locked" with no ill effects. It thrives in full sun to partial sun, and is found in zones 4 to 11.
Baldcypress Potential Problems - Baldcypress has several diseases and pests that can cause problems, but these do not usually occur. Chlorosis can be a problem in high pH soils; otherwise, this is a trouble-free species.
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)
Mature Height: 80'
Mature Spread: 40'
Growth Rate: Rapid
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Moist, rich, well-drained, acidic
White Pine, an evergreen conifer, is widely distributed throughout eastern North America including all of Ohio. It was originally confined to Appalachia, New England, and southern Canada at the time of European settlement and occurred primarily in northeastern Ohio.
Today, it is logged for the production of lumber, creosote-soaked telephone poles, and as pulp for the production of paper. White Pine is commonly transplanted today as a landscape evergreen tree and is also sold as a cut Christmas tree. Also known as Eastern White Pine, this towering evergreen easily grows to 80 feet tall by 40 feet wide or larger under optimum conditions, with a rapid growth rate. Its shape is upright pyramidal when young but becomes irregular with maturity.
The very straight trunk of White Pine is punctuated by a whorl of lateral branches every one to two feet, and from this sequential arrangement, a close approximation of the age of the tree can be determined. Simply count the number of whorls from bottom to top. As a member of the Pine Family, it is related to other Pines as well as the Firs, Larches, Spruces, and Hemlocks.
Planting Requirements - White Pine performs best in evenly moist, rich, well-drained, acidic soils in full sun. It is often intolerant of soils that are alkaline in pH and poorly drained; therefore, the heavy clay soils of much of central and western Ohio cause it to struggle in parts of this region, while it often thrives in eastern Ohio. Its rapid growth rate allows for a quick result in terms of a harvestable timber tree, a mature landscape tree, or as a cut Christmas tree. It grows in zones 3 to 8.
Potential Problems - In spite of thriving in many natural settings, White Pine is very susceptible in urban settings to alkaline soil pH causing chlorosis, (resulting in yellowing of the needles and stunting of growth), winter salt spray, air pollution, compacted clay soils, and poor water drainage.
Young transplants and saplings are also subject to deer and rabbit browsing in any setting. White Pine suffers from white pine blister rust, a fungus that attacks the inner bark. This primary disease can be controlled by removing all gooseberry and alpine currant shrubs within a quarter mile of the tree, since they serve as alternate hosts. White Pine is also attacked by the white pine weevil, which bores into the terminal shoots and distorts the growth of the upper canopy. This primary pest may severely impact mass plantings, such as those that occur in pure forests stands, nursery plantations, and Christmas tree farms.
Mature Height: 80'
Mature Spread: 40'
Growth Rate: Rapid
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Moist, rich, well-drained, acidic
White Pine, an evergreen conifer, is widely distributed throughout eastern North America including all of Ohio. It was originally confined to Appalachia, New England, and southern Canada at the time of European settlement and occurred primarily in northeastern Ohio.
Today, it is logged for the production of lumber, creosote-soaked telephone poles, and as pulp for the production of paper. White Pine is commonly transplanted today as a landscape evergreen tree and is also sold as a cut Christmas tree. Also known as Eastern White Pine, this towering evergreen easily grows to 80 feet tall by 40 feet wide or larger under optimum conditions, with a rapid growth rate. Its shape is upright pyramidal when young but becomes irregular with maturity.
The very straight trunk of White Pine is punctuated by a whorl of lateral branches every one to two feet, and from this sequential arrangement, a close approximation of the age of the tree can be determined. Simply count the number of whorls from bottom to top. As a member of the Pine Family, it is related to other Pines as well as the Firs, Larches, Spruces, and Hemlocks.
Planting Requirements - White Pine performs best in evenly moist, rich, well-drained, acidic soils in full sun. It is often intolerant of soils that are alkaline in pH and poorly drained; therefore, the heavy clay soils of much of central and western Ohio cause it to struggle in parts of this region, while it often thrives in eastern Ohio. Its rapid growth rate allows for a quick result in terms of a harvestable timber tree, a mature landscape tree, or as a cut Christmas tree. It grows in zones 3 to 8.
Potential Problems - In spite of thriving in many natural settings, White Pine is very susceptible in urban settings to alkaline soil pH causing chlorosis, (resulting in yellowing of the needles and stunting of growth), winter salt spray, air pollution, compacted clay soils, and poor water drainage.
Young transplants and saplings are also subject to deer and rabbit browsing in any setting. White Pine suffers from white pine blister rust, a fungus that attacks the inner bark. This primary disease can be controlled by removing all gooseberry and alpine currant shrubs within a quarter mile of the tree, since they serve as alternate hosts. White Pine is also attacked by the white pine weevil, which bores into the terminal shoots and distorts the growth of the upper canopy. This primary pest may severely impact mass plantings, such as those that occur in pure forests stands, nursery plantations, and Christmas tree farms.
Norway Spruce (Picea abies)
Mature Height: 80'-100'
Mature Spread: 30'-40'
Growth Rate: Medium to rapid
Sunlight: Full sun to partial sun
Soil Type: Acidic
Norway spruce (Picea abies), an evergreen conifer, is found throughout all of Ohio and much of the United States and Canada as perhaps the most common spruce, rivaled only by Colorado spruce. It is found as an ornamental tree in urban environments, a windbreak and snowbreak in both urban and rural areas, and occasionally in pure stands for future harvest in forests. It is native to central and northern Europe including Norway, for which it is named, and prefers moist, cool climates.
Norway spruce quickly reaches 80 feet in height by 40 feet in spread with its medium to rapid growth rate and adapts to a variety of harsh soil and sparse moisture conditions. It is so common, widespread, vigorous, and healthy that most people do not realize that it is not a native of North America, in spite of its common name. A distinctive trait of Norway spruce is the strong central leader, horizontal side branches, and vertically pendulous branchlets. As a member of the pine family, it is related to other spruces, as well as the firs, larches, pines, and hemlocks. Norway spruce prefers moist but well-drained, acidic soils that may be organic, sandy, or loamy. However, it is perhaps the most adaptable common evergreen tree to harsh conditions, including poor, clay, rocky, dry soils of acidic, neutral, or alkaline pH. It thrives under seasonal drought once it is established and takes well to city pollution. Its only requirement is to not be sited in wet soils, where it will quickly die. It grows in full sun to partial sun in zones 3 to 7. Norway spruce is generally a very healthy tree, even under harsh conditions. Like most spruces, it may suffer needle damage due to feeding by the various spider mites and mysteriously shaped "cones" that are rarely seen are actually caused by the chewing of cooley spruce gall aphids on the new growth, resulting in their deformity. It is especially drought tolerant, including young transplants that have been root pruned into ball and burlap form.
Norway spruce has its dark green needles point forward along the twigs, making this species of spruce easier to grasp with the hand than the more prickly Colorado spruce, whose needles radiate outward from the twigs. With age, the pendulous, dense branchlets in the upper canopy of mature trees hang straight down for several feet and are called skirts. While not unique to Norway spruce (European larch and Japanese larch have obvious skirts, while mature white spruce has subtle skirts), the skirts are most evident in this evergreen species.Norway spruce is commonly planted as an ornamental evergreen, either solitary or in groups, as a specimen or as a screen. When it is relatively young, it is extremely dense, symmetrical, and vigorous. The mature tree remains broadly pyramidal and may either remain branched to the ground or be limbed up. With increasing age, symmetry in the upper canopy is lost, and the upper canopy becomes flat-topped to irregular in shape, with a more thin appearance and faded green color. Norway spruce is monoecious, with male flowers scattered throughout the canopy serving as a source of pollen for the female flowers, which give rise to perfectly-shaped, purplish-green then brown cones up to seven inches long. They are distributed in the upper two-thirds of the tree canopy and fall out soon after releasing their seeds. On a Norway spruce cone, a small seed is visible resting on a scale, just below the center of the cone. The scaly mature bark of Norway spruce is gray to brown and is often speckled with dried white resin that drips from bark blisters and pruned limbs.
Mature Height: 80'-100'
Mature Spread: 30'-40'
Growth Rate: Medium to rapid
Sunlight: Full sun to partial sun
Soil Type: Acidic
Norway spruce (Picea abies), an evergreen conifer, is found throughout all of Ohio and much of the United States and Canada as perhaps the most common spruce, rivaled only by Colorado spruce. It is found as an ornamental tree in urban environments, a windbreak and snowbreak in both urban and rural areas, and occasionally in pure stands for future harvest in forests. It is native to central and northern Europe including Norway, for which it is named, and prefers moist, cool climates.
Norway spruce quickly reaches 80 feet in height by 40 feet in spread with its medium to rapid growth rate and adapts to a variety of harsh soil and sparse moisture conditions. It is so common, widespread, vigorous, and healthy that most people do not realize that it is not a native of North America, in spite of its common name. A distinctive trait of Norway spruce is the strong central leader, horizontal side branches, and vertically pendulous branchlets. As a member of the pine family, it is related to other spruces, as well as the firs, larches, pines, and hemlocks. Norway spruce prefers moist but well-drained, acidic soils that may be organic, sandy, or loamy. However, it is perhaps the most adaptable common evergreen tree to harsh conditions, including poor, clay, rocky, dry soils of acidic, neutral, or alkaline pH. It thrives under seasonal drought once it is established and takes well to city pollution. Its only requirement is to not be sited in wet soils, where it will quickly die. It grows in full sun to partial sun in zones 3 to 7. Norway spruce is generally a very healthy tree, even under harsh conditions. Like most spruces, it may suffer needle damage due to feeding by the various spider mites and mysteriously shaped "cones" that are rarely seen are actually caused by the chewing of cooley spruce gall aphids on the new growth, resulting in their deformity. It is especially drought tolerant, including young transplants that have been root pruned into ball and burlap form.
Norway spruce has its dark green needles point forward along the twigs, making this species of spruce easier to grasp with the hand than the more prickly Colorado spruce, whose needles radiate outward from the twigs. With age, the pendulous, dense branchlets in the upper canopy of mature trees hang straight down for several feet and are called skirts. While not unique to Norway spruce (European larch and Japanese larch have obvious skirts, while mature white spruce has subtle skirts), the skirts are most evident in this evergreen species.Norway spruce is commonly planted as an ornamental evergreen, either solitary or in groups, as a specimen or as a screen. When it is relatively young, it is extremely dense, symmetrical, and vigorous. The mature tree remains broadly pyramidal and may either remain branched to the ground or be limbed up. With increasing age, symmetry in the upper canopy is lost, and the upper canopy becomes flat-topped to irregular in shape, with a more thin appearance and faded green color. Norway spruce is monoecious, with male flowers scattered throughout the canopy serving as a source of pollen for the female flowers, which give rise to perfectly-shaped, purplish-green then brown cones up to seven inches long. They are distributed in the upper two-thirds of the tree canopy and fall out soon after releasing their seeds. On a Norway spruce cone, a small seed is visible resting on a scale, just below the center of the cone. The scaly mature bark of Norway spruce is gray to brown and is often speckled with dried white resin that drips from bark blisters and pruned limbs.
Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana)
Mature Height: 40'
Mature Spread: 30'
Growth Rate: Slow
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained, acidic or neutral pH
Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana), an evergreen conifer, is native to areas on either side of and including the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. It is commonly found in southeastern Ohio on unglaciated soils and rocky outcrops, where it may form nearly pure stands on the most inhospitable of soils. This gives it an alternative common name of Scrub Pine, as its growth habit is often shrub-like and scraggly, due to the stunting effect of the sterile soils that it inhabits.
When it reaches harvestable size, it is used for firewood or lumber. It is also grown in southern states as a Christmas tree, and is sheared into a more formal pyramidal shape. Also known as Jersey Pine (both New Jersey and southern New York represent the northern limit of its natural range), this pine, like the non-native Scotch Pine, forms a picturesque crown of gnarled and intertwined branches at maturity, and has a finer texture than most other pines.
Remaining low-branched when found in the wild, but often limbed up in urban areas, it may achieve 40 feet in height by 30 feet in width when found in the open, with a slow growth rate throughout its life. Its shape is irregularly pyramidal when young, but quickly becomes irregular and contorted with age, usually becoming flat-topped at maturity. As a member of the Pine Family, it is related to other Pines as well as the Firs, Larches, Spruces, and Hemlocks.
Planting Requirements - Virginia Pine grows where no other evergreens and few other deciduous trees and shrubs will grow. It is most often found in well-drained soils of acidic or neutral pH, and prefers sandy loams or heavy clay soils. It thrives on neglect and drought in full sun, and readily invades barren embankments along rural roadsides. It grows in zones 4 to 8.
Potential Problems - While Virginiana Pine is susceptible to many of the same diseases and pests that plague other Pines, it is generally trouble-free. Its primary asset is its ability to grow where few other woody plants will grow, and thus is valuable as a cover for barren hillsides, strip-mined areas, abandoned fields, and infertile farmlands. For these reasons, it is also called Poverty Pine.
Mature Height: 40'
Mature Spread: 30'
Growth Rate: Slow
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained, acidic or neutral pH
Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana), an evergreen conifer, is native to areas on either side of and including the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. It is commonly found in southeastern Ohio on unglaciated soils and rocky outcrops, where it may form nearly pure stands on the most inhospitable of soils. This gives it an alternative common name of Scrub Pine, as its growth habit is often shrub-like and scraggly, due to the stunting effect of the sterile soils that it inhabits.
When it reaches harvestable size, it is used for firewood or lumber. It is also grown in southern states as a Christmas tree, and is sheared into a more formal pyramidal shape. Also known as Jersey Pine (both New Jersey and southern New York represent the northern limit of its natural range), this pine, like the non-native Scotch Pine, forms a picturesque crown of gnarled and intertwined branches at maturity, and has a finer texture than most other pines.
Remaining low-branched when found in the wild, but often limbed up in urban areas, it may achieve 40 feet in height by 30 feet in width when found in the open, with a slow growth rate throughout its life. Its shape is irregularly pyramidal when young, but quickly becomes irregular and contorted with age, usually becoming flat-topped at maturity. As a member of the Pine Family, it is related to other Pines as well as the Firs, Larches, Spruces, and Hemlocks.
Planting Requirements - Virginia Pine grows where no other evergreens and few other deciduous trees and shrubs will grow. It is most often found in well-drained soils of acidic or neutral pH, and prefers sandy loams or heavy clay soils. It thrives on neglect and drought in full sun, and readily invades barren embankments along rural roadsides. It grows in zones 4 to 8.
Potential Problems - While Virginiana Pine is susceptible to many of the same diseases and pests that plague other Pines, it is generally trouble-free. Its primary asset is its ability to grow where few other woody plants will grow, and thus is valuable as a cover for barren hillsides, strip-mined areas, abandoned fields, and infertile farmlands. For these reasons, it is also called Poverty Pine.
Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Mature Height: 30'
Mature Spread: 15'
Growth Rate: Medium
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Adaptable
Eastern Redcedar is found throughout the Eastern United States, although in Ohio it predominates in the warmer southwestern quarter of the state where soils are more alkaline (or calcareous). It is the most common evergreen conifer found throughout the entire state, and it is valuable as a large shrub or small tree that will thrive where few other woody plants will grow. It is a pioneer invader of forests that have been clear-cut, fields that have been scraped of topsoil, lands that have been strip-mined, and gorges that have been filled with clay and rocks. It serves as an excellent windbreak and erosion control shrub in nature, and is often seen as one of the large evergreens in old cemeteries.
While also known as Cedar or Redcedar, this species is actually a type of Juniper, reaching a height of 30 feet and width of 15 feet when found in the open, although it is spire-like in youth. Its aromatic heartwood is lavendar-red in color, and is prized for making cedar chests, closet wood lining, cedar shavings, small carvings, pencils, and non-rotting fence posts. As a member of the Cypress Family, it is related to Arborvitae and False Cypress, and is representative of the many types of landscape Junipers it is closely related to that are upright shrubs, spreading shrubs, and groundcovers.
Planting Requirements - Eastern Redcedar tolerates just about any type of soil (fertile, sterile, clay, sandy, thin, or rocky) and non-wet moisture condition (very dry, dry, or moist but well-drained) and adapts well to neutral or acidic soils. It thrives and out-competes most other woody plants in rocky, alkaline, dry soils, especially in full sun to partial sun conditions with minimal soil fertility. It thrives on neglect, and is a good "cover crop" for recently cleared ground, helping to minimize long-term erosion on barren hillsides with its quick establishment under harsh conditions. It can also thrive in the smog, reflected light, and intense heat found in large cities. It grows in full sun to partial sun, and is found in zones 4 to 9.
Potential Problems - Eastern Redcedar, as a native tree, tends to be more healthy than most of the non-native landscape Junipers, but is occasionally susceptible to mites, midges, redcedar bark beetle, and especially bagworm. Tip dieback will occasionally be seen in severe drought summers, when the entire top may die due to lack of water (most commonly seen near rock outcrops). By far the most common pathogens seen on Redcedar are the rusts, where contorted brown and orange structures emerge from the foliage and may be mistaken for "strange fruits". While harmless to Redcedar, the rust spores that are released will invade hawthorns, quinces, apples, and other Rose Family members, infecting them and often destroying their fruits.
Mature Height: 30'
Mature Spread: 15'
Growth Rate: Medium
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Adaptable
Eastern Redcedar is found throughout the Eastern United States, although in Ohio it predominates in the warmer southwestern quarter of the state where soils are more alkaline (or calcareous). It is the most common evergreen conifer found throughout the entire state, and it is valuable as a large shrub or small tree that will thrive where few other woody plants will grow. It is a pioneer invader of forests that have been clear-cut, fields that have been scraped of topsoil, lands that have been strip-mined, and gorges that have been filled with clay and rocks. It serves as an excellent windbreak and erosion control shrub in nature, and is often seen as one of the large evergreens in old cemeteries.
While also known as Cedar or Redcedar, this species is actually a type of Juniper, reaching a height of 30 feet and width of 15 feet when found in the open, although it is spire-like in youth. Its aromatic heartwood is lavendar-red in color, and is prized for making cedar chests, closet wood lining, cedar shavings, small carvings, pencils, and non-rotting fence posts. As a member of the Cypress Family, it is related to Arborvitae and False Cypress, and is representative of the many types of landscape Junipers it is closely related to that are upright shrubs, spreading shrubs, and groundcovers.
Planting Requirements - Eastern Redcedar tolerates just about any type of soil (fertile, sterile, clay, sandy, thin, or rocky) and non-wet moisture condition (very dry, dry, or moist but well-drained) and adapts well to neutral or acidic soils. It thrives and out-competes most other woody plants in rocky, alkaline, dry soils, especially in full sun to partial sun conditions with minimal soil fertility. It thrives on neglect, and is a good "cover crop" for recently cleared ground, helping to minimize long-term erosion on barren hillsides with its quick establishment under harsh conditions. It can also thrive in the smog, reflected light, and intense heat found in large cities. It grows in full sun to partial sun, and is found in zones 4 to 9.
Potential Problems - Eastern Redcedar, as a native tree, tends to be more healthy than most of the non-native landscape Junipers, but is occasionally susceptible to mites, midges, redcedar bark beetle, and especially bagworm. Tip dieback will occasionally be seen in severe drought summers, when the entire top may die due to lack of water (most commonly seen near rock outcrops). By far the most common pathogens seen on Redcedar are the rusts, where contorted brown and orange structures emerge from the foliage and may be mistaken for "strange fruits". While harmless to Redcedar, the rust spores that are released will invade hawthorns, quinces, apples, and other Rose Family members, infecting them and often destroying their fruits.
American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
This deciduous shrub reaches a mature height and spread of 5-12 ft. and has white blooms from June to July. It grows in medium to wet, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. It tolerates a wide range of soils, but prefers moist, humusy ones. Elderberry spreads by root suckers to form colonies. Fruits are attractive to wildlife and are sometimes used to make jams, jellies, pie fillings, and wine. Attracts birds and butterflies.
This deciduous shrub reaches a mature height and spread of 5-12 ft. and has white blooms from June to July. It grows in medium to wet, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. It tolerates a wide range of soils, but prefers moist, humusy ones. Elderberry spreads by root suckers to form colonies. Fruits are attractive to wildlife and are sometimes used to make jams, jellies, pie fillings, and wine. Attracts birds and butterflies.
Shellbark Hickory (Carya laciniosa)
Mature Height: 60-80'
Mature Spread: 40'
Growth Rate: Slow
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Humusy rich medium to wet soils
Shellbark Hickory, a slow-growing but potentially massive tree scattered throughout Ohio, is often found in moist bottomlands where Shagbark Hickory usually does not grow. Like other hickories, its heavy, dense, strong, yet elastic wood is sought after for making tool handles, athletic equipment, furniture, construction timbers, and firewood, and its wood chips are utilized in the smoking of meats. Its sweet, huge nuts are relished by squirrels and give it an alternative common name of King Nut Hickory, due to their being the largest of the hickories.
A native to the Midwestern United States and stretching into portions of the southern, eastern, and Great Plains states, Shellbark Hickory is a climax forest tree in moist soils, particularly along flood plains and bottomland areas. It grows to 80 feet tall by 40 feet wide when found in the open. As a member of the Walnut Family, it is related to other Hickories and the Walnuts.
Planting Requirements - Shellbark Hickory prefers deep, moist to occasionally wet, rich soils under sunny conditions, such as are found in bottomlands, flatlands that do not drain quickly, and floodplains. It tolerates shade in its youth, when it is stretching for sunlight beneath the canopy of taller trees, and develops its deep taproot system. Like other Hickories, it is very tolerant of summer drought, even though it prefers moist conditions. It is found in zones 5 to 8.
Potential Problems - Shellbark Hickory is virtually disease- and pest-free, although its leaflets become frayed by late summer due to minor pest feeding. However, it sends down a constant rain of leaflets, rachises, dead twigs, immature fruits, husks, and debris from squirrel feeding from mid-summer until late autumn, presenting a constant clean-up chore and mowing hazard when it is found in urban areas.
Identifying Features - Shellbark Hickory
Mature Height: 60-80'
Mature Spread: 40'
Growth Rate: Slow
Sunlight: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Humusy rich medium to wet soils
Shellbark Hickory, a slow-growing but potentially massive tree scattered throughout Ohio, is often found in moist bottomlands where Shagbark Hickory usually does not grow. Like other hickories, its heavy, dense, strong, yet elastic wood is sought after for making tool handles, athletic equipment, furniture, construction timbers, and firewood, and its wood chips are utilized in the smoking of meats. Its sweet, huge nuts are relished by squirrels and give it an alternative common name of King Nut Hickory, due to their being the largest of the hickories.
A native to the Midwestern United States and stretching into portions of the southern, eastern, and Great Plains states, Shellbark Hickory is a climax forest tree in moist soils, particularly along flood plains and bottomland areas. It grows to 80 feet tall by 40 feet wide when found in the open. As a member of the Walnut Family, it is related to other Hickories and the Walnuts.
Planting Requirements - Shellbark Hickory prefers deep, moist to occasionally wet, rich soils under sunny conditions, such as are found in bottomlands, flatlands that do not drain quickly, and floodplains. It tolerates shade in its youth, when it is stretching for sunlight beneath the canopy of taller trees, and develops its deep taproot system. Like other Hickories, it is very tolerant of summer drought, even though it prefers moist conditions. It is found in zones 5 to 8.
Potential Problems - Shellbark Hickory is virtually disease- and pest-free, although its leaflets become frayed by late summer due to minor pest feeding. However, it sends down a constant rain of leaflets, rachises, dead twigs, immature fruits, husks, and debris from squirrel feeding from mid-summer until late autumn, presenting a constant clean-up chore and mowing hazard when it is found in urban areas.
Identifying Features - Shellbark Hickory
Hazelnut (Corylus americana)
Mature Height: 15'
Mature Spread: 15'
Growth Rate: Medium to fast
Sunlight: Full to partial sun
Soil Type: Reasonable well-drained, variable pH, variable soil quality
Hazelnut, one of several related large shrubs known for their tasty nuts that provide food for humans or wildlife, is found throughout Ohio along roadsides, in fields, at the edges of forest, and in fencerows, in dry or moist sites. Also known as American Filbert or Hazel, it develops a broad, rounded, strongly suckering growth habit with age. Hybrids have been developed with European Filbert that combine its superior nut quality and yield with the cold hardiness of Hazelnut.
Hazelnut will reach dimensions of 15 feet tall and 15 feet wide, becoming arching and spreading with age, but new vertical suckers keep its middle interior canopy dense. As a member of the Birch Family, it is related to the Alders, Birches, Hornbeams, and Hophornbeams, in addition to other Hazelnuts and Filberts.
Planting Requirements - Hazelnut is very adaptable to moist or dry, reasonably well-drained soils of variable pH and variable soil quality. It is found in zones 4 to 9, in full sun to partial shade (best nut production occurs in full sun).
Potential Problems - Hazelnut has several diseases and pests that may affect its bark or foliage, but none are usually serious.
Mature Height: 15'
Mature Spread: 15'
Growth Rate: Medium to fast
Sunlight: Full to partial sun
Soil Type: Reasonable well-drained, variable pH, variable soil quality
Hazelnut, one of several related large shrubs known for their tasty nuts that provide food for humans or wildlife, is found throughout Ohio along roadsides, in fields, at the edges of forest, and in fencerows, in dry or moist sites. Also known as American Filbert or Hazel, it develops a broad, rounded, strongly suckering growth habit with age. Hybrids have been developed with European Filbert that combine its superior nut quality and yield with the cold hardiness of Hazelnut.
Hazelnut will reach dimensions of 15 feet tall and 15 feet wide, becoming arching and spreading with age, but new vertical suckers keep its middle interior canopy dense. As a member of the Birch Family, it is related to the Alders, Birches, Hornbeams, and Hophornbeams, in addition to other Hazelnuts and Filberts.
Planting Requirements - Hazelnut is very adaptable to moist or dry, reasonably well-drained soils of variable pH and variable soil quality. It is found in zones 4 to 9, in full sun to partial shade (best nut production occurs in full sun).
Potential Problems - Hazelnut has several diseases and pests that may affect its bark or foliage, but none are usually serious.
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Mature Height: 50'
Mature Spread: 30'
Growth Rate: Slow to medium
Sunlight: Full to partial sun
Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
Persimmon is native to the southern two-thirds of the eastern United States, with an east-west line across central Ohio representing the northernmost limit of its native range. It can be planted much farther north in terms of cold hardiness.
This tree is primarily known for its ripened fruits, when provide food for animals and humans alike in mid- to late autumn. It is also known as the tree that provides wood for some of the best wooden golf club heads and billiard cues that can be made; historically, the fine-grained wood was also used in the production of shuttles for the textile industry.
Persimmon may reach 50 feet tall by 30 feet wide when found in the open, sometimes with root suckers that cause it to form colonies or groves. As a member of the Ebony Family, it is related to other species in its genus (one produces ebony wood, another produces much larger persimmon fruits) and other genera in the family, most of which are tropical in origin.
Planting Requirements - Persimmon is quite adaptable to a variety of soil, moisture, and polluted conditions. It prefers moist, well-drained, average soils of various pH's, but easily adapts to poor, rocky, clay, sandy, or even organic soils of dry or moist constitution. It will not tolerate wet sites, but it can survive on thin soils or strip-mined soils. It is found in zones 4 to 9, in full sun to partial sun.
Potential Problems - Persimmon has relatively few diseases (leafspot on occasion) and pests. Aside from being slow-growing and with the potential in heavy fruiting years to create a sticky mess at the bottom of female trees, it has no liabilities.
Mature Height: 50'
Mature Spread: 30'
Growth Rate: Slow to medium
Sunlight: Full to partial sun
Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
Persimmon is native to the southern two-thirds of the eastern United States, with an east-west line across central Ohio representing the northernmost limit of its native range. It can be planted much farther north in terms of cold hardiness.
This tree is primarily known for its ripened fruits, when provide food for animals and humans alike in mid- to late autumn. It is also known as the tree that provides wood for some of the best wooden golf club heads and billiard cues that can be made; historically, the fine-grained wood was also used in the production of shuttles for the textile industry.
Persimmon may reach 50 feet tall by 30 feet wide when found in the open, sometimes with root suckers that cause it to form colonies or groves. As a member of the Ebony Family, it is related to other species in its genus (one produces ebony wood, another produces much larger persimmon fruits) and other genera in the family, most of which are tropical in origin.
Planting Requirements - Persimmon is quite adaptable to a variety of soil, moisture, and polluted conditions. It prefers moist, well-drained, average soils of various pH's, but easily adapts to poor, rocky, clay, sandy, or even organic soils of dry or moist constitution. It will not tolerate wet sites, but it can survive on thin soils or strip-mined soils. It is found in zones 4 to 9, in full sun to partial sun.
Potential Problems - Persimmon has relatively few diseases (leafspot on occasion) and pests. Aside from being slow-growing and with the potential in heavy fruiting years to create a sticky mess at the bottom of female trees, it has no liabilities.
American Plum (Prunus americana)
Mature Height: 20'
Mature Spread: 25'
Growth Rate: Medium
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
American Plum, also known as Wild Plum, is present throughout all of Ohio, and is native to most of the eastern and central United States. Its white, pungently sweet blossoms emerge in early spring before the foliage breaks bud. It easily forms colonies and thickets in fields, fence rows, and along roadsides and woodland edges, where its suckers from roots and its germinated seeds create a mass planting similar in mounded appearance to that of wild Sumacs and Crabapples.
Its fruits are sweet when fully ripe, and make excellent jelly or jam due to their high pectin and high acid content. American Plum reaches 20 feet tall by 25 feet wide as an individual specimen under optimum conditions, but forms thickets of indeterminate width with time. As a member of the Rose Family, it is related to the Serviceberries, Chokeberries, Hawthorns, Crabapples, Cherries, Pears, and Roses, as well as other Plum species and hybrids.
Planting Requirements - American Plum, like many members of the Rose Family, is very adaptable to a wide variety of environmental conditions, including soils that are rich, average, poor, or rocky, and of acidic, neutral, or alkaline pH. This species likes moist, well-drained soils, tolerates drier soils, and thrives on neglect in full sun. American Plum is found in zones 3 to 8.
Potential Problems - American Plum, like all members of the Rose Family, is prone to a host of diseases and pests, which primarily affect the foliage and fruits.
Mature Height: 20'
Mature Spread: 25'
Growth Rate: Medium
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
American Plum, also known as Wild Plum, is present throughout all of Ohio, and is native to most of the eastern and central United States. Its white, pungently sweet blossoms emerge in early spring before the foliage breaks bud. It easily forms colonies and thickets in fields, fence rows, and along roadsides and woodland edges, where its suckers from roots and its germinated seeds create a mass planting similar in mounded appearance to that of wild Sumacs and Crabapples.
Its fruits are sweet when fully ripe, and make excellent jelly or jam due to their high pectin and high acid content. American Plum reaches 20 feet tall by 25 feet wide as an individual specimen under optimum conditions, but forms thickets of indeterminate width with time. As a member of the Rose Family, it is related to the Serviceberries, Chokeberries, Hawthorns, Crabapples, Cherries, Pears, and Roses, as well as other Plum species and hybrids.
Planting Requirements - American Plum, like many members of the Rose Family, is very adaptable to a wide variety of environmental conditions, including soils that are rich, average, poor, or rocky, and of acidic, neutral, or alkaline pH. This species likes moist, well-drained soils, tolerates drier soils, and thrives on neglect in full sun. American Plum is found in zones 3 to 8.
Potential Problems - American Plum, like all members of the Rose Family, is prone to a host of diseases and pests, which primarily affect the foliage and fruits.
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Mature Height: 50-70'
Mature Spread: 25-40'
Growth Rate: Fast
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Acidic, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, well-drained, wet, and clay soils
Pin Oak, an Oak distributed from the middle Atlantic states westward to the edge of the Great Plains, and encompassing most of the Midwest, is often seen in the wild in wet areas (an alternative common name is Swamp Oak). In floodplains, wetlands, and low areas, Pin Oak may form nearly pure stands, and is distinctive in its dense growth habit: ascending upper branches, horizontal middle branches, and strongly downswept lower branches.
In urban areas, Pin Oak suffers from a quirk of commercial nursery production, in that most trees originate from southern sources with very acidic soils and when transplanted to neutral or alkaline soils, suffer tremendously from leaf chlorosis with a resulting loss of vigor. The lesson still not learned is to use local seed sources for growing trees when there will be a problem of any type.
As a general rule, Pin Oak requires moist and acidic soils to reach its full growth potential, which is a medium to rapidly growing tree (for shade, knotty timber, or quick establishment in naturalized areas). It is probably the favorite Oak to use as a shade tree, because its fibrous root system re-establishes quickly after root pruning, and because of its symmetry and the potential for quick shade with russet fall color. It thrives in full sun to partial sun (but is shade tolerant in youth), is located naturally in zones 4 to 7, but can be grown in zones 4 to 8.
Pin Oak gets its common name from the practice long ago of "pinning together" the timbers of a barn with the tough, resilient branchlets of this tree. Under optimum conditions in the Midwest, Pin Oak may reach 70 feet tall and 40 feet wide when located in the open. As a member of the Red Oak group and the Beech Family, it is related to the Beeches, Chestnuts, and other Oaks.
Planting Requirements - Pin Oak, when found as a native tree in its local ecosystem, is genetically adapted to the pH of the soil in that area. However, acorns, bare root saplings, or balled and burlapped trees often come from non-local sources, and are usually taken from areas with acidic soils. If planted in areas with neutral or alkaline soils, a chlorotic and sickly tree will result.
Potential Problems - Chlorosis is the major problem encountered, due to siting some Pin Oaks into alkaline soils (also referred to as high pH soils, low acidity soils, sweet soils, or calcareous soils). Under these conditions, Pin Oak cannot transport iron from the root zone to the above-ground structures, resulting in poor nitrogen utilization, which results in leaves that cannot synthesize enough chlorophyll (the green pigment of leaves) to conduct efficient photosynthesis, without which sugars, energy, and other biological compounds are not produced. Under these conditions, loss of vigor is a foregone conclusion.
Pin Oak may also exhibit galls due to insect feeding and may suffer from the usual array of pests and pathogens that can affect many Oaks.
Mature Height: 50-70'
Mature Spread: 25-40'
Growth Rate: Fast
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Acidic, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, well-drained, wet, and clay soils
Pin Oak, an Oak distributed from the middle Atlantic states westward to the edge of the Great Plains, and encompassing most of the Midwest, is often seen in the wild in wet areas (an alternative common name is Swamp Oak). In floodplains, wetlands, and low areas, Pin Oak may form nearly pure stands, and is distinctive in its dense growth habit: ascending upper branches, horizontal middle branches, and strongly downswept lower branches.
In urban areas, Pin Oak suffers from a quirk of commercial nursery production, in that most trees originate from southern sources with very acidic soils and when transplanted to neutral or alkaline soils, suffer tremendously from leaf chlorosis with a resulting loss of vigor. The lesson still not learned is to use local seed sources for growing trees when there will be a problem of any type.
As a general rule, Pin Oak requires moist and acidic soils to reach its full growth potential, which is a medium to rapidly growing tree (for shade, knotty timber, or quick establishment in naturalized areas). It is probably the favorite Oak to use as a shade tree, because its fibrous root system re-establishes quickly after root pruning, and because of its symmetry and the potential for quick shade with russet fall color. It thrives in full sun to partial sun (but is shade tolerant in youth), is located naturally in zones 4 to 7, but can be grown in zones 4 to 8.
Pin Oak gets its common name from the practice long ago of "pinning together" the timbers of a barn with the tough, resilient branchlets of this tree. Under optimum conditions in the Midwest, Pin Oak may reach 70 feet tall and 40 feet wide when located in the open. As a member of the Red Oak group and the Beech Family, it is related to the Beeches, Chestnuts, and other Oaks.
Planting Requirements - Pin Oak, when found as a native tree in its local ecosystem, is genetically adapted to the pH of the soil in that area. However, acorns, bare root saplings, or balled and burlapped trees often come from non-local sources, and are usually taken from areas with acidic soils. If planted in areas with neutral or alkaline soils, a chlorotic and sickly tree will result.
Potential Problems - Chlorosis is the major problem encountered, due to siting some Pin Oaks into alkaline soils (also referred to as high pH soils, low acidity soils, sweet soils, or calcareous soils). Under these conditions, Pin Oak cannot transport iron from the root zone to the above-ground structures, resulting in poor nitrogen utilization, which results in leaves that cannot synthesize enough chlorophyll (the green pigment of leaves) to conduct efficient photosynthesis, without which sugars, energy, and other biological compounds are not produced. Under these conditions, loss of vigor is a foregone conclusion.
Pin Oak may also exhibit galls due to insect feeding and may suffer from the usual array of pests and pathogens that can affect many Oaks.
River Birch (Betula nigra)
Mature Height: 40-70'
Mature Spread: 40-60'
Growth Rate: Rapid
Sunlight: Full sun and partial shade
Soil Type: Wet sites with acidic, moist, sandy, well-drained loam soils
River Birch (Betula nigra), the southernmost birch of the United States, makes its best growth alongside bodies of water or in occasionally flooded bottomlands. It is native to the Atlantic coastal states, southern states, the lower Midwest, eastern Great Plains, and lower Mississippi River valley. In Ohio, it is native mostly in the south-central counties, and sparsely along Lake Erie. However, it is widely planted throughout Ohio and the eastern United States as an ornamental shade tree, prized for its flaky, orange, ornamental bark and rippling foliage in the breeze.
Its rapid growth rate (even in drier soils) allows for quick shade, and it is often propagated and sold in multitrunked form. When found in the open, River Birch may reach 70 feet tall and 40 feet wide as a single trunked tree, and about 50 feet tall and 40 feet wide as a multitrunked tree. As a member of the Birch Family, it is related to the Alders, Hornbeams, Filberts, and Hophornbeams, in addition to other Birches.
Planting Requirements - River Birch prefers moist to wet, rich, deep, acidic soils. It tolerates drier soils but with subsequent leaf drop from the interior of the canopy in summer, and somewhat tolerates soils of alkaline or neutral pH, but often with resulting chlorosis of the foliage. It grows in full sun to partial sun, and is found in zones 3 to 9.
Potential Problems - Aside from drought-induced leaf drop and yellowing foliage due to high pH soil-induced chlorosis, River Birch may have aphids on its new stem and foliage growth, and leaf spot in wet springs (which also leads to leaf drop). However, it should be noted that River Birch is resistant to the bronze birch borer, which plagues the birches of colder climates when they are planted too far south of their natural range (the warmer winters do not kill off the larvae), and is very heat tolerant in summer.
Mature Height: 40-70'
Mature Spread: 40-60'
Growth Rate: Rapid
Sunlight: Full sun and partial shade
Soil Type: Wet sites with acidic, moist, sandy, well-drained loam soils
River Birch (Betula nigra), the southernmost birch of the United States, makes its best growth alongside bodies of water or in occasionally flooded bottomlands. It is native to the Atlantic coastal states, southern states, the lower Midwest, eastern Great Plains, and lower Mississippi River valley. In Ohio, it is native mostly in the south-central counties, and sparsely along Lake Erie. However, it is widely planted throughout Ohio and the eastern United States as an ornamental shade tree, prized for its flaky, orange, ornamental bark and rippling foliage in the breeze.
Its rapid growth rate (even in drier soils) allows for quick shade, and it is often propagated and sold in multitrunked form. When found in the open, River Birch may reach 70 feet tall and 40 feet wide as a single trunked tree, and about 50 feet tall and 40 feet wide as a multitrunked tree. As a member of the Birch Family, it is related to the Alders, Hornbeams, Filberts, and Hophornbeams, in addition to other Birches.
Planting Requirements - River Birch prefers moist to wet, rich, deep, acidic soils. It tolerates drier soils but with subsequent leaf drop from the interior of the canopy in summer, and somewhat tolerates soils of alkaline or neutral pH, but often with resulting chlorosis of the foliage. It grows in full sun to partial sun, and is found in zones 3 to 9.
Potential Problems - Aside from drought-induced leaf drop and yellowing foliage due to high pH soil-induced chlorosis, River Birch may have aphids on its new stem and foliage growth, and leaf spot in wet springs (which also leads to leaf drop). However, it should be noted that River Birch is resistant to the bronze birch borer, which plagues the birches of colder climates when they are planted too far south of their natural range (the warmer winters do not kill off the larvae), and is very heat tolerant in summer.
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
Mature Height: 50-75'
Mature Spread:
Growth Rate: Moderate
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Moist to wet acidic soils with high mineral content
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor), primarily an Oak of the Midwestern United States, is found throughout most of Ohio, although it is not abundant in the southeastern Appalachian counties. It is a frequent inhabitant of wet woods, swamps, wetlands, bottomlands, and near bodies of water, although it is very drought tolerant and can be planted in soils that are dry in summer.
Of all the members of the White Oak group, the undersides of its leaves are the most white, and when contrasted with its dark green leaf uppersides in the breeze, the specific epithet "bicolor" is appropriate.
Its wood is indistinguishable from White Oak when cut and is used for the same purposes. Its canopy is often ascending in youth and middle age, becoming more rounded at maturity. Swamp White Oak may reach 70 feet tall by 60 feet wide at maturity, when found in the open. As a member of the White Oak group and the Beech Family, it is related to the Beeches, Chestnuts, and other Oaks.
Planting Requirements - Swamp White Oak prefers rich, deep, moist to wet, poorly-drained, acidic soils, but adapts well to dry and average soils that are neutral to slightly alkaline in pH. Along with Pin Oak and Swamp Chestnut Oak, it is one of the best hardwoods for wet soils, but it adapts better than many Pin Oaks to wet soils that also have a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. It thrives in full sun to partial sun (but is shade tolerant in youth) and is found in zones 4 to 8.
Potential Problems - Swamp White Oak has three notable problems that may occur. Along with English Oak, it is the Oak most likely to get powdery mildew on its foliage in late summer and early autumn. This causes no damage to the tree; it just makes the leaves have a white cast on a green background.
Along with Bur Oak, Swamp White Oak may have rounded galls on its twigs and branchlets, the result of chewing by the Oak rough bulletgall wasp. Unless infestations are especially dense, no long-term damage is done. Finally, this species will develop chlorosis in high pH (very alkaline) soils, almost always the result of being transplanted into chalky and gravelly urban soils, usually near asphalt and/or concrete.
Mature Height: 50-75'
Mature Spread:
Growth Rate: Moderate
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Moist to wet acidic soils with high mineral content
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor), primarily an Oak of the Midwestern United States, is found throughout most of Ohio, although it is not abundant in the southeastern Appalachian counties. It is a frequent inhabitant of wet woods, swamps, wetlands, bottomlands, and near bodies of water, although it is very drought tolerant and can be planted in soils that are dry in summer.
Of all the members of the White Oak group, the undersides of its leaves are the most white, and when contrasted with its dark green leaf uppersides in the breeze, the specific epithet "bicolor" is appropriate.
Its wood is indistinguishable from White Oak when cut and is used for the same purposes. Its canopy is often ascending in youth and middle age, becoming more rounded at maturity. Swamp White Oak may reach 70 feet tall by 60 feet wide at maturity, when found in the open. As a member of the White Oak group and the Beech Family, it is related to the Beeches, Chestnuts, and other Oaks.
Planting Requirements - Swamp White Oak prefers rich, deep, moist to wet, poorly-drained, acidic soils, but adapts well to dry and average soils that are neutral to slightly alkaline in pH. Along with Pin Oak and Swamp Chestnut Oak, it is one of the best hardwoods for wet soils, but it adapts better than many Pin Oaks to wet soils that also have a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. It thrives in full sun to partial sun (but is shade tolerant in youth) and is found in zones 4 to 8.
Potential Problems - Swamp White Oak has three notable problems that may occur. Along with English Oak, it is the Oak most likely to get powdery mildew on its foliage in late summer and early autumn. This causes no damage to the tree; it just makes the leaves have a white cast on a green background.
Along with Bur Oak, Swamp White Oak may have rounded galls on its twigs and branchlets, the result of chewing by the Oak rough bulletgall wasp. Unless infestations are especially dense, no long-term damage is done. Finally, this species will develop chlorosis in high pH (very alkaline) soils, almost always the result of being transplanted into chalky and gravelly urban soils, usually near asphalt and/or concrete.
Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
Mature Height: 70-100'
Mature Spread: 65-80'
Growth Rate: Fast
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Moist, fertile soils
American Sycamore, while not the tallest tree, is considered the most massive tree as defined by its circumference in the entire eastern half of the United States, where it is native including all of Ohio.
This species is easily identified by its height, its spreading canopy with several massive branches, and its white bark in winter. The paths of creeks and rivers can be easily seen from a distance in winter by following the white bark of barren Sycamore canopies. While many Ohio landscapes contain its European cousin, London planetree, which is more resistant to anthracnose, this tree towers above most others in native environments. Also known as sycamore or American planetree, this tree easily reaches heights of 80 feet tall and 60 feet wide but can grow much larger.
As a member of the plane tree family, it is closely related to other planetrees, and distantly related to sweetgum. American Sycamore prefers deep, moist, rich soils of variable pH that are either well-drained or moderately drained, as it is often found naturally along the edges of bodies of water, and in wet areas of fields or woodlands. It tolerates much drier and poorer soils but does not like the city pollution that London planetree survives. It is found in zones 4 to 9, in full sun to partial sun.
American sycamore is very prone to annual infections of anthracnose, a fungus that destroys the new growth in spring. This causes dieback of the emergent leaves and stem, and subsequently the lateral buds break (either at the base of the new growth, or from previous year’s branchlets) and form a whorled pattern of new stems, which resemble witches’ broom growth. This secondary growth occurs in late spring and usually becomes the growth of the season, as drier weather does not encourage new fungal growth. Other diseases and pests may occur on American sycamore, but the most serious problem after anthracnose is usually hollow trunks, which eventually make the tree subject to storm damage, and of course getting too big for its space in urban areas. In both cases, the tree may need to be removed.
American sycamore has leaves of variable shape. Some have leaf bases that are cordate, hanging well below the point of attachment to the petiole, while others have leaf bases that are truncate. Leaves are medium green, fuzzy in spring when they emerge, and have three to five lobes that vary greatly in the number and size of incisions (large teeth) on the lobes, ranging from many to few. Anthracnose, the major disease of wet springs for this species, causes the terminal stem and leaves to die back, forcing a second round of shoot emergence in late spring. American sycamore is monoecious, with male and female flowers on the same tree but hanging from different stalks in mid-spring. American sycamore differs from the closely related London planetree in that the native tree usually has only one fruit hanging from a long stalk, whereas the non-native tree usually has two or three fruits hanging from a long stalk. Twigs of American sycamore are zig-zag with prominent winter buds. Branches ascend in the upper canopy with a rapid growth rate but are pendulous in the lower reaches. Branches regularly peel off large sections of gray-brown bark in mid-summer, revealing a smooth, white interior bark that then becomes the exterior bark. This coloration is retained in winter, when the low angle of the sun reflects brightly from the white branches. With maturity, the lower trunk retains more of its plates each year, creating a mosaic of gray, green, and brown patches that contrast with the decreasing amount of white inner bark.
Mature Height: 70-100'
Mature Spread: 65-80'
Growth Rate: Fast
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil Type: Moist, fertile soils
American Sycamore, while not the tallest tree, is considered the most massive tree as defined by its circumference in the entire eastern half of the United States, where it is native including all of Ohio.
This species is easily identified by its height, its spreading canopy with several massive branches, and its white bark in winter. The paths of creeks and rivers can be easily seen from a distance in winter by following the white bark of barren Sycamore canopies. While many Ohio landscapes contain its European cousin, London planetree, which is more resistant to anthracnose, this tree towers above most others in native environments. Also known as sycamore or American planetree, this tree easily reaches heights of 80 feet tall and 60 feet wide but can grow much larger.
As a member of the plane tree family, it is closely related to other planetrees, and distantly related to sweetgum. American Sycamore prefers deep, moist, rich soils of variable pH that are either well-drained or moderately drained, as it is often found naturally along the edges of bodies of water, and in wet areas of fields or woodlands. It tolerates much drier and poorer soils but does not like the city pollution that London planetree survives. It is found in zones 4 to 9, in full sun to partial sun.
American sycamore is very prone to annual infections of anthracnose, a fungus that destroys the new growth in spring. This causes dieback of the emergent leaves and stem, and subsequently the lateral buds break (either at the base of the new growth, or from previous year’s branchlets) and form a whorled pattern of new stems, which resemble witches’ broom growth. This secondary growth occurs in late spring and usually becomes the growth of the season, as drier weather does not encourage new fungal growth. Other diseases and pests may occur on American sycamore, but the most serious problem after anthracnose is usually hollow trunks, which eventually make the tree subject to storm damage, and of course getting too big for its space in urban areas. In both cases, the tree may need to be removed.
American sycamore has leaves of variable shape. Some have leaf bases that are cordate, hanging well below the point of attachment to the petiole, while others have leaf bases that are truncate. Leaves are medium green, fuzzy in spring when they emerge, and have three to five lobes that vary greatly in the number and size of incisions (large teeth) on the lobes, ranging from many to few. Anthracnose, the major disease of wet springs for this species, causes the terminal stem and leaves to die back, forcing a second round of shoot emergence in late spring. American sycamore is monoecious, with male and female flowers on the same tree but hanging from different stalks in mid-spring. American sycamore differs from the closely related London planetree in that the native tree usually has only one fruit hanging from a long stalk, whereas the non-native tree usually has two or three fruits hanging from a long stalk. Twigs of American sycamore are zig-zag with prominent winter buds. Branches ascend in the upper canopy with a rapid growth rate but are pendulous in the lower reaches. Branches regularly peel off large sections of gray-brown bark in mid-summer, revealing a smooth, white interior bark that then becomes the exterior bark. This coloration is retained in winter, when the low angle of the sun reflects brightly from the white branches. With maturity, the lower trunk retains more of its plates each year, creating a mosaic of gray, green, and brown patches that contrast with the decreasing amount of white inner bark.
Dwarf Red Globe Peach
Red globe peach is a large freestone (separates freely from the pit) peach that is firm and wonderfully sweet. It is great for fresh eating and canning, as well as making ice cream and pies. They ripen early to mid August. Dwarf Red Globe peach trees are considered self pollinating. These dwarf varieties will ultimately have a height and spread of about 10 ft. They grow best in moist, well-drained soils and full sun. Soil pH in the 6.0 to 7.0 range is ideal for peaches.
Red globe peach is a large freestone (separates freely from the pit) peach that is firm and wonderfully sweet. It is great for fresh eating and canning, as well as making ice cream and pies. They ripen early to mid August. Dwarf Red Globe peach trees are considered self pollinating. These dwarf varieties will ultimately have a height and spread of about 10 ft. They grow best in moist, well-drained soils and full sun. Soil pH in the 6.0 to 7.0 range is ideal for peaches.
Shiitake Mushroom
(1 kit) Delicious mushrooms that have brown, slightly convex caps that range from about 2-4 inches in diameter. Kit contains 200 inoculated shiitake dowel plugs, 1/4lb. bees wax, wax dauber, 5 metal tags for labeling and an easy to follow growers guide. Each kit will plug approximately 10 logs 3 inches in diameter and 40 inches long. Logs not included.
(1 kit) Delicious mushrooms that have brown, slightly convex caps that range from about 2-4 inches in diameter. Kit contains 200 inoculated shiitake dowel plugs, 1/4lb. bees wax, wax dauber, 5 metal tags for labeling and an easy to follow growers guide. Each kit will plug approximately 10 logs 3 inches in diameter and 40 inches long. Logs not included.
Seed Mixes
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Erosion Control Seed Mix
(2 lb. bag) A blend of Birdsfoot Trefoil, Timothy, Tall Fescue, Annual Ryegrass, Alsike Clover, and Red Top. Excellent substitute for crownvetch. For severe erosion control measures. Covers 2000 sq. ft. Whitetail 365 Food Plot Seed Mix (25 lb. bag) This “throw & go” mix can be planted anytime from early spring through late fall. The combination of oats, rye, and 2 varieties of peas ensures that something is always growing and providing forage for deer year-round. Covers ½ acre. Click on this link for details. |
Showy Northeast Native Wildflower & Grass Seed Mix
(1 oz. packet) A mix of native wildflowers and prairie grasses that will provide a wonderful display of color from spring through summer. This full sun/part shade mixture contains drought resistant species that attain an average height of 2-3 ft. Excellent for native meadows and wildflower patches. Covers 200 sq. ft. Click on this link for the list of seeds included in this mix. For photos on some of the species that may be included in this seed mix, click on this link. (This is not the exact mix! These are only photos for reference.) |
Groundcover
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Wild Ginger (Asarum candensis)
This native spring wildflower is usually grown in woodland gardens, native plant gardens or used as edging in landscapes. Easily grown in a variety of soil types in part shade to full shade. Spreads slowly by rhizomes. Height is 4-8 inches at maturity. Plant 8-12 inches apart. 25 bulbs per packet. |
Partridge Berry (Mitchella reptans)
A mat-forming, evergreen groundcover that displays interesting foliage, flowers and fruit. Tolerates heavy shade and dry conditions. Height is 2 inches at maturity. Plant 8-12 inches apart. 25 bulbs per packet. |
Wildlife Boxes
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Bat House
Bats play an essential role in keeping populations of night-flying insects in balance; one bat can catch hundreds of insects per hour! They are the primary predators of beetles, moths, leafhoppers, mosquitoes, and other insects. Installing this cedar bat house on your property will provide roosting locations for these nocturnal mammals. |
Eastern Bluebird Box
Landlords wanted! Attract bluebirds to your property! Bluebirds readily accept nesting boxes to raise their young. Ideal bluebird habitat is a mix of scattered trees and open grasslands including short, mowed, or grazed grass. These cedar nest boxes should be placed at least 300 ft. apart. Contact the District for more information on bluebirds. |
Tree Supplies
Tree Marking Flags - Can purchase individually or in bundles of 100
30 inch high metal stake with a 4 x 5 inch pink or orange flag. Perfect for marking those newly planted trees, shrubs, and groundcover.
30 inch high metal stake with a 4 x 5 inch pink or orange flag. Perfect for marking those newly planted trees, shrubs, and groundcover.
Plantskydd (Spray & Powder)
100% organic, safe for use in protecting flowers, ornamentals, seedlings, shrubs, and trees, as well as fruit, vegetables, and other food crops against browse damage from deer and rabbits. Won't harm the environment or pets. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, and also acts as a fertilizer. Available in 1 quart ready to spray bottle or 2.2 lb. soluble powder concentrate (makes 10 quarts of liquid for spraying).
Weed Wand Magic
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The perfect accessory for fighting invasive species - no spray, no drift, no waste! Ideal for quick, easy and targeted spot application of herbicide directly on weeds or stumps! Its lightweight design prevents the need to bend over - simply push down on the tube to precisely apply the desired amount of herbicide. Each wand also comes with a three pack of replacement tips.
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Pickaway SWCD, 110 Island Rd., Suite D, Circleville, Ohio 43113, T: 740-477-1693 F: 740-477-3327