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Pin Oak
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Quercus palustris
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Probably the most widely used
native oak for landscaping. One
of the fastest growing oaks; it
can grow 12 to 15 feet over a
5-7 year period. Pin Oak has
moderate water requirements and
has a moderate tolerance to salt
and alkali soils. This deciduous
tree prospers in a range of soil
types including wet soils. The
strong, close-grained woods
warps and checks badly in drying
and has limited uses. Various
wildlife, including whitetail
deer and wood ducks feed on the
acorns.
Read more about the Pin Oak
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Overcup Oak
~
Quercus lyrata
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Overcup oak is also called swamp
post oak, is quite tolerant of
flooding and grows slowly on
poorly drained flood plains. It
may take 30 years before overcup
oak produces acorns. Wildlife
uses them as food. Overcup oak
is found on poorly drained,
alluvial, clayey soils mainly on
southern river flood plains. It
is most prevalent on low lying
clay or silty clay flats in
first bottoms and terraces of
the larger streams. It is also
quite common on the edges of
swamps, sloughs, and bayous; in
poorly drained depressions or
sink holes on ridges; and in
shallow swamps and sloughs.
Overcup oak is one of the trees
most tolerant of flooding. Since
it leafs out a month or more
later than most species, it is
better able to endure
submergence from late spring
floods. In tests, overcup oak
survived continuous flooding for
at least two growing seasons. In
spite of its natural occurrence
on wet clay sites, overcup oak
grows best on sites with better
drainage and soil texture.
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Swamp White Oak
~
Quercus bicolor
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Distinctive two-colored
appearance of the leaves: green
on the upper surface, and
whitish on the under surface.
The English name of this tree
refers to its preference for
swamps, stream banks and
bottomlands. Will do well in
various ranges of soils but does
best in wet soils.
Read more about the Swamp White
Oak |
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Cherrybark Oak
~
Quercus pagoda
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The
cherrybark oak is probably the
most valuable red oak for
landowners desiring both
wildlife and timber. This oak is
a more massive, better formed
tree than the southern red oak
and often reaches heights of 100
to 130 feet, and a diameter of
three to five feet. This puts it
in a class among the largest of
southern oaks. Other common
names for the cherrybark oak are
bottomland red oak, Elliott oak,
red oak, swamp red oak and swamp
Spanish oak. This tree is found
in many different bottomlands,
but develops best on loamy
ridges or on rich, but
well-drained soils of old fields
known as well-drained loams.
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Shumard Oak
~
Quercus shumardii
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Read more about the Shumard Oak |
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Swamp Chestnut Oak
~
Quercus bicolor
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Is
known also as a Basket Oak for
the baskets made from its wood,
and Cow Oak because cows eats
the acorns. One of the important
timber trees of the South, it
grows on moist and wet loamy
soils of bottom lands, along
streams and boarders of swamps.
The acorns are sweet and serve
as food for wildlife. Swamp
Chestnut Oak trees are
well-formed and become quite
large, (80 feet tall), with a
narrow crown. Swamp Chestnut Oak
prefer soils that are moist,
permanently moist, or
permanently wet, and tolerates
standing water for several weeks
at a time. Good seed crops occur
at intervals of 3-5 years with
poor to fair production in
between. Swamp Chestnut make
excellent shade trees.
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Red Oak
~
Quercus rubra
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Northern Red Oak trees are used
as a specimen tree and for
wildlife. It has moderate water
requirements and has a moderate
tolerance to salt and alkali
soils. They will bear acorns in
10-12 years and does best in
well drained soils. They are a
rapid growing tree with mature
heights of 50-60 feet with a
spread of 50-60 feet. Full sun
is necessary for optimal growth.
Read more about the Red Oak
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White Oak
~
Quercus alba |
This is one of the largest trees
of forests in the eastern United
States. The tree grows best on
deep, well-drained upland soils.
Still, it is found in a wide
variety of habitats throughout
Upper Mid-West. The
close-grained, strong wood is
one our best for furniture and
hardwood flooring. Native
American Indians made flour from
its acorns. Both Indians and
early settlers boiled the acorns
to make them more palatable.
Many kinds of wildlife feed on
the acorns as well.
Read more about the White Oak
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Bur Oak
~
Quercus macrocarpa |
Although not the tallest of our
trees, the Bur Oak is one of the
most massive, especially when
growing in open areas. The tree
prefers rich, moist but
well-drained soils. The wood is
similar to that of White Oak.
Bur also known as blue oak,
mossy-overcup oak, mossy-overcup
oak, and scrub oak, has the
largest acorns of all native
oaks and is very drought
resistant. It grows slowly on
dry uplands and sandy plains but
is also found on fertile
limestone soils
and
moist bottomlands in mixture
with other hardwoods. In the
west, it is a pioneer tree
invading prairie grasslands, and
it is planted frequently in
shelterbelts. The acorns become
an important .
Read more about the Bur Oak
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Green Ash
~
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
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This medium-sized tree usually
is somewhat smaller than the
White Ash. The bark is similar
to that of the White Ash. The
Red Ash grows widely throughout
the Mid-West rich, moist soil of
bottomlands and stream banks.
Although the wood of the Red Ash
is hard and strong, it is
brittle, and is considered to be
inferior to that of the White
Ash tree. A variety of the Red
Ash, the Green Ash, is common
and widespread along streams
throughout Ohio. If one wishes
to look closely enough, the two
varieties can be separated by
their twigs and leaflets: downy
or hairy on the Red Ash, smooth
on the Green Ash.
Read more about the Green Ash |
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Persimmon
~
Diospyros virginiana
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Persimmons do best in areas that
have moderate winters and
relatively mild
summers--suitable for growing in
USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 10. It
can tolerate temperatures of 0°
F when fully dormant. However,
because of its low chilling
requirement (less than 100
hours), it may break dormancy
during early warm spells only to
be damaged by spring frosts
later. The leaves are killed by
26° F when growing. Persimmons
can withstand a wide rage of
conditions as long as the soil
is not overly salty, but does
best in deep, well drained loam.
A pH range of 6.5 to 7.5 is
preferred. The tree has a strong
tap root which may mean digging
a deeper hole than usual when
planting.
Read more about the Persimmon
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Pecan
~
Carya illinoensis
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Pecan (Carya illinoensis) is one
of the better-known pecan
hickories. It is also called
sweet pecan. The early settlers
who came to America found pecans
growing over wide areas. These
native pecans were and continue
to be highly valued as sources
of new varieties and as stock
for selected clones. Besides the
commercial edible nut that it
produces, the pecan provides
food for wildlife. Pecans are an
excellent multipurpose tree for
the home landscape by providing
a source of nuts,
furniture-grade wood, and
esthetic value.
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Walnut
~
Juglans nigra
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The
Walnut is one of the largest
trees in the order, growing
rapidly so as to reach a height
of twenty feet in ten years,
when it begins to bear fruit;
and ultimately not infrequently
attaining a height of between
sixty and seventy feet, with a
trunk five feet or more in
diameter, and large limbs
spreading thirty or forty feet
from the stem. When young it is
liable to injury by spring
frosts; but it increases in
productiveness up to a great
age. It is not particular as to
soil, so long as it has good
drainage, sending down strong
tap-roots even into clefts of
rock, and so securing an
exceptionally firm hold of the
soil.
Read more about the Walnut
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Bald Cypress
~
Taxodium distichum
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Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9, Height:
70 ft Spread: 25 ft, Form:
pyramidal, Type: deciduous tree
Annual Growth Rate: 12 to 18
inches. Common Baldcypress looks
like an evergreen, but is
actually deciduous so drops its
leaves in the fall. The growth
habit is narrow while young but
becomes broader as the plant
ages. Common Bald Cypress is
intolerant of shade when young
and can be used near water.
Read more about the Bald Cypress
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White Pine
~
Pinus strobus
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Occurs on a variety of sites
from wet bogs and moist stream
bottoms to dry sand plains and
rocky ridges; common on the east
shore of lakes where blowdowns
create openings for
regeneration. Soils: grows on
nearly all soil types within its
range and will grow in soil pH’s
4.0 and above. Most competitive
on fairly infertile sandy soils.
On clay or poorly drained soils,
occurs only as individuals or in
small groups. Grows on fine
sandy loams and silty loams on
disturbed sites with little
hardwood competition. Seedlings
tolerate limited shade from
herbaceous ground cover better
than other pines.
Read more about the White Pine
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Red Cedar
~
Juniperus virginiana
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The
red pine is a native of the Lake
states and eastward throughout
New England and southeastern
Canada. It had not been planted
widely in Iowa until the 1930's.
Since then it has been planted
quite widely for both erosion
control and water conservation,
and some for farmstead
windbreaks. When growing under
natural conditions, the red pine
reaches a height of 90 to 100
feet and a diameter of 30 to 40
inches, with a tall, straight,
clean trunk and an open, rounded
picturesque crown. The tree gets
its name from the bright
orange-colored or reddish bark,
which divides into large plates
as the tree matures.
Read more about the Red Cedar |
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Sawtooth Oak
~
Quercus acutissima
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This deciduous tree is a great
source for wildlife food because
it begins to produce acorns in
its sixth year and because of
this is highly prized. Sawtooth
Oaks have a moderate tolerance
to salt and alkali soils. Its
growth rate is rapid for a oak
tree and it is a fast growing
shade tree. Mature height is
40-50 feet and spread is 50-60
feet. It does best in full
sunlight conditions and is
widely adaptable to soil
moisture and type.
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