A look at tree varieties good for area

Spring is here and many of you may be planning on planting trees on your property this season. You are most likely also deciding what variety of tree(s) to plant. With so many tree varieties to choose from, it can be overwhelming and confusing to make this choice; however, with some good information to guide you, this can be a less confusing experience.

The first step is to figure out exactly where the tree will be planted and what the conditions are for that area of your yard. Questions to consider include:

•What type of soil will the tree be planted in?

•Is it sandy, clayish, or a bit of both?

•Will the tree be close to any buildings or are there overhead power lines nearby?

•Is the tree going to be planted in a grassy area?

•What sunlight level is there in the area you are considering?

•Will weather conditions be a factor?

Once the answers to these questions have been established, then you can begin researching the variety of tree.

You may be thinking is why should I spend all this time on research?

Adding a tree or several trees to your landscape is an expensive investment. The water the tree(s) will need to survive and your time to make sure the tree(s) are properly taken care of make this an important decision that deserves plenty of time and attention to the details beforehand.

Your investment can also be threatened when the tree is planted too close to overhead power lines or a building and after a few years of growth needs to be trimmed so much that the tree is no longer desirable.

These are some reasons why it is crucial to put some thought into these decisions before purchase.

There are some trees that don’t do well on the

Eastern Plains of Colorado. Some of those are: Siberian Elm, Aspen, Silver Maple, Mountain Ash and Russian Olive, to name just a few. Russian Olive and Siberian Elm are considered invasive species; the Mountain Ash is very susceptible to borer insects and Silver

Maple grows so fast that it doesn’t have time to strengthen branches that will withstand the wind.

This doesn’t mean you will never see these trees in our area. It means that if you make the significant investment of planting one of these trees, the tree’s chances of success long term can be greatly reduced, or you may be causing environmental harm if planting an invasive species.

Which trees are good for this area? If you are interested in evergreen trees, the Colorado Blue Spruce, Ponderosa Pine or Austrian Pine do well here. Keep in mind, these are large trees once matured (30 to 60 feet). Smaller evergreens (15 to 25 feet) that are good here would be: Bristlecone Pine, Juniper or Pinion Pine.

For shade trees, smaller varieties (less than 25 feet) include: Hawthorn, Crabapple and Sumac. Medium-sized shade trees (30 to 45 feet) include: American Linden, Black Walnut, Canada Red Cherry, Golden Raintree and Northern Catalpa. Large shade trees (over 50 feet) include: English Oak, Hackberry, Honeylocust and American Elm.

Maples are an extremely beautiful tree in our area, and there are not many planted around here. If you love the look of the maple, there are some varieties that will do better here. These include: Amur, Canyon, Tatarian and Norway. Maples like iron in the soil and soil in this region tends to be iron deficient, which is why the leaves are sometimes more yellow than green, but that shouldn’t deter you from planting a Maple.

Another tree that is seen around this area, but not commonly, is the previously mentioned Canada Red Cherry. These trees are beautiful due to their dark red leaves, which contrast with the mostly green seen in our landscapes and is therefore a nice choice.

Another important consideration when deciding which tree(s) to plant is that you want only 10-15% of one species. The reason for this is due to disease or insect infestations. If you plant 10 trees and all are the same variety, then a disease or insect comes along and you may lose most, if not all, of your trees. This also means you need to consider the trees that are close to your property and in your immediate neighborhood when figuring out that 1015%. For example, if there are many Honeylocust trees in the area, you may want to plant another variety.

So now you have done the research and have purchased your tree or trees. Last summer, I wrote a two-part article about tree planting, which is available online at fortmorgantimes.com/2021/03/30/master-gardener-leslieweinsheim-tree-plantingpart-1/ and fortmorgantimes.com/2021/04/06/colorado-master-gardnerleslie-weinsheim-treeplanting-part-two/. I would recommend reading both articles before you are ready to plant. Proper planting techniques are equally important in ensuring the success of your investment.

For information on tree varieties and planting, contact Aimee Kanode, Extension Agent for the Morgan County CSU Extension Office, at 970542-3542 or Aimee.Kanode@colostate.edu.

Morgan County resident Leslie Weinsheim completed the Colorado Master Gardener program and is writing articles for The Fort Morgan Times and Brush News-Tribune about what she has learned as a public service for the community.

Leslie Weinsheim / Special to The Times Crabapple trees, like the one shown here in bloom, is a variety of tree that grows well in northeast Colorado. It is among options for smaller shade trees that grow to less than 25 feet tall and that do well with the soil and weather in Morgan County.