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Five Popular Trees Options for St. Louis Yards

These Are a Few of Our Favorite Trees!

Considering sprucing up the yard with a long-lived woody perennial (AKA a tree?)

Well, don’t whip out your credit card at the big box store just yet. Selecting a tree for your yard should take some research and perhaps a consultation with a professional to ensure you’re making the right choice for your area.

Several factors to consider when choosing a tree:

  • How much space do you have?
  • How much light will the tree be getting?
  • How tall will the tree be at maturity?
  • What about the form, fall color, and flowers? Aesthetics matter too!

The tree you plant today will likely be enjoyed by generations to come, not to mention increasing the resale value of your home by a considerable amount.

At St. Louis Tree Pros, we’re big fans of those leafy wonders that stand guard over our homes every day. That’s why we’re sharing some of our favorites. As you can imagine, this is a BIG topic so we’ll stick to our favorite small flowering trees that do well in the St. Louis area.

1. Eastern Redbud, Cercis Canadensis

The Redbud tree is a sure sign that spring has sprung in the St. Louis region. Its beautiful purple flowers emerge in March-April as a welcome reprieve from the often dull colors of winter. This tree is often multi-trunked and matures to 20-30’ tall, thus making it an excellent specimen near a sidewalk or street, as well as a stand-alone feature.

  • Sun: Full sun to part shade
  • Water: Medium
  • Height: 20-30’
  • Maintenance: Low
  • Attracts: Butterflies
  • Tolerates: Deer, Clay Soil, Black Walnut

2. Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida

Yes, our state tree would be a great way to “show me” pride and a beautiful addition to your landscape. Often blooming with or right after the redbud in April to May, the dogwood boasts showy white flowers. In addition to its flowers, the leaves turn an attractive shade of red in fall and in winter bright red berries dot the branches to feed birds. This tree would benefit any landscape in a small grouping near a home or in a woodland or bird garden.

  • Sun: Full Sun to part shade
  • Water: Medium
  • Height: 15-30’
  • Maintenance: Medium
  • Attracts: Birds, Butterflies
  • Tolerates: Deer, Clay Soil, Black Walnut

3. Pawpaw, Asimina triloba

While some do not consider the pawpaw to have ornamental value, it can effectively suit a native plant or wild garden with its height. Another effective use would be a shrub border or a along the margin of a woodland in your ward. This small understory tree produces edible fruits that can be eaten raw or used in ice creams or pies.

  • Sun: Full Sun to part shade
  • Water: medium to wet (great addition to rain garden too!)
  • Height: 15-30’
  • Maintenance: Low
  • Attracts: Butterflies
  • Tolerates: Wet Soil

4. Red Buckeye, Aesculus pavia

Another shrub-like understory tree, the Red Buckeye often sports an irregular rounded crown. Its form lends the tree to be useful for a screen or hedge in home landscape. While the form may be unremarkable, the flowers of this species are not! Showy, erect and tubular flowers in colors of red and red-orange appear in the spring and attract the ruby-throated humming bird.

  • Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade
  • Water: Medium
  • Height: 12-15’
  • Maintenance: Medium
  • Attracts: Hummingbirds
  • Tolerates: Clay Soil

5. Serviceberry, Amelanchier arborea

Another great tree with showy white flowers and edible berries for you or the birds. After the flowering period in the spring, green berries emerge which turn to purplish-black in early summer resembling blueberries. The serviceberry will benefit a native plant garden or shrub border with its erect form.

  • Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade
  • Water: Medium
  • Height: 15-25’
  • Maintenance: Low
  • Attracts: Birds
  • Tolerates: Clay Soil

What to AVOID Planting in Your Landscape!

AVOID Bradford and Callery Pear Trees (Pyrus calleryana)

These ornamental trees are often favored for their showy flowers and fast growth. But at what cost you may ask? Not only do these trees have weak branches that can easily split and kill the tree (or cause property damage $$), but deeper and wide-ranging effects too.

The Missouri Department of Conservation already has an educational campaign warning of the dangers of these trees. An article on mdc.gov titled, “Stop the Spread!” states it best:

“Wild callery pear trees can have a significant economic impact in that ridding them from pastures, disturbed areas, under power lines and in natural areas can be costly. They can have a sizable environmental impact as well as crowding out and shading our native plants…”

Any of the five trees listed above make great replacements for these dangerous pears.

Thinking about these beautiful flowering trees makes us excited for spring again!  But luckily, fall is just around the corner and we’ll be seeing some great new color then. Check back in a month or so for a post about fall color, what determines it, why it happens, and some of our favorite places to enjoy it!

Want more options? Looking for something special to compliment your current landscaping? Contact us today for a planting consultation!