Shade Trees and Shrubs

Properly Places Trees Add Value to Property

Properly placed trees can add value to your property. They can provide shade to keep cooling costs down in the summer and provide a windbreak to keep heating costs down in the winter. Trees can provide privacy and year-round interest in the landscape.

Smoke bush

Young zone 4 tree selections may need a little extra protection to make it through the winter. It’s not uncommon for deer or rabbits to rub or chew on new saplings in fall and winter. Tree guards placed around the trunks of new trees can protect them from animal damage.

Experts argue about using tree guards for frost protection. On one hand, it is said that tree guards can protect a tree from frost damage and cracking by keeping the sun from thawing and warming the trunk. On the other hand, it’s believed that snow and ice can get beneath the tree guards causing cracks and damage. Unfortunately, with many cold hardy trees, especially maples, frost cracks are just part of growing trees in zone 4.

Sunburst Honey Locust

Adding a layer of mulch around the root zone of young trees is perhaps the best winter protection. Do not pile the mulch up around the trunk, though because of mice. The mulch should be placed around the tree’s root zone and drip line in a donut shape.

OAKLEAF MOUNTAIN ASH

Upright, oval branching habit becomes denser and rounded with age. White flower clusters appearing in spring followed by showy reddish-orange berry like clusters. Foliage is dark green on upper surface with a white pubescence on undersides. This tree will tolerate poor soil and difficult growing conditions.

MANCHURIAN CHERRY

Prunus maackii, commonly called Manchurian cherry, Amur cherry or Amur chokecherry, is a graceful ornamental flowering cherry tree that typically grows 20-30’ (less frequently to 45’) tall with a dense, broad-rounded crown. It is native to Manchuria, Siberia and Korea. It is perhaps most noted for its attractive, exfoliating golden brown to russet bark. Fragrant white flowers in 6- to 10-flowered clusters (racemes) appear in April-May. Flowers are followed by small, glossy black cherries (1/4” diameter) which ripen in late summer. Fruits are used to make jams, jellies and juices. Elliptic to oblong, medium green leaves (to 4” long) have acuminate tips and serrate margins. Foliage turns undistinguished yellow in fall, often dropping early.

AMERICAN HOPHORNBEAM

American hophornbeam likes full sun or partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic soil and well-drained sites. It loves hilly areas, and in the wild, often grows in dry, even rocky soil. It is hardy in Zones 3 to 9. The tree should be mulched and watered until it is established. Although it is not sensitive to drought, it can’t survive flooding. It is also very sensitive to deicing salt. This tree has no serious pest problems, although it can be susceptible to chestnut borer if it is under stress. In the woods, it is one of the first trees to be defoliated by gypsy moth

AMUR MAPLE

Small tree; to 20′ tall x 20′ wide but often smaller which has upright vase in youth, becoming rounded or spreading with age growing at a medium growth rate. The species is sold in either clump (multi-stemmed) or tree (single-leader) form.

SERVICEBERRY

Apple Serviceberry is a hybrid between Amelanchier canadensis and Amelanchier laevis that grows 15 to 25 feet tall (Fig. 1). Multiple stems are upright and highly branched forming a dense shrub, or if properly pruned in the nursery, a small tree. It is superior to the species in that it suckers less and is adapted to a wide range of soils but tolerates some drought. This cultivar supposedly resists leaf spot better than the original hybrid. The main ornamental feature is the spectacular white flowers that are larger than those of other amelanchiers. The flowers are borne in early spring and are at first tinged with pink but later fade to white. The young leaves are purplish, and the fall color is red, yellow or orange. Edible fruit attracts birds. Well-adapted for planting along residential streets where there is plenty of soil space beneath power lines.

CORKSCREW WILLOW

Your Corkscrew Willow is also sometimes known as Dragon’s Claw for its gnarled, contorted limbs.  Branches arise from the trunk at an acute angle and grow up almost parallel to the trunk before they curve back horizontally.

Corkscrew Willow’s appearance is at its best advantage in the winter when the foliage has fallen to reveal the one-of-a-kind branches.  However, it also shines in the warmer months beginning with its pale-yellow catkins in spring.

As the catkins fade and the foliage develops, you’ll love the 4-inch long, lance-shaped leaves.  The leaves contribute to your tree’s unconventional display with their curled nature. The green foliage, with white-tinted undersides, twirl in the slightest summer breeze.

In autumn the foliage turns to a lovely golden yellow hue for a last gasp of color before the tree’s winter appeal is revealed.

Corkscrew Willow grows 20-30 feet tall and develops a symmetrical, rounded crown.  It is more drought tolerant than most willows and fast-growing. Corkscrew Willow prefers full sun, but you can still have one in part shade if you prefer.  In fact, it’s relatively tolerant of most soils and conditions

Shade Trees and Shrubs

Tree Leaves Turning Brown

In the case of tree leaves turning brown, curling up, and falling off, leaf scorch may be the likely culprit. The obvious signs of leaf scorch are yellow and brown-like color changes on the tips and ends of tree leaves. These leaves will eventually curl up, wilt, and drop off. This disorder is also referred to as Leaf Wilt and Leaf Burn. Nutrient deficiency, transplant shock, soil compaction, drought, over wet soil and more are all common threats that cause leaf scorch and other similar tree problems.

Leaf scorch is a common condition that can occur if a plant or tree uses its water source faster than can absorb it from the ground soil. Plants and trees take in water through their fine feeder roots and transport it through the system to the leaves. Leaf tissue that is farthest from these veins will suffer first from dehydration. These edges turn color and eventually curl up or fall off. This is the start of leaf burn. In drought-like periods, leaf scorch is much more likely to develop; due to the hot temperatures and hot dry winds but can also happen when soils are too wet and cool.

Also, certain types of trees are more susceptible to leaf scorch than other variety of trees and trees that have been transplanted in the last few years. These are trees with limited root systems, which make it harder to derive water from the soil below. As mentioned before, a tree can develop leaf burn if it is using water quicker than it can pull it from the ground; however, there are other possible situations that can also cause this leaf disorder.

Once leaf scorch has developed, there is no cure. The damaged leaves will die and drop off; however, with proper tree care and water management, the tree’s leaves can recover and reproduce once again. When it comes to preventing leaf scorch, you must keep up with your seasonal tree care; especially winter watering. It is suggested to provide a deep soak, once a month, when there is no snow on the ground. This winter watering will prevent roots from dying from dehydration. This practice is helpful so long as you implement the soak on a day that is above freezing temperatures and early enough in the day so that the water does not freeze in the night chill. This is especially important for evergreens!

Garden Pests

Dandelions the Number One Weed

Dandelions are the number one weed that everyone has fought to get rid of this weed at one time or another. And, right now we are in the middle of dandelion bloom season. They are very adaptable to the types of soils in which they will grow, can tolerate repeatedly being mowed off to within a couple inches of their lives yet seem to thrive in countless lawns and other non-cultivated areas all over the world. This low-growing member of the Aster. Each plant may produce a few dozen flowers over the course of a growing season with peak bloom usually in early summer but flowering can continue into mid-summer or even into the fall. Each of those individual flowers may produce dozens of individual seeds, each equipped with a silky little parachute of white fibers that are designed to allow the seed to be carried off by the wind or when blown by a child.

Dandelion is a perennial weed that develops a deep taproot within just a few weeks. Only basal leaves are produced because the flowering stems do not possess any leaves. All parts of the plant contain a white, bitter sap. The leaves are elongated with distinctive serrations and dissections in the leaf giving them a jagged appearance, similar to the teeth of a lion, for which it is named.

One of the amazing things I have noticed about dandelions is their ability to come back after mowing. Even though I might try to time mowing when there are at what seem to be a maximal number of flowers sticking up in the grass of our lawn, the next day there appear to be nearly as many in their place as before. Those flower stems must grow very rapidly – perhaps mowing off the other flower stems on a plant somehow stimulates the remaining flower stems to grow that much more quickly. Individual flowers are open for only a few days. One positive benefit those yellow flowers have is that they do serve as a significant pollen and nectar source for pollinating insects in the spring, when few other plants are yet blooming.
A dense lawn makes it more difficult for new dandelion seedlings to get established and the grass blades block sunlight from the leaves of the dandelion plant. Raising the mowing height to at least 2 ½” is also helpful in promoting healthy grass and increasing the competition for dandelions and other lawn weeds.

Most people think about trying to control their dandelions in the spring when they see them in bloom. However, this is not the best time to try to control them, particularly if they plan to use a broadleaf herbicide to do it. Dandelions are in their most active growth stage in the spring and are actually somewhat resistant to the herbicide at that time. Yes, you can curl up the flower stems and the leaves a bit but will probably not really kill that many dandelion plants at that time of year. Another larger concern is that there are so many other broadleaf plants actively growing at that time of year too, most with lots of soft, succulent foliage that will easily take up the herbicide. The result is “collateral” damage to trees, shrubs, perennial flowers and often garden vegetable plants. Dry, granular weed and feed products that contain a fertilizer as well as a broadleaf herbicide may be somewhat safer than a liquid herbicide because it is less likely to drift. But the efficacy of a weed and feed product may not be as good, particularly if it is not applied correctly.

Fall treatment of dandelions is a much better option for a number of reasons. First, dandelion plants are much more susceptible to the effects of the herbicide in the fall. They are actively storing carbohydrates in their roots which makes it easier for the herbicide to be translocated to the roots as well. Secondly, plants of all ages will be susceptible. Spring treatments will not affect the seed that is flying around at that time of year. Once that seed lands, it starts the next generation of plants that will have avoided the spring herbicide application. So, the next spring, dandelions will still be there in the lawn. Treating in the fall is much more likely to break the cycle of new plants growing up from seed because there are usually only a few flowers forming in the fall. While most garden vegetables will be damaged by the frost, dandelions are cold tolerant enough that they can withstand freezing temperatures and still be susceptible to control with herbicides. If they are still green, you can probably still spray, but it will be best to do it on a day when the temperature is above 50°F.

Hand digging of dandelions is another method of control, but really only feasible in a small yard, garden or flower bed situation. Dandelion digging a few days after a good rain can make it easier to get most of the root out. It can also be rather therapeutic and you can work on it over several weeks, eventually clearing out the dandelions in your lawn or garden. I would advise wearing gloves to protect your hands though, that dandelion digger can cause some blisters after a few hours work.

Dandelions are not all bad however, I recall mother putting the flowers in a big crock to ferment with a dish towel over the top. I do not remember how the dandelion wine tasted however, probably not very good to a young child of six or so. Dandelions can also be eaten, particularly in the early spring when they are not too bitter tasting or mixed in salads. The young leaves as well as the crown of the plant can be used in salads. The leaves are often blanched to reduce the bitter flavor. The roots can be dried and ground up to make a coffee substitute. The roots are sometimes used as a component of root beer. Dandelions are credited with various medicinal properties as well.