Top 10 Shade Trees for Wyo-braska

Bur Oak (quercus macrocarpa) is a large tree that tends to grow upright when young and then get broader with age. Mature height will range from 40 to 60 feet with a comparable spread. It develops a thick rough bark, usually when very young. The tree has a course branching structure which gives it a massive appearance in winter. Fall color of leaves is yellow to brown. Bur oaks have acorns depending on the timing of our last frost, and are popular with birds and squirrels. Bur Oak is native to our regions, is very drought tolerant and does very well in our poor soils. This is a very majestic tree.

 

American Linden (tilia americana) is a large shade tree with a dense canopy in summer.   Summer leaves are large and dark green, fall color is brown-yellow. Fragrant mid-June flowering, produces small pea-sized seeds in fall.  Seeds rarely volunteer.  Species is very tolerant of high ph soils, but only moderately drought tolerant.  Grows in any residential setting in the region with some irrigation.  Winter interest develops with age.  Common name is basswood.  Wood is prized by carvers, because it has little grain, and thus lends itself to sculpting. The American Linden will reach a mature height of 50-60 feet and a spread of 30-40 feet.

Little Leaf Linden (tilia cordata) Medium shade tree with a dense canopy in summer.  Summer leaves are dark green, fall color is yellow. Fragrant mid-June flowering, produces small pea-sized seeds in fall.  Seeds rarely volunteer.  Species is very tolerant of high ph soils, but only moderately drought tolerant.  Grows in any residential setting in the region with some irrigation.  Littleleaf linden has a more rounded crown than American linden at maturity, and it’s winter appearance is that of a traditional shade tree.  Littleleaf linden is an excellent medium sized shade tree.  Greenspire is a pyramidal clone that is more widely sold than the species. Mature size is 30-60' tall with a spread
of 30-50'

Kentucky Coffeetree (gymnocladus diocea) the Coffeetree is native to central Nebraska.  The winter silhouette of this tree is very distinctive when it is young, because its “leaves” include what are the smaller branches on most trees.  It leafs out late, make it resistant to late spring freezes.  Fall color is a dependable yellow.  Some coffeetrees will have 3-5” maroon pods that hang on through the winter.  Pods contain a coffee bean shaped seed that pioneers ground and used as a substitute for coffee—hence the name.   Mature size is 40-60' tall with a 30-40' spread. Very soil adaptable.  Owners love their coffeetrees.

 

 

Honeylocust, Thornless  (gleditsia triacanthos inermis) Several cultivars of thornless honeylocust are sold in the nursery trade.  All have small leaves, provide a light filtered shade, are among the fastest growing of shade trees, and are very soil adaptable.  Fall color is a bright yellow.  The original species has large thorns and messy seed pods.  None of the cultivars have thorns or pods.   Common cultivar names are ‘shademaster’, ‘skyline’, and ‘imperial.’

Ohio Buckeye (aesculus glabra) A surprising well-adapted tree for this region.  Its large leaves even hold up well in the regions strong winds.  Its unusually extensive root system is likely what adapts it so well to poor soil and drought conditions.  Blooms white in late May, and some have excellent fall color setting on in mid-late September.  Another coursely branched winter tree.  A nice medium sized shade tree with mature height of 30-40' spread of 25-35'
      

English Oak (quercus robur) A large shade tree that has demonstrated tolerance of many of the region’s residential landscape soils.  Grows best in the region’s better or amended soils.  Smallest leaves of the oak family, yellow, occasionally red fall color late.  Perhaps the fastest growing oak, although all should grow 1-3’ per year when young.  Mature size 50-70' tall, spread 30-40'
Good street tree in lawn settings.

 
Hybrid Elm  (ulmus) We have been trying several cultivars of the elm trees that are very resistant to the dutch elm disease. You might try the Triumph which is a rounded tree that will reach to 60' tall, Accolade is vase shaped and should get to 70' tall with a 60' spread.
Frontier and Dynasty are unusual as their foliage turns reddish/purple in the fall.

for more information on varieties for Nebraska check the website for the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum at  http://ianrnews.unl.edu/static/0705040.shtml

Lanceleaf Cottonwood (Populus acuminata) this cottonwood is a native to the Colorado foothills and thought to be a natural occuring cross between two other native cottonwoods and not a cottonwood/poplar hybrid like the short lived cottonless cottonwoods.
This tree has dark green, shiny leaves, and is an upright, rounded shape with dense branches and smooth gray bark. The leaves are a different shape than the plains cottonwoods.
The leaves turn yellow in the fall.
Height 40-60' with a 30-40' spread.

Autumn Purple Ash (fraxinus americana) Seems to be performing better than green ash in most high plains landscape settings.  Desired for orange-purple fall color, this is a model shade tree for a traditional lawn-landscape setting.  Requires a level 2 soil for optimal growth and health.  Slightly larger leaves and slightly courser branching structure than green ash. mature size is 40-50' tall, 30-40' spread

There has been a problem with Emerald Ash Borer( from Asia) in the eastern united states, we don't expect it to become a problem here because it only moves a mile or so a year though it has been moved from one place to another in ash firewood. But this is something to think about before planting one.