Planting Trees for a Purpose
I think we all can agree that our TREE FOR A TREE® program is an awesome idea for replacing the trees that we remove, but as I set in the office watching nature happen outside my window, I started thinking of other reasons to plant trees. Trees provide countless benefits to our environment as well as providing food and shelter for a number of living organisms. Anytime that I am walking through a property I cannot help but notice the birds enjoying all that the trees are providing for them. I decided to write about planting trees that provide shelter and food for birds throughout the year.
I think we all can agree that our TREE FOR A TREE® program is an awesome idea for replacing the trees that we remove, but as I set in the office watching nature happen outside my window, I started thinking of other reasons to plant trees. Trees provide countless benefits to our environment as well as providing food and shelter for a number of living organisms. Anytime that I am walking through a property I cannot help but notice the birds enjoying all that the trees are providing for them. I decided to write about planting trees that provide shelter and food for birds throughout the year.
Eastern Red Cedar
One of the first types of trees that I would consider would be conifers. Not only do they provide fruit and seed throughout the fall and into winter, but they also provide unmatched cover and nesting sites. The Eastern red cedar would be a favorite for our area as well as White pine and many Spruce species. If you plan to feed the birds, it is always a good idea to have conifers nearby to provide cover for the birds taking advantage of your feeders.
The next type that I would recommend planting for attracting and feeding birds would be a variety of fruit trees. Careful selection of varieties can provide fruit throughout the year. One favorite would be the Mulberry tree, but be careful with placement as the fruit can be rather messy. Other smaller trees would be Serviceberries, Flowering Dogwoods, and Crabapples which can provide fruit from the summer, (Serviceberry) to the fall, and even into the winter with many Crabapples.
Of the large native trees, there are a few that seem to attract a large variety of birds, including wild turkeys. Some would be the White oak, Wild black cherry, and the American beech. They provide nuts, fruit, and the Beech often provides hollow nesting sites as well, often used by Owls.
Virginia Creeper
There are also many vines that are very beneficial to birds. A couple of favorites are wild grape vines which are great for the fruit they provide and the shredding bark is great for nest building material. Another would be the Virginia Creeper vine that provides fruit that can last into winter and as a bonus has brilliant fall color.
One thing to keep in mind when planting to attract birds in our area is to try to use native plant material when possible. There is a large variety of native shrubs as well that are awesome plants with a lot of benefits for birds.
Another idea that I observed recently while visiting a client’s property was a technique they used to attract woodpeckers. They gathered large fallen branches from a wooded area on their property and leaned them against a tree outside their window where they hang their bird feeders. The woodpeckers would come to extract insects from the decaying branches.
In closing, I would like to mention a few quick reminders to keep in mind whenever planting trees and shrubs:
Always identify the root flare on your plant material prior to digging the hole as this will identify how deep to dig the hole.
Dig a broad shallow hole, no deeper than needed to place the root flare at the same height as the surrounding grade, and broad enough to allow proper root expansion.
Firmly backfill around the root ball and only stake when necessary to support the tree.
Water thoroughly and cover the excavated area and tree with 1-2 inches of mulch.
Also, here is a how-to video created by our team. Check it out!
Mike McKee | Regional Manager, Russell Tree Experts
Mike graduated from Hocking College in 1983 with a degree in Natural Resources specializing in urban tree care. He has been a certified arborist since 1991. Mike started his career in the private industry in 1985 before becoming a municipal arborist in1989. He retired after serving thirty years before joining us at Russell Tree Experts in Sept. of 2018. His love of trees has never waned since trying to climb up the ridges of the massive Cottonwood tree in front of his childhood home.
10 Trees with Amazing Fall Color... and One You Should Avoid!
I was recently pruning trees in a newer neighborhood on the east side of Columbus where every house had two red maple in the front yard. Although Red maple is a native tree to Ohio, this subdivision was planted with a cultivated variety of the species called ‘Red Sunset.’ ‘Red Sunset’ red maple was selected and well marketed for its compact habit, good branching structure and most notably for its showy and reliable orange to red fall color.
10 trees with amazing fall color
By TJ Nagel
I was recently pruning trees in a newer neighborhood on the east side of Columbus where every house had two red maple in the front yard. Although Red maple is a native tree to Ohio, this subdivision was planted with a cultivated variety of the species called ‘Red Sunset.’ ‘Red Sunset’ red maple was selected and well marketed for its compact habit, good branching structure and most notably for its showy and reliable orange to red fall color.
Unfortunately for most of us in the central Ohio area, ‘Red Sunset’ Red maple was selected in Oregon and requires an acid soil with consistent moisture to perform well. It does not like the dry and often high pH soils of our urban landscapes.
The trees I observed on the East side of town had just been planted in the last 12-15 years, were in poor health & vigor and were already expressing advanced symptoms of chlorosis, a nutrition deficiency that causes yellowing, stunted growth, decline and eventual plant death.
Chlorosis in a Red Maple
I learned about chlorosis in different Red maple cultivars (short for cultivated varieties) when I was a horticulture student at OSU and I still deal with it daily in my career as an arborist. I see chlorotic Red maple in parks, commercial buildings, along streets and in private gardens every day. I even see chlorotic red maple in the aisles of reputable nurseries.
How has this tree become so popular? I believe it’s because it has been so well marketed. Maple has name recognition amongst most folks and the nursery industry loves red maple because it is easy to propagate, and they can produce a sellable tree from small whip in a short amount of time.
When I have the opportunity to ask clients why they selected this tree for their landscape I generally get one the following responses.
Somewhat common: Name recognition, they admit they don’t know much about trees, but they remember maple being a good tree from their childhood.
More common: Their landscaper recommended it (interesting side note: I have yet to hear from anyone that their arborist recommended it).
Most common: They were looking for something with nice fall color.
I’m a sucker for some nice fall color also and I’m here to report there are a lot of other great alternatives to red maple when looking for trees with nice fall foliage. The following are some of my favorite fall color trees that are adaptable, urban tolerant, and easy to grow.
Valley Forge American Elm
Great fast-growing historic shade tree adaptable to most soil types – reliable yellow to gold fall color.
Japanese Zelkova
Another urban tolerant medium to fast growing shade tree with nice vase shaped canopy with yellow to apricot to red fall color.
Black Tupelo
Excellent tree for glossy red fall color. Some cultivars will color yellow and red. Slow growing medium sized tree.
Hickory
This image is of a Pignut hickory but most species of hickory color beautifully in the fall. Slow growing tree. Plant this one for the next generation. Great tree for wildlife.
Sassafrass
Medium sized fast-growing tree in youth. Great yellow to orange to red to purple fall color – can be variable from year to year. One of Ohio’s most outstanding native trees for fall foliage.
Witch Hazel
There are dozens of cultivars of witch-hazel. Most of them have showy fall color. This image is the fall foliage of ‘Diane’ witch-hazel, one of my favorites. Also has showy red flowers in late winter.
Kousa dogwood
Great ornamental tree with exceptional yellow to red fall color. Also has great flowering show, beautiful bark at maturity and interesting fruit.
Ginkgo
Unrivaled for golden yellow fall color. My only complaint is that the show is short lived, often only 2 – 3 days.
Dawn Redwood
Foliage turns an excellent copper orange to brown before leaf drop. Fast growing, significant pest and disease-free shade tree.
Japanese Katsura
Medium to fast growing shade tree. Fall color can be apricot to scarlet red. Fall leaves smell like cotton candy.
TJ Nagel | Production Manager, Russell Tree Experts
ISA Certified Arborist® OH-6298A // Graduated from The Ohio State University in 2012, Earned B.S. in Agriculture with a major in Landscape Horticulture and minor in Entomology // Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) // Russell Tree Experts Arborist Since 2010
[images courtesy of various providers]
✅Kousa Dogwood
General Info
- Latin Name - Cornus kousa
- Native Range - Japan, Korea, China
- Growth Rate - Slow to Medium
- Mature Height - 20–30’
- Mature Spread: 20–30’
Arborist Thoughts
Kousa dogwood is a great ornamental tree for multi-seasonal interest. Beautiful white flowers (technically bracts in late Spring, attractive exfoliating bark, showy red fruit edible fruit and reliable red Fall color in the foliage.
Kousa dogwood is more sun tolerant, heat tolerant, and drought tolerant than our native dogwood and less susceptible to fungal diseases like anthracnose and powdery mildew.