2023 Arbor Day Trees

Arborvitae/White Cedar: Evergreen tree, commonly sheared for a hedge; light green color; excellent for wildlife food & cover; grows on various soils but prefers moist loamy soils. The American arborvitae grows to a height of 40–60′ and a spread of 10–15′ at maturity. Full sun is the ideal condition for this tree, meaning it should get at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=77

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White Spruce: Green: short, sharp-pointed needles; tolerates most soil types as well as cold, wind, heat and drought; pyramidal shape; reaches 50 – 60 feet with a 20’ spread; widely used for lumber, wildlife cover, Christmas trees & windbreak. A densely, pyramidal spire (tapers to a point) with bluish-green needles. Highly adaptable to most areas. This tree prefers full sun. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/409

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White Pine: Fast growing evergreen in fertile, moist, well-drained soils. This tree grows 50’-80’ in height and has a 20’-40’ mature spread. This tree prefers full sun to partial sun/shade. Light to bluish green needles 2-4” long on horizontal and ascending branches. For wildlife value the Eastern white pine seeds are favored by black bears, rabbits, red squirrels and many birds, especially red crossbills. While potentially damaging to the trees, the bark is eaten by mammals such as beavers, snowshoe hares, porcupines, rabbits and mice. White pines provide nesting sites as well for many birds including woodpeckers, common grackles, mourning doves, chickadees and nuthatches. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/367

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Eastern Redbud: Ideal on residential lawns. Grows 1-1.5’ yearly. Can reach 20-30’ tall. Dark green, heart shaped leaves changing to bright yellow in the fall. Large pink-purple flower clusters in the spring before foliage emerges. Prefers well-drained, nutrient rich soil with a pH over 7.5. Full sun or partial shade. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=912

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Magnolia (Sweetbay): This tree flowers late in the spring, avoiding much of the frost that can spoil a blooming tree’s beauty. It also attracts a wide variety of songbirds with its fall fruit. The bark is smooth and gray. Grown for its large, conspicuous, scented flowers, for its clean, attractive foliage, and for its fast growth. It grows to a height of 10–20′ and a spread of 10–20′ at maturity. Full sun and partial shade are best for this tree, meaning it prefers a minimum of four hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. This tree grows at a medium to fast rate, with height increases of anywhere from 13″ to more than 24″ per year. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=865

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Lilac: Hardy, grows to 15 feet; fragrant lavender flowers which bloom in late spring; space 6 feet for screening; prefers sunny, well drained site. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=856

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Paw Paw: Drooping pear-shaped leaves, reaches up to 30 ft. at maturity; can be planted in the shade of tall, open trees or in partial shade, although they fruit best in sun; prefers moist, slightly acidic soils and requires regular watering, adaptable to many conditions. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=2579

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White Flowering Dogwood: Grows 20-25 feet at maturity, with a medium growth rate. Prefers partial shade, requires about 4 hours of sunlight a day. The white dogwood is very versatile, growing in acidic, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, well-drained and clay soils. It prefers moist conditions. This tree blooms April-May with distinct white flowers. It produces glossy red fruit eaten by birds and other mammals. In the fall, leaves provide great color, turning red-purple. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/280

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Pink Flowering Cherry:  The showiest tree for your home landscape. Grows 30’-40’. Plant in sunny location with good airflow. Plant in rich organic, well-drained soil. Pink, white flowers and blue/green foliage. Spring blooms, colorful fall foliage. Plant where you can enjoy its beauty. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/222

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American Cranberry: An excellent plant for screening and informal hedging for larger areas. Grows 8 to 12’ in height and spread. Has lustrous medium to dark green leaves which change color to yellow- red-purple in fall. Has handsome white flowers in May and bright red fruit in September into February. Prefers full sun, partial sun/shade. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/415

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Sugar Maple: Large native deciduous tree valuable for lumber, shade, maple syrup and beautiful fall color; grows to 60 feet tall on well drained soils; storm sturdy; sensitive to road salt. The official NYS Tree also known as Hard Maple and Rock Maple. Tolerates a wide range of soils. Has smooth, dark green leaves on top, paler underneath. Five-lobed leaves growing 3-5” with colors ranging from yellow to orange to red in the fall. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/340

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Red Maple: Grows 40’-60’and spreads 30’-50’. Prefers full sun to partial sun/shade. Fast growing tolerates most soils particularly wetter soils, maple leaves turn red in the early fall. The fruits (samaras) provide food for squirrels and many other rodents. Rabbits and deer eat the tender shoots and leaves of red maples. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/337.

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Swamp White Oak: Grows in a wide range of soils, 50’-60’ in height. Prefers consistent moisture; water newly planted regularly; heat and cold tolerant. Best fertilization is to leave the fallen leaves on the ground for nutrients. Prefers full sun. Fall color in shades of yellow, bronze, and red-purple. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/950

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Carya Pecan: Large deciduous tree. Mature spread 40’-75’. Grows in rich, well-drained soil, full sun. Medium green leaves turning yellow brown in the fall. Produces sweet, edible nuts that ripen in the fall. Great shade tree. Plant in multiples to ensure pollination. Begins to produce nuts in 6-10 years. Prized for its beautiful woodgrain. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/361 .

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River Birch: This tree is often used for landscaping for its graceful drooping limbs and attractive color. A fast-growing, deciduous tree grows under full sun to full shade and best in moist soils. It’s a valuable source of erosion control as well. It produces flowers in spring, leaves turn bright yellow in fall with a silvery trunk in winter. Without pruning, it grows several trunks and can reach over 50’ in height. Once mature, it develops a cinnamon colored bark that curls and peels. Seeds are a food source for many songbirds. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/173

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Raspberry Bush: Sunny sites, delicious red berries, fertile, well drained sites 5’ height, plant 2 to 3’ apart in rows 6 to 8’ apart. Variety is Heritage (everbearing). These biennial bushes are fruit producing canes that can be grown successfully in the home garden. The canes grow best in sunny areas with good air circulation. Hardly bothered by pests/disease. Plant in spring for fruit in early summer which ripen for about 2 weeks. Great alone or for preserves and are an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C. Raspberries can be frozen. https://shop.arborday.org/treeguide/1165

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Elderberry: This shrub is 5–12 ft. tall, 3–6 ft. wide. The bush produces bluish-black fruit in bunches that are used in wines, juices, jellies, and jams. The berries themselves are quite bitter, so they are rarely eaten by themselves. Growing elderberries is not all that difficult. They can tolerate different conditions like poor soil or overly wet areas. Elderberries cannot tolerate drought. When planting elderberry bushes, you should note that the berries will grow on the bushes the first year you plant them. The berries will do better the second year. Elderberry planting is done best in well-draining, loamy soil. Sandy soils should be improved by adding a few inches (5 to 10 cm.) of organic matter. When elderberry planting, make sure to allow for cross-pollination. Therefore, two or more cultivars can be planted near each other. Plant them one meter apart (3 ft.) in rows that are four to five meters (13 to 16.5 ft.) apart. https://www.thespruce.com/american-elderberry-sambucus-canadensis-3269208