An Evaluation of Trees for Southeast Kansas Landscapes*
By Jacob A. Weber
County Extension Agent, Horticulture
Codes
S
~
! VS
+S
!S
+ VS
+S
!V
!V
~
!
~ WS
~W
~W
~
~S
!S
?
!
Scientific Name/Cultivar
Common Name
Large Trees
Acer negundo
Box-Elder Maple
Acer platanoides
Norway Maple
‘Crimson King’
Crimson King Norway Maple
(other cultivars available)
Acer rubrum
Red Maple
‘Autumn Flame’
Autumn Flame Red Maple
‘Franksred’
Red Sunset Red Maple
‘October Glory’
October Glory Red Maple
(other cultivars available)
Acer saccharinum
Silver Maple
Acer saccharum
Sugar (Hard) Maple
‘Caddo’
Caddo Sugar Maple
(other cultivars available)
Acer x freemanii
Freeman Maple Hybrids
‘Armstrong’
Armstrong Freeman Maple
‘Celzam’
Celebration Freeman Maple
‘Jeffersred’
Autumn Blaze Freeman Maple
‘Scarsen’
Scarlet Sentinel Freeman Maple
Aesculus glabra
Ohio Buckeye
Aesculus hippocastanum
Common Horse Chestnut
Ailanthus altissima
Tree of Heaven
Betula nigra
River Birch
‘Heritage’
Heritage River Birch
Betula papyrifera
Canoe or White Birch
Betula pendula
European Birch
Betula platyphylla var. japonica
Japanese White Birch
‘Whitespire Jr.’
Whitespire Japanese White Birch
Carya illinoensis
Pecan
Carya laciniosa
Kingnut Hickory
Carya ovata
Shagbark Hickory
Catalpa speciosa
Northern Catalpa
Celtis laevigata
Sugar Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
Hackberry (Sugarberry)
Cladrastis kentukea
Yellowwood
Fraxinus americana
White Ash
!V
+
!
+
~W
; EW
! EW
!
!V
~W
?V
! EV
!V
! EV
? SW
~ SW
~V
?V
- EV
- EV
;E
;E
;E
! EV
!E
;E
! EV
+
!
!
-S
;S
!S
~ SW
+W
+W
+W
+W
‘Autumn Purple’
‘Rose Hill’
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
‘Marshall Seedless’
Ginkgo biloba
Gleditsia triacanthos
Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis
‘Imperial’
(other cultivars available)
Gymnocladus dioica
Juglans nigra
Juniperus scopulorum
(numerous cultivars available)
Juniperus virginiana
‘Canaertii’
‘Cupressifolia’
(numerous cultivars available)
Liquidambar styraciflua
‘Rotundiloba’
Liriodendron tulipifera
Maclura pomifera
‘Whiteshield’
Magnolia acuminata
Magnolia grandiflora
Magnolia x soulangiana
(cultivars available)
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Morus alba
Morus rubra
Paulownia tomentosa
Phellodendron amurense
Picea abies
Picea pungens
Pinus nigra
Pinus ponderosa
Pinus sylvestris
Pinus strobus
Pinus taeda
Pinus thunbergii
Pinus virginiana
Pistacia chinensis
Platanus x acerifolia
Platanus occidentalis
Populus alba
Populus nigra var. ‘Italica’
Populus deltoides
Prunus serotina
Quercus acutissima
Quercus alba
Quercus bicolor
Quercus imbricaria
Autumn Purple White Ash
Rose Hill White Ash
Green Ash
Marshall Seedless Green Ash
Maidenhair Tree
Common Honey-locust
Thornless Honey-locust
Imperial Thornless Honey-locust
Kentucky Coffee Tree
Black Walnut
Rocky Mountain Juniper
Easter Red Cedar
Canaert Juniper
Hillspire Juniper
Sweetgum
Fruitless Sweetgum
Tulip Tree
Osage Orange
Thornless and Fruitless
Cucumber Tree
Southern Magnolia
Saucer Magnolia
Dawn Redwood
White Mulberry
Red Mulberry
Empress Tree
Amur Cork Tree
Norway Spruce
Colorado Blue Spruce
Austrian Pine
Ponderosa Pine
Scots Pine
Eastern White Pine
Loblolly Pine
Japanese Black Pine
Virginia Pine (Scrub Pine)
Chinese Pistache
London Plane Tree
American Sycamore (Buttonwood)
White Poplar
Lombardy Poplar
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Sawtooth Oak
White Oak
Swamp White Oak
Shingle Oak
+W
~W
+W
+ VW
! SW
+ VW
! VW
+W
+W
~W
+ VW
~
~S
~S
!
~V
+
+
!E
!
!S
+
~S
+
+V
+
+
!V
+
~
~
!W
!W
!W
-S
~
~
+
+
!
+ VW
Quercus macrocarpa
Quercus marilandica
Quercus muehlenbergii
Quercus nigra
Quercus palustris
Quercus phellos
Quercus robur
(cultivars available)
Quercus rubra
Quercus shumardii
Quercus stellata
Quercus velutina
Robinia pseudoacacia
Salix babylonica
Salix nigra
Sapindus drummondii
Sophora japonica
Taxodium distichum
Tilia americana
Tsuga canadensis
Ulmus americana
‘Heritage’
‘Valley Forage’
(other cultivars available)
Ulmus Hybrids
Ulmus parvifolia
Ulmus pumila
Ulmus rubra
Zelkova serrata
Acer buergerianum
Acer campestre
Acer ginnala
Acer palmatum
Acer truncatum
Aesculus pavia
Albizia julibrissin
Amelanchier canadensis
Amelanchier x grandiflora
Asimina triloba
Broussonetia papyrifera
Castanea mollissima
Catalpa bignonioides
Cercis canadensis
‘Alba’
‘Forest Pansy’
Cercis reniformis
Chionanthus virginicus
Cornus florida
‘Cherokee Chief’
Bur Oak
Black Jack Oak
Chinquapin or Chestnut Oak
Water Oak
Pin Oak
Willow Oak
English Oak
Norther Red Oak
Shumard Red Oak
Post Oak
Black Oak
Black Locust
Weeping Willow
Black Willow
Western Soapberry
Japanese Pagoda Tree
Common Bald Cypress
American Linden (Basswood)
Canadian Hemlock
American Elm
Heritage American Elm
Valley Forage American Elm
Hybrid Elms
Lacebark Elm
Siberian or Chinese Elm
Red or Slippery Elm
Japanese Zelkova
Small Trees
Trident Maple
Hedge Maple
Amur Maple
Japanese Red Maple
Shantung Maple
Red Buckeye
Mimosa (Silk Tree)
Shadblow Serviceberry
Apple Serviceberry
Pawpaw
Common Paper-Mulberry
Chinese Chestnut
Southern Catalpa
Easter Redbud
(White-flowered Redbud)
Oklahoma Redbud
Fringetree
Flowering Dogwood
Cherokee Chief Dogwood (red-flower)
+V
!
-W
-W
-W
-W
-E
~W
; SW
+ EV
+W
+ EV
+
!W
~W
- SW
!V
!S
-S
-S
~V
!V
! EV
!E
!E
~W
‘Cloud Nine’
Cloud Nine Dogwood
(other cultivars available)
Cornus kousa
Kousa Dogwood
Cotinus coggygria
Smoke Bush (Smoke Tree)
Crataegus crus-galli
Cockspur Hawthorn
Crataegus mollis
Downy Hawthorn
Crataegus phaenopyrum
Washington Hawthorn
Crataegus viridis
Green Hawthorn
‘Winter King’
Winter King Green Hawthorn
Cupressocyparis leylandii
Leyland Cypress
Diospyros virginianna
American Persimmon (Possumwood)
Elaeagnus angustifolia
Russian Olive
Ilex x attenuata ‘Foster # 2’
Foster’s Holly
Ilex decidua
Possum Haw
Ilex opaca
American Holly
Koelreuteria paniculata
Golden-rain Tree
Malus (species and hybrids)
Flowering Crabapple
‘Adams’
Adams Crabapple
‘Centurion’
Centurion Crabapple
‘Donald Wyman’
Donald Wyman Crabapple
‘Indian Magic’
Indian Magic
‘Prairifire’
Prairifire Crabapple
‘Snowdrift’
Snowdrift
‘Spring Snow’
Spring Snow
(Numerous cultivars available. Select scab resistant varieties only.)
Prunus americana
American or Wild Plum
Prunus cerasifer
Purple Leaf Plum (Cherry Plum)
Prunus serrulata
Oriental Cherry
‘Sekiyama’
Kwanzan Oriental Cherry
Several Cultivars
Pyrus calleryana
Callery Pear
‘Aristocrat’
Aristocrat Callery Pear
‘Bradford’
Bradford Callery Pear
‘Cleveland Select’
Cleveland Select Callery Pear
‘Redspire’
Redspire Callery Pear
(other cultivars available)
Salix caprea
Goat Willow
‘Roseum’
Pink-flowered Goat Willow
Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’
Corkscrew Willow
Sassafras albidum
Sassafras
Syringa amurensis japonica
Japanese Tree Lilac
Thuja occidentalis
Eastern White Cedar
Thuja orientalis
Oriental Arborvitae
Thuja plicata
Western Red Cedar
'Green Giant'
Green Giant
Zizyphus jujuba
Jujube or Chinese Date
+
Codes
Desirable. This tree is moderately free of pest problems, is adaptable to most
landscape sites in the Southeast Kansas. Some species may have multiple features
such as fall leaf color, attractive flowers, fruit, foliage, bark, etc., that may make
them more desirable in the home landscape setting.
!
A good tree for landscape use, but there are potential problems (e.g., site
adaptability, occasional pest problem, nuisance growth, poor growth habit, messy
fruit, thorns, etc.) associated with this tree. Use caution in site and variety selection.
Utilize appropriate pruning and training to correct defects. Pest control measures
may be needed.
~
A fair tree. This tree is adaptable to many sites in Southeast Kansas and may be
suitable for use in home landscapes. These species are weak in desirable landscape
features.
-
This tree may be unsuitable for use in home landscapes. There are problems (insect,
disease, poor growth habit, weak wood, nuisance fruit, etc.) that make it difficult to
utilize this tree in the home landscape setting.
;
This tree is not recommended. Serious pest problems, lack of adaptability, or
extremely undesirable growth habit severely limits the life expectancy of this tree
and/or the use of this tree for landscape purposes.
?
Not enough is known about this tree to make a recommendation.
E
This tree is evergreen, or it may retain its foliage throughout much of the winter.
V
This tree will produce variable results depending on location and/or cultivar
selection.
S
This tree has the potential for structural defects to develop due to narrow angled
crotches, and/or susceptibility to decay, and/or weak and brittle wood.
W
This tree is a source of food for wildlife.
The evaluation of the above tree species is based on personal observations of extant
trees in southeast Kansas landscapes. In some cases, the recommendations of
specific cultivars within the species is extrapolated (based upon the performance of
plants within that species), or based upon the recommendations of other reliable
sources.
It is acknowledged that there is potential for error. Species, specific cultivars, and or
interspecific hybrids, not listed in this publication may have desirable characteristics
making them suitable for Southeast Kansas landscapes.
The species listed above are known to grow in southeast Kansas. Any inferred
criticism of trees not listed is unintended.
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.
K-State, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts, and U. S. Department of Agriculture Cooperation. K-State
Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.