This week: 3 Underused Native Understory Trees
Hello!
Walk through any neighborhood, and you’ll notice houses with Flowering Dogwoods, Redbuds, and Birches planted in their front yards (wander past mine, and you’ll see two Redbud trees!). These classic ornamental trees have been easy to find at nurseries for decades. Since we know those three trees so well, let’s explore three less familiar native understory trees that can add interest (and ecological benefits) to spaces large and small.
Red Buckeye
Every spring, deep pink panicle flowers bloom on the Red Buckeye—each eye-catching flower is at least as large as a hand. This small native tree tops out between 10 and 20 feet tall and can be grown as a bushy shrub or pruned into a single-stem tree. Like other buckeyes, it has compound leaves and large seeds that can be poisonous if humans or pets snack on them. Due to its suckering habit, some maintenance is required if not planted in a naturalized setting. If you’re maintenance-averse, tidier cultivars and hybrids are also on the market (like the one pictured above).
Winter King Hawthorn
Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’
If you’re a bird lover who wants to feed their flock all winter, ‘Winter King’ is the tree for you. This native Green Hawthorn cultivar is best known for its fruits (called haws) that ripen to a bold red color in the fall and persist through the winter. Mature trees also have silver exfoliating bark—another way this tree stands out in the winter. In the spring, ‘Winter King’ sports clusters of delicate white flowers that provide nectar for beneficial insects. In the fall, the leaves turn a range of colors: yellows, reds, and purples. ‘Winter King’ typically grows 25 to 35 feet tall.
Serviceberry
These small understory trees or shrubs typically have multiple stems and fit well in space-limited settings or as a layer between tall trees and lawns or gardens. They bloom early, bear edible fruits in June, and have gorgeous fall colors. Additionally, they serve as host plants for tiger swallowtails, viceroys, admirals, and striped hairstreak caterpillars—a veritable butterfly nursery! Straight species are readily available. A common cultivar is ’Autumn Brilliance,’ a hybrid of Allegheny Serviceberry and Downy Serviceberry.
Do you have more space, or want to make a bigger splash with a shade tree? Check out these five native trees that grow at least 35 feet tall.
Elsewhere:
Do you have the right habitat to host bluebirds? This A Way to Garden podcast episode discusses the ins and outs of bluebird boxes.
Have a good week,
Julie