Arbor Day

By Kate Irvine

Happy Belated Arbor Day! Really, who says you can’t celebrate all weekend long? We hope you’re getting up to some serious tree planting and gardening this weekend, with some time set aside to admire your local sun-dappled canopies that are coming alive with greenery. Arbor Day is celebrated across multiple continents after being conceived in the 1870’s by a hopeful journalist named Julius Sterling Morton, who managed to successfully inspire the citizens of Nebraska City enough that they planted approximately one million trees around the city. It wasn’t until nearly 100 years later that President Nixon would proclaim Arbor Day a National Holiday, after which it would claim its place on the calendar, falling on the last Friday of April. In honor of the traditions and legacy of Arbor Day, we’re highlighting some of our favorite tree selections that we have breaking dormancy around the nursery.

Acer negundo ‘Sensation’ – Box Elder

Perhaps the lesser known of the maple family, Acer negundo ‘Sensation’, also known as ‘Sensation’ box elder, is a native tree selection with excellent fall color and even more excellent adverse condition tolerance. Drought prone soils? Tolerant. Urban site conditions? Tolerant. Tendencies to have swarms of box elder bugs in the landscape? Believe it or not, still tolerant. Acer negundo ‘Sensation’ is a male clone, unable to produce seeds and thus considered less attractive or susceptible to box elder bug damage. However, it will attract basically everyone else with its multi-colored foliage throughout the growing season, followed by bright red fall color once autumn hits.

Acer tataricum ‘Garann’ Hot Wings® – Tatarian Maple

Or, maybe you’re after a bit of an obscure non-native maple. Acer tataricum ‘Hot Wings’ is a selection originally discovered as a seedling in Fort Collins, Colorado, of all places, despite being endemic to the region of Western Asia and Southeastern Europe. Based on all of these geographical clues, it should be no surprise that Hot Wings® Tatarian maple is exceptionally cold hardy. Inconspicuous white flowers in spring, usually around May, quickly evolve to become showy clusters of red samaras that cover the tree in mid-summer for six weeks. If you’re a big nerd about complimentary colors and how stunningly they’re able to contrast against one another in the landscape, you’ll love this tree’s bright, cherry red samaras paired with its glossy bright green foliage. This tree’s rather demure width and height of 15-18’ make it a charming specimen for landscapes and gardens that may be limited on space, and whatever it lacks in size it definitely makes up for in allure.

Ilex opaca ‘Satyr Hill’ – American Holly

Of course, no tree list would be complete without at least one evergreen, and who better than Ilex opaca ‘Satyr Hill’ to take the role? When the image of an American holly comes to mind, it is almost certainly a vision of abundant cherry-red fruits decorating glossy spined foliage – Ilex opaca ‘Satyr Hill’ takes all of the best parts of our standard American holly and exaggerates them to the nth degree. This female cultivar produces large, profuse fruits that last throughout the winter alongside chunky, olive-green foliage that has a tortoise-like shape and tends to fill in gaps quicker than other American holly varieties. The exuberant fruits often persist into the following spring, considered a delicacy to many bird species that are sure to make an appearance during the lengthy fruiting period. Ilex opaca ‘Satyr Hill’ was named the 2003 Holly of the Year by the Holly Society of America, and it’s really no wonder why. Its reliable pyramidal habit, fast and compact growth, deer resistance, and year-round charm have helped to secure ‘Satyr Hill’ American holly as a touchstone selection amongst native evergreens.

Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wildfire’ – Black Gum

If birds are on your list of picky clients to keep happy, hollies are a great place to start, but black gum trees are an even better way to extend the flurry of bird activity in the landscape. Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wildfire’ female trees feature glaucous bluish-black fruits that birds absolutely adore following the somewhat inconspicuous flowering period. Well, inconspicuous to the human eye – bees go absolutely crazy for both the male and female flowers, savoring the sweet native nectar and encouraging successful pollination of the bird-beloved drupes. Ecological services aside, the foliage of ‘Wildfire’ black gum inspires the namesake of this upright, pyramidal deciduous selection. Bronzy red new growth in spring mimics the explosion of reds, oranges, and golden yellows that cloak the tree in autumn, making this selection a showstopper throughout much of the year. Even in the summer, tinges of bronzy reds and purples decorate the ends of lush green branches, giving a discrete multi-colored aspect to the dense canopy of ‘Wildfire’ black gum even at the height of the summer.

Ulmus parviflora ‘Emer II’ Allee® - Lacebark Elm

Without being too dramatic, this is one of my favorite trees that we currently have available. They have absolutely spectacular forms, and would make lovely shade trees in spaces where they can really spread their branches and shine. When mature, the exfoliating, camouflage-like bark is as ornamentally pleasing as the dark green glossy foliage, and with a dense and robust branching structure, Allee® lacebark elm is nearly as attractive defoliated in the winter as it is fully flushed out during the growing season. Even here in the production house that they currently reside in, walking beneath them, feeling enveloped by their foliage and admiring their branches never ceases to put a smile on my face.

Now’s the time to be planting trees! Make sure to grab them before they’re gone, and trust us when we say that they’re going FAST. For more fantastic tree selections, head to our Advanced Search on our website and sort by the type of tree you’re looking for – whether you’re looking for a weeping tree, an evergreen, or a street tree, we’ve got options for everyone.

Allee® Elm - J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. (jfschmidt.com)

Ulmus parvifolia ‘Emer II’ [sold as Allee®] – Purdue Arboretum Explorer

Featured Plant: Wildfire black gum | The High Line

Wildfire Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica 'Wildfire') in Columbus Dublin Delaware Grove City Gahanna Bexley Ohio OH at Oakland Nurseries Inc (oaklandnursery.com)

Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wildfire’ – Purdue Arboretum Explorer

Arbor Day 2024 - History & Facts | HISTORY

Ilex opaca ‘Satyr Hill’ | Kiefer Nursery: Trees, Shrubs, Perennials

American Holly

Ilex opaca 'Satyr Hill' (American Holly) – Unity Church Hill Nursery, LLC

Hot Wings Tatarian Maple – Adams County Extension (colostate.edu)

Hot Wings Tatarian Maple - Plant Guide (arborvalleynursery.com)

Hot Wings® Tatarian maple: a tree for all seasons | Plant Select