GREEN ASH: Oval to elliptical spreading crown; 5-7 green semi-glossy leaflets per leaf. Golden-yellow fall color; loses leaves early. Fairly drought tolerant; tends to be overused. Seeds may be a nuisance; plant male cultivars. Ash galls (male trees, especially species), anthracnose and ash plant bugs can be a problem. Male cultivars include: 'Bergeson' (semi-glossy dark green leaves; tend to be upright, open, and fast growing).

SUNBURST LOCUST: Deciduous tree to 35-70 feet tall; leaves divided into many small, oval leaflets giving a fern-like appearance to the foliage; leaves are normally green, but in sunburst are bright yellow golden leaves. Flowers are small and inconspicous.

SKYLINE LOCUST: Stately pyramidal variety with tight branching and straight trunk. 40 - 50 feet 30 - 40 feet. It grows best in full Sun

HONEY LOCUST: Very small leaflets; provides a very light filtered shade. Fast growing; plant in sod to slow growth in the fall and reduce the risk of freeze back damage. Good drought tolerance; yellow fall color. Susceptible to Nectria canker; pruning opens wounds for canker. Border line in hardiness. Two of the hardier thornless and podless cultivars are 'Imperial' (broad spreading habit) and 'Skyline' (pyramidal, central leader habit; larger size). `Prairie Silk' (horizontal branches; golden fall color. Hardy; may produce seed pods). 'Sunburst' (golden leaves at the tips of growing branches; lacks hardiness.

SILVER MAPLE: Medium-fast growing large tree with light green leaves and silver-gray bark; yellow fall color. Needs above average moisture. Weak structured tree; strengthen by pruning to one main leader when young. Not recommended in heavy poorly drained alkaline soils due to iron chlorosis susceptibility. 'Silver Queen' (more upright growing; may sucker at the base; seedless). 'Skinneri' (a cutleaf cultivar; not as adapted as species; semi weeping); `Autumn Blaze' (cross of Silver & Red Maple; dark green leaves. Orange red fall color; good rate of growth. More drought tolerant than Red Maple; additional years are need to fully determine its adaptability and hardiness).

NORWAY MAPLE: Rounded, dense crown with dark green leaves and white milky sap; provides heavy shade. Usually freeze before good fall color develops. Very susceptible to sunscald; wrap to prevent. No iron chlorosis problem. 'Emerald Lustre' (hardiest of the group; semi-glossy foliage; vigorous growth; good branch structure). Red leafed types are borderline. 'Royal Red' (appears to be hardiest red leafed cultivar; slower growing than the green leafed forms).

SUGAR MAPLE: Hardy, dense shapely rounded tree valued for its brilliant yellow to reddish fall color; questionable performance in alkaline soil. Don't like dry hot soil; mulch trees to retain cool moister soil conditions. For better success, try seedlings.

RED MAPLE: Showy red flowers in spring before green leaves open; red or yellow fall color. Prefer moist, slightly acidic soil. Don't like poorly drained, heavy soil. Iron chlorosis is a problem. Somewhat slow growing. Most adapted cultivars from Minnesota sources include: `Autumn Spire' (broad columnar form; early fall dormancy with red color), `Firedance' (medium sized, oval shaped tree with a good branching habit; red fall color), `Northwood' (Rounded oval crown; good branching. Red fall color).

VARIEGATED MAPLE: Broadly oval in shape; light green leaves have creamy white margin; yellowish fall color; grows 35' tall & 25' wide.

EUROPEAN WHITE BIRCH: Medium-small tree with glossy green leaves and peeling white bark; even at a young age. Yellow fall color. Variable but graceful growth habit; commonly grown in clumps. Usually somewhat short-lived (10-20 years) in our area; due to low rainfall, heavy alkaline soil and the Bronze Birch Borer, which attacks weakened trees. `Crimson Frost' (new, glossy purple-red leafed hybrid with foliage superior to `Purple Rain'), `Purple Rain' (purple colored leaves 'Whitespire' (similar to the European White Birch but has non peeling bark; reported to be resistant to the borer).

PAPER BIRCH: Attractive white bark, sometimes peeling; red-brown twigs. Bark doesn't turn white until stems and branches reach 2-3" in diameter. Commonly grown in clumps; yellow fall color. Duller foliage and slightly slower growing than European White Birch but less susceptible to birch borer. May be short lived in hot, dry or alkaline soil conditions. Use Northern Plains seed source.

RIVER BIRCH: has very shaggy, interesting, peeling reddish brown bark; likes moisture but not heavy soil. Resistant to Bronze Birch Borer. Borderline in hardiness. Same problems with environment as other birch; more susceptible to iron chlorosis. `Heritage' (lighter bark color than species).

CRIMSON FROST BIRCH: Deep burgundy-red leaves throughout summer, crimson to orange-yellow in the fall Bark: White bark with cinnamon tones that peelsHeight: 30 to 35 feetSpread: 20 feet Shape: Upright and oval, central leader The Crimson Frost Birch is often chosen for landscape use due to its deep red leaves during the summer and attractive bark. There are a few other "red-leaf" birches now available.

IRONWOOD: (American Hop-hornbeam) - Slender oval to pyramidal, dense, shapely, small tree; shaggy bark which exfoliates in strips. Yellow fall color; leaves turn coppery brown and often cling in winter. Very slow growing; slow to establish. Likes cool moist soil; not drought tolerant. Deer love; too infrequently used

LITTLELEAF LINDEN: Small to medium size and slow growing; can be grown in a multi-trunked growth habit. Coppery brown bark on limbs; leaves are about 1/2 the size of American Linden. Dense foliage with an oval shape; yellow fall color. Prefers a moist site; does well in heavy clay loam soils. Slow to establish.

EUROPEAN MOUNTAIN ASH: Small to medium sized tree with clusters of small cream colored flowers and orange berries; red-bronze fall color. Holds fruits into the fall rarely into winter; good source of bird food. Needs good drainage but doesn't do well in dry exposed areas. Fireblight and sunscald can be a problem. American Mountain Ash is similar to the European species; smaller fruits and sticky non hairy buds. Yellow to golden fall color; more susceptible to iron chlorosis.

BLACK WALNUT: Medium sized tree with large, dark green compound leaves; drop after the first fall frost. Yellow fall color. Difficult to transplant; taproot. Use local hardy seed source for nuts. Fast growing when young. Don't plant in or near a vegetable garden. Nuts are useable in cooking; wood is prized for lumber and woodworking. Butternut - small to medium sized tree usually with low spreading branches and light grey bark. Leaves are very similar to Black Walnut. Nuts are oval or elliptical in shape.

CORKSCREW WILLOW: has a broad, rounded crown. The young branches grow in a spiral, twisting fashion which gives rise to the common name. The young branches are yellowish-green in color. They are frequently used in floral arrangements. The light green leaves are very narrow and about 1 1/2" long.

WEEPING WILLOW: (Niobe Weeping Willow) - Large, rapid growing and attractive in the landscape; don't use in small yards. Long pendulous golden-yellow stems which hang to the ground, necessitating pruning. Sheds twigs in wind storms; very messy. Sunscald and winter dieback are problems. Wisconsin Willow has darker green, glossier leaves than Niobe but not as weeping; duller yellow-green twigs. May have some winter dieback, often drought related. Likes moist areas but is slow to harden up in wet falls.

CRIMSON KING MAPLE: Spectacular color you have to see to believe--dark purple right from the start, deepens in hue to an intense burgundy.

ROYAL RED MAPLE: Acer platanoides "Royal Red" grows in Zones 4-9 up to 12.5m high. Glossy darkred foliage, retains its colour throughout the growing season. Quite similar to Crimson King but faster growing. An excellent shade tree.

RED SUNSET MAPLE: A vigorous growing tree with excellent symmetrical habit. Early Fall color in brilliant shades of red and orange. Brings color to the landscape at all seasons. Very showy

AUTUMN FLAME MAPLE: This cultivar of Red Maple has an round shape and is a fast grower with strong wood, reaching a height of 45 to 50 feet (Fig. 1). The crown is denser and more uniform than the species. Unless irrigated or on a wet site, red maple is best used north of USDA hardiness zone 9. Trees are often shorter in the southern part of its range unless growing next to a stream or on a wet site. This tree is preferred over Silver Maple or Boxelder when a fast growing maple is needed. The newly emerging leaves and red flowers and fruits signal that spring has come. They appear in December and January in Florida, later in the northern part of its range. The seeds of Red Maple are quite popular with squirrels and birds

PRINCETON GOLD NORWAY MAPLE: Deciduous tree, to 45 ft (14 m) tall and 40 ft (12 m) wide, rounded form. Leaves bright yellow-gold in spring, may fade in summer. Reportedly does not revert to green and not susceptible to "sunburn" in northern climates. Hardy to USDA Zone 4 Introduced by Princeton nursery, New Jersey.

CHESTNUT OAK TREE: Quercus prinus, is a medium-sized, native, deciduous tree. Chestnut Oak trees are also called Rock Oak, Rock Chestnut Oak, or Mountain Oak. It is long-lived and slow-growing rugged tree. The characteristic bark is dark and very rough. On older trees it typically is broken into long, V-shaped ridges that are separated by deep furrows. The tree grows on dry, rocky ridges and slopes. The wood is strong and durable, and mainly used for general construction and fuel. The bark has greater tannin content than most other oaks, and was extensively used in the leather tanning trade. The acorns are an important source of food for various forms of wildlife. The acorns are large, but do not appear until the tree is around 20 years old. The leaf undersides are medium green, rather than white. Autumn color is chartreuse to yellow-brown, but the canopy is cleaned of leaves by late autumn. Chestnut Oak is amazingly free of major pest and disease problems, a testament to superior genetics in all aspects of its growth cycle.

PIN OAK: Quercus palustrus - This tree is very popular as a street shade tree in America and Europe , mainly because the leaves turn a bright rusty red in the fall and persist into the winter. The tree can grow up to 70- ft. tall and 3 ft in diameter. The bark is gray-brown. The wood was once used to make shingles and clapboards. Zone 5-9

NORTHERN RED OAK: Quercus rubra - This is one of the fastest growing oak trees, and for the homeowner provides a quality, stately, shade tree. The tree can grow 70 ft. tall with a diameter of 3 ft. Zone 4-8

WHITE OAK: (Quercus Alba): 40-80 ft tall. Nice landscape trees with a deep purple fall color. Wood makes beautiful furniture and the acorns are enjoyed by the wildlife; State tree of Illinois, Maryland, and Connecticut. Zones 5-9

EVERGREENS

COLORADO SPRUCE: is a stiffly pyramidal evergreen conifer. Horizontal branches reach to the ground, but form may become more open with age. Foliage occurs in a wide range of colors from green to silverblue. Blue foliage types are often sold as Colorado Blue Spruce. The blue foliage makes a strong accent in the landscape and should be used with restraint.

NORWAY SPRUCE: is a large conifer that is well adapted to much of the upper midwest. It is faster growing than many of the other spruces. It has a pyramidal form, developing long, pendulous branchlets with age. On older specimens, the lateral branches arise horizontally from the trunk, droop slightly and then have a slight upward curve near the tips with many pendulous branchlets in between. Foliage color is dark green. Norway Spruce produces pendulous cones up to 6" long

WHITE PINE: A shade tolerant native tree which makes a fine ornamental. Pyramidal in youth, forming a gracefully plume-like crown with horizontal branches at maturity. Reaches a height of 80 feet and more. Fast growing, grows well in a wide range of soil types. Soft, light-green needles in clusters of five. Useful for windbreaks and wildlife habitat.

SERBIAN SPRUCE: A native of southeastern Europe -- Yugoslavia -growing to 60 feet high with a 20 foot spread. A tree with a rather slender trunk and short ascending branches that form a narrow pyramidal head. One of the most popular evergreen planted now in usa because it has a nice blueish color like the blue spruce but is easier and faster to grow.