These underrated trees offer a ton of beauty, adaptability, and wildlife value.
A diverse plant selection addsvisual interest(and benefits wildlife, too!).
Nancy Buley is the director of communications atJ.
Credit:Lynn Karlin
Frank Schmidt & Son Co.in Boring, Oregon.
It blooms in mid-summer when few other trees are in bloom and is an absolute pollinator magnet.
Amur maackia has a vase shape with rounded crown.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Otherwise, the oblong fruit are astringent enough to make your mouth pucker.
Resistant to pests and tolerant of drought and alkaline soils, it is a solid workhorse for tough conditions.
Hop-hornbeam features an upright, oval habit and dark green leaves that turn yellow in fall.
Credit: Ellen Zachos
But its thehop-like fruitsthat catch the eye and give the tree its common name.
For starters, black cherry trees (Prunus serotina) are fast growing2 to 4 feet per year.
Red fruits appear in fall, turning purple-black as they ripen.
Credit:Denny Schrock
The seedlings yank out easilythat is, unless you want more of this tree around for free.
In fall, those leaves turn a mix of yellow, bronze, and brown.
This oakproduces acorns, but theyre not a housekeeping issue because squirrels and other wildlife love them.
Credit:Karla Conrad
Width:50-70 feet
Flowering Crabapple
Those who grew up withcrabapples(Malusspp.)
that offered little more than a fleeting display of flowers in spring may be in for a surprise.
This old standby has been reinvigorated with new introductions that kindly on a number of levels.
Credit:Dean Schoeppner
It rarely flowers so it is virtually seedless.
Both cultivars have an upright growth habit, good branching, and extremely hard wood for a storm-resistant structure.
Theyre an urban survivor on the street tree scene, Buley says.
Credit:emer1940 / Getty Images
It also has bright red and orange fall color if not nipped by a hard freeze beforehand.
Its compact size and slow growth rate also make it suitable for smaller urban gardens.
Width:15-20 feet
Hardiness:Zones 5-8
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit:Alexander Denisenko / Getty Images
Credit: Jane Milliman
