TREE DESCRIPTIONS - GIVEAWAYs 2026-27
sweetbay Magnolia (magnolia virginiana)
- Beautiful native plant
- Slow growing evergreen with fragrant white flowers
- Tolerates shade or sun but blooms best in the sun
- Tolerates wet soils but needs water to get established
- Typically takes years to reach 15 feet or more
- Not to be confused with Laurus nobilis or Bay Laurel, the source of culinary bay leaves
Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)
- Fragrant white flowers bloom in Spring, giving way to 1/4" purple berry-like fruit loved by birds and edible for humans. In fall the leaves turn showy red and orange.
- Small tree, usually growing to a height of 15–25' and a spread of 15–25' at maturity.
- Prefers part shade and moist, well-drained sandy loam but is adaptable to both wet and dry sites and various soil types.
- Somewhat tolerant of salt but not of urban conditions.
Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
- A fast-growing tree with bright green leaves that resemble tulip flowers in profile and turn golden yellow in fall.
- Greenish-yellow flowers are carried high in the tree.
- Stems are aromatic.
- Likes full sun. Grows to 70' to 90', 40' spread.
eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
- Deciduous, understory tree that grows to 20-30’ tall and 20-35’ wide
- Place in full sun or part shade; it can do well in clay or sandy soil but does not tolerate heat or drought and is very sensitive to chemicals and pesticides
- Pink to purple blooms appear before the leaves in early spring, attracting many pollinators and is an important larval host plant
American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
- Wide and spreading tree that can grow to 75-100’ tall, with beautiful dappled white-and-tan bark
- Prefers full sun and moist soils with good drainage
- Can grow in a variety of soils ranging from sandy to clay; tolerates drought and wet soils
- Fast-growing, tolerant of pollution and urban conditions
- Seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, although moderately deer resistant
- Tends to drop fruit balls, bark flakes, and small twigs