Local Tree Advice

• Choosing a tree native to your area maximizes the health and vigor of your tree. Consult local botanical gardens, county extension agents or local native plant societies to determine trees native not just to your U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone but also to your local growing conditions. Zone 5 extends from southern New England and the Great Lakes area into the Middle Western states of Missouri and Iowa, presenting a variety of soils, water and growing conditions. Many trees will do well, but each region has varieties that do best.
  
  

The Maple Family

• While some varieties of maple tree can grow up to heights of 80 feet, several varieties are much smaller. Acer tataricum, or Tatarian Maple, and Acer buergerianum, Trident Maple, both grow to between 20 and 30 feet high, with compact growth habits and branch spreads of approximately 20 feet wide. Disease sensitivity is low, and, aside from fall leaves and very small seed pods, the tree is tidy. Both trees have leaves that change color in the fall.
  
  

The Apple Family

• Not all members of the apple family grow apples. Ornamental flowering crabapple trees, Malus spp, come in a large number of varieties, tolerate various soils and moisture levels. Trees tend toward 18 to 20 feet in height and come in a wide span of shapes, from fountain-shaped and arching to round. The positives of flowering crabapples include spring blooms and fruits that may remain long enough to feed birds in the fall. While the downsides can include messy fruit drop and susceptibility to apple family diseases, cultivars are numerous enough to provide some strong local candidates throughout all the regions of USDA zone 5.
  
  

The Dogwood Family

• Known for long season-by-season interest, dogwood (Cornus) trees do well throughout zone 5. Some areas may be more hospitable to the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), Kousa dogwood (Cornus Kousa) or Cornelian Cherry dogwood (Cornus mas). Dogwood blooms early in the spring are followed by foliage (sometimes copper- or even purple-toned, especially toward fall). Dogwood berries, or cherries, attract wildlife in fall and winter. Flat layers of blooms often make dogwood branches appear to float in the air.
  
  

Redbud

• Redbuds, or Cercis, are often the first trees to bloom in the spring, leading to the nickname "Judas tree," as it suggests that spring has come when it has not yet arrived. Strongly colored pink-lavender flowers emerge from branches, a startling attribute when first seen. Cercis canadensis, the most popular redbud, has only the disadvantage of vulnerability to disease. Urban redbuds, faced with heavy air and possibly water pollution, tend toward being short-lived (10 to 20 years) when planted in urban environments. A Cercis alba offers a white-bloomed alternative. Foliage is heart-shaped and attractive. Even though this tree may be slightly more fragile than others in the list, well-situated cultivars can last many years and grow larger than the 25-foot limit that defines small trees.