Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District

to protect and enhance Maine's soil and water resources by providing educational programs, conservation information and technical assistance to municipalities, schools, landowners and residents of Kennebec County."

SMALL TREES/LARGE SHRUBS

12 TO 30 FEET IN HEIGHT

For more information on any of these plants use this link: PLANTS DATABASE

DECIDUOUS

 American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)  Grows to 30 feet with a round-topped crown.  Has a short, twisted trunk.  Good understory tree.  Orange fall color.  Part-sun to shade.  Grows in moist rich soil along streams and swamps.  Adaptable to other soils.  Zone 4  N

 American Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana)  Grows from 15 to 30 feet high in cool woods and along river banks.  Has fine, attractive foliage and yellow to red fall color.  Full sun.  Tolerates sandy soil and some drought.  Good for birds.  Zone 3  N

 Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium)  Grows 12 to 15 feet with similar spread.  The short trunk is often crooked.  Found on dry, rocky hillsides and in thickets.  Has round, white flower clusters, followed by black fruit.  Maroon fall color.  Part-sun.  Moist to dry soil.  Zone 4  N

 Canada Plum (Prunus nigra)  Grows from 12 to 25 feet, often with a distorted shape.Found in roadside thickets and edges of woods.  Has early, white flowers and edible fruit.  Dark bark is attractive in winter.  Sun to shade.  Moist soil.  Zone 3  N

 Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)  Grows to 25 feet, often in a multi-stemmed clump.  An open shrub with white flower clusters, followed by small, red, edible fruit.  Found along roadsides and river banks, in abandoned fields and rich woods.  Sun to part-sun.  Adaptable to most soils.  Good for birds.  Zone 3  N

 Common Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)  Grows 20 to 30 feet with a similar spread.  A small tree with an irregular crown.  Fragrant, yellow flowers in October and good yellow fall color.  Found in moist soils along streams and lakes.  Sun to shade.  Zone 4  N

Crabapple (Malus sp.)  Many varieties available.  Grows 15 to 25 feet with similar spread.  Attractive, small tree with showy, spring flowers and small fruits, some edible.  Full sun.  Adaptable to poor soil but must be well-drained.  Good for birds.  Zone 4

 Eastern Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpurea)  Grows to 25 feet.  Has tiny, purple flowers, orange fruit and orange to purple fall color.  Shade.  Moist soil.  Zone 4

 Hawthorn (Craetegus sp.)  Many species.  Grows 15 to 30 feet.  Thorny shrub with interesting, twisted branches, apple-like blossoms and tiny fruits in fall.  Yellow to orange fall color.  Full sun.  Moist to dry soil.  Naturally found in rocky, sandy soil.  Zone 4  N

 Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)  Also known as Ironwood.  Grows 20 to 30 feet.  A round-topped tree with reddish-brown, shaggy bark.  Found in rich, rocky woods and on warm, gravelly slopes.  Sun to shade.  Moist to dry soil.  Zone 3  N

 Kwanzan Cherry (Prunus serrulata)  Grows 20 to 30 feet with a 20 foot spread.  A vase-shaped tree with dark-green leaves that turn orange/bronze in the fall.  Large pink flowers in summer.  Sun.  Moist soil.  Zone 5

 Laurel Willow (Salix pentandra)  Grows to 25 feet.  A dense shrub with fuzzy catkins in spring and yellow fall color.  Sun.  Wet soil.  Zone 3  N

 Lilac (Syringa sp.)  Several species and varieties available.  Grows from 3 to 30 feet with corresponding spread.  Attractive, upright shrub with dense, green foliage and large clusters of showy, fragrant flowers from white to pink to purple.  Some varieties spread to form large clumps.  Full sun.  Adaptable to various soil conditions, must be well-drained.  Good bird nesting sites.  Zones 3-5

 Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)  Also known as Wild Raisin.  Grows to 20 feet in fast, spreading growth.  Showy, white flowers in June; black fruit and good fall color.  Found along roads, edges of woods, streambanks and in thickets.  Sun to shade.  Moist to dry soil.  Good for birds.  Zone 3  N

 Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)  Grows 8 to 14 feet.  Shows rapid growth.  Clusters of white flowers in spring; interesting pink fruit and yellow fall color.  Has peeling bark.  Grows in thickets, along river banks and in rocky places.  Sun to part-sun.  Moist to dry soil.  Good for birds.  Zone 3  N

 Northern Arrowwod (Viburnum recognitum)  Grows 10 to 15 feet in clumps and thickets.  White spring flowers; blue fruit and red fall color.  Sun to part-sun.  Moist soil.  Good for birds.  Zone 3  N

Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)  Grows 15 to 20 feet with similar spread.  Branches and leaves occur in flattened layers.  Fragrant, white flowers and blue fruit.  Maroon fall color.  Red stems in winter.  Part-sun to shade.  Cool, moist, well-drained soil.  Zone 4  N

 Purpleosier Willow (Salix purpurea)  Also called ‘Streamco Willow’.  Standard form of the Dwarf Arctic Willow.  Grows 10 to 18 feet in ideal conditions.  A slender shrub that forms thickets.  Typical, long, narrow willow leaves have a purplish cast to the upper surfaces and pale undersides.  Shoots and branches have a purple to red hue.  Easy to establish from unrooted cuttings.  Excellent erosion control along streams.  Sun to part-sun.  Any moist to wet soil.  Is not drought tolerant.  Good for grouse and wildlife.  Zone 3

 Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)  Grows to 20 feet in multi-stemmed clumps up to 15 feet wide.  Spreading shrub with fuzzy catkins in spring.  Full sun.  Naturally found in moist to wet soil but tolerates drier soil.  Good for birds.  Zone 3  N

 Serviceberry  (Amelanchier sp.)  Several species and varieties available.  Also called Juneberry, Shad, Sugar Plum, Sarviceberry.  Grows from 5 to 30 feet high in multi-stemmed clumps.  Attractive shrub with white flower clusters, edible, purple-blue berries and orange-red fall color.  Sun to shade.  Moist to dry soil, depending on variety.  Good for birds.  Zones 3-5  N

Siberian Peashrub (Caragana arborescens)  Other species and varieties available.  Grows to 15 feet with a 10 foot spread.  Oval shape with bright-green, fine-textured leaves, small yellow flowers and yellow fall color.  Full sun.  Tolerates poor soil but must be well-drained.  Drought and salt tolerant.  Good for hedges.  Good bird habitat and food.  Zone 3

 Speckled Alder (Alnus rugosa)  Grows to 20 feet in large, bushy clumps.  Does best in full sun but tolerates light shade.  Moist to wet soil.  Found along brooks, lakes, swamps.  Does well in poor   conditions.  Fixes nitrogen.  Good bird habitat and food.  Zone 3  N

 Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)  Grows to 20 feet.  Upright, open habit with fuzzy stems.  Yellow flowers; large, upright clusters of red fruit and yellow to red fall color.  Sun to shade.  Well-drained soil.  Tolerates poor soils.  Common in old pastures and open areas.  Good for migrating birds.  Zone 3  N

 Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum)  Grows to 30 feet with a 15 to 20 foot spread.  Slender, upright tree with irregular branches and interesting greenish bark with white stripes.  Part-sun to shade.  Moist, cool soil.  Found in cool woods and on rocky mountain slopes.  Zone 3  N

 

EVERGREEN

 Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)  At least two varieties available.  Naturally grows to 25 feet as a narrow, upright, pointy tree.  Dwarf form is spreading and grows to 3 feet with 6 foot spread.  Sharp needles are bluish-green or silver-gray.  Wood and foliage aromatic.  Does best in full sun.  Tolerates adverse conditions, poor soils, wet areas.  Can be found in dry soils of old fields and hillsides to peaty swamps.  Fruit eaten by birds.  Zones 4-5  N

 Fraser Fir (Abies Fraseri)  Grows to 30 feet with a 20 foot spread.  Typical conical Christmas tree shape.  Has short, dark-green needles.  Sun to part-sun.  Prefers moist, well-drained soil but tolerates drier soils.  Good for birds and small mammals.  Zone 4

 Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata)  Grows to 20 feet.  Densely branched, cone-shaped (if pruned) with soft, deep-green needles.  Sun to shade.  Moist, well-drained soil.  Makes a good hedge.  Smaller variety grows to 6 feet and spreads (Zone 4).  Zone 3

 Mugo Pine (Pinus Mugo)  Grows to 13 feet if not pruned.  Usually seen as a wide, shrubby pine, occasionally as a small tree.  Also available in a dwarf form that only grows to 3 feet.  Dense, compact form with medium-green needles.  Sun to shade.  Moist soil.  Several varieties available.  Used frequently for foundation plantings as it tolerates pruning.  Zone 3