SMALL
TREES/LARGE SHRUBS
12 TO 30 FEET IN HEIGHT For more information on any of these plants use this link: PLANTS DATABASEDECIDUOUS
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
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