Select A Shade Tree For Your Yard

Why not plant the best! The average person will likely a dozen or less trees. Many homeowners choose to buy a fast-growing tree. But, in the long run, in 25-30 years, you will likely pay the price for the fast growth. The speedy trees are generally weak-wooded and branches can break in ice and storms packing high winds. They become hazard trees. Don’t plant a fast growing tree within 50 feet of your home. Below ground their roots will grow into sewer and water lines. All trees listed are hardy in USDA hardiness zones 5-9.

Moderate growing trees (50 feet and higher):

Hybrid Freeman Maples (Acer freemanii)

Red Maple (Acer rubrum) 'Red Sunset', 'October Glory'

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) 'Green Mountain'

Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) (select male clones only)

Thornless Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis)

Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioica) 'Espresso'

Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) 'Happidaze', 'Slender Silhouette'

Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) 

Black gum, tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) 'Green Gable', 'Wildfire', 'Red Rage'

London Planetree (Platanus x acerfolia) 'Columbia' 

Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria)

Willow oak (Quercus phellos)

English Oak (Quercus robur)

American Elm (Ulmus americana) 'Washington', 'Princeton', 'Jefferson'

Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata) 'Murashino', 'Green Vase'

Medium Sized Shade Trees (35-50 feet) 

Trident maple (Acer buergerianum)

River birch (Betula nigra) -'Heritage', 'Duraheat' 

European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)

Crape myrtle (tree forms) (Lagerstroemia x)*

Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)**

Live oak (Quercus virginiana)*

Japanese pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonica)

Basswood, American linden (Tilia americana) 

Little leaf Linden (Tilia cordata) 

Lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia) 'Athena', 'Bosque', 'Allee'

*hardy in Southern U.S. (zones 7-10)

Editor's note: all ash species (Fraxinus spp.) have been delisted because of tree's susceptibility to Emerald Ash Borer.

The Best Lacebark Elms For Your Area

'Athena' Lacebark Elm

Lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia), also called little leaf elm, is a beautiful medium-sized shade tree. In recent years lacebark elm has become a popular urban street tree in USDA hardiness zones 5-9 . The four leading cultivars of lacebark elm are Allee®, Athena®, and Bosque™, and Dynasty®.

The tree earns its name from the delightful orange or brown color mosaic or puzzle-like pattern over the main trunk (s) and branches. The autumn leaf color is rarely memorable and the small 1-2 inch leaves fall without much fanfare and leaf litter mess. This elm tree blooms in late summer and flowers are mostly inconspicuous.

Get lacebark elm off to a long and prosperous life by irrigating bi-monthly the tree over long dry spells and fertilize the tree in late winter the first two years after planting. An established lacebark elm exhibits exceptional drought tolerance. Disease and insect problems are rare.

In Tennessee and elsewhere, damaging summer storms have caused arborists to evaluate varieties regionally. For example, Tennessee urban foresters report that limb breakage and clean up around Allee elms is greater than on other cultivars. The cultivar Bosque appears to fare much better.

Consult a local certified arborist which lacebark elms grow best for your area.

'Bosque' Lacebark Elm - a Better Choice

(New planting of Allee elm pictured)

Recent storm damage has caused a re-evaluation, whether to continue to plant the cultivar Allee®, also called ‘Emerald Vase’. Urban foresters around the state of Tennessee report that limb breakage and clean up around Allee elms is greater than around other cultivars. Bosque seemed to fare much better.

Lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia) is a beautiful medium -sized street and shade tree. Its use in urban street plantings has become popular over the past decade. The three leading cultivars of lacebark elm are Allee®, Athena® and Bosque™.

The tree earns its name from the delightful orange or brown color mosaic or puzzle-like pattern over the main trunk (s) and branches. The autumn leaf color is rarely memorable and the small 1-2 inch leaves fall without much fanfare and leaf litter mess.
Get your lacebark off to a long and prosperous life by supplying extra water and light fertilize feeding the first two years. In the first two years after planting, a young tree needs deep watering every two weeks in the late spring and summer. An established lacebark elm exhibits exceptional drought tolerance.
If you or your city, town or village is planting lacebark elm in your housing subdivision, request that they select Bosque elm.

'Bosque' Lacebark Elm -- a Better Choice

(New planting of Allee elm pictured)

Recent storm damage has caused a re-evaluation, whether to continue to plant the cultivar Allee®, also called ‘Emerald Vase’. Urban foresters around the state of Tennessee report that limb breakage and clean up around Allee elms is greater than around other cultivars. Bosque seemed to fare much better.
Lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia) is a beautiful medium -sized street and shade tree. Its use in urban street plantings has become popular over the past decade. The three leading cultivars of lacebark elm are Allee®, Athena® and Bosque™.
The tree earns its name from the delightful orange or brown color mosaic or puzzle-like pattern over the main trunk (s) and branches. The autumn leaf color is rarely memorable and the small 1-2 inch leaves fall without much fanfare and with little mess.

Get your lacebark off to a long and prosperous life by supplying extra water and light fertilize feeding the first two years. In the first two years after planting, a young tree needs deep watering every two weeks in the late spring and summer. An established lacebark elm exhibits exceptional drought tolerance.

If you or your city, town or village is planting lacebark elm in your housing subdivision, request that they select Bosque elm.