Winter Trees

 

When comparing winter to the lush of spring, summer and fall colors, landscape in the winter can seem subdued. But don’t be too quick to dismiss the garden in the off season. Evergreens are a great and obvious choice to add to your landscape, but what about winter trees?  Winter trees offer interesting bark, brightly colored berries, and interesting form and are filled with beautiful secrets of seasons past, as well as seasons to come.

Winter trees can add structure to the landscape and garden and some make excellent hedges and screens whilst others are ideal as statement specimens. From flowering cherries and crab apples to evergreen yews and weeping willows trees offer different leaf size, shape and color. Many have attractive flowers, fruits and seeds and there are those that flower magnificently in spring and those whose leaves offer brilliant autumn color just before leaf fall.

Here are DK Landscaping’s top ten list of trees we recommend planting in the winter.

1. Himalyan Birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii)
2. Silver Birch (Betula pendula)
3. Snowy Mespilus (Amerlanchier lamarckii)
4. Christmas berry ‘Red Robin’ (Photinia fraserii ‘Red Robin’)
5. Freeman’s Maple (Acer freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’)
6. English oak (Quercus robur)
7. Pin oak (Quercus palustris)
8. Crab apple (Malus ‘Evereste’)
9. Crab apple (Malus ‘Rudolph’)
10. Vilmorin’s mountain ash (Sorbus vilmorinii)

By planting trees you can reduce or improve your carbon footprint and generally enhance the environment. Trees can transform an area by introducing welcome shade, protective shelter and wildlife and are an investment for future generations.

All trees require some support and protection such as stakes, tree ties and tree guards. Fertilizer can be added to the planting hole and mulch can be added after planting to preserve moisture and keep down weeds.

Newly planted trees do best when exposed to moderate temperatures and rainfall and they need time to root and acclimatize before the onset of summer heat or the harsher temperatures of winter. Container grown trees can be planted at any time of the year providing the soil / ground is not frozen or water logged.

 

 

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