Large Native Trees Recommended for Lake Barcroft
by Betsy Washington
Species |
Characteristics |
Ornamental Traits |
Wildlife |
Tolerance |
Betula nigra |
Fast growing, often multiple trunks, light airy canopy allows grass beneath |
Very showy creamy to salmon peeling bark, yellow fall color |
Wildlife, easy to transplant, loves wet to regular soils, can plant very close together in small groves |
Adaptable but prefers moist soils near lake; tolerates dry sites |
Liriodendron tulipifera |
Fast growing, tall straight trunks, stately |
Fragrant flowers in May |
Butterfly host tree, songbirds |
Prefers moist slopes, occurs throughout Lake Barcroft |
Quercus alba |
Slow to moderate growth |
Orange to Burgundy fall color |
Supports more wildlife (songbirds, butterflies, mammals) than all other trees |
Very adaptable, very common in Lake Barcroft in both dry and moist sites |
Quercus rubra |
Fast growing, tall trunk, widespreading crown |
Red fall color, acorns |
Supports lots of wildlife, good urban or street tree |
Adaptable, widespread in Lake Barcroft |
Quercus coccineus, |
Moderate growing, tall trunk, rounded crown |
Scarlet fall color, acorns |
Wildlife, good urban or street tree, tolerates dry hillsides |
Tolerant of dry and steep slopes |
Quercus phellos
|
Fast growing, large oak |
Small willow-like leaves |
High wildlife value, tolerates flooding or dry urban soils. Easy to transplant. Readily available. |
Prefers moist sites but very adaptable, urban tolerant |
*Quercus prinus |
Moderate growing, tall, spreading crown |
Chestnut fall color, acorns |
Wildlife, taproot best to plant small size, tolerates dry hillsides, specialty nurseries |
Often found on dry, challenging steep slopes & ridges |
*Quercus stellata |
Slow to moderate growing |
Waxy dark green leaves, small acorns |
Wildlife, extremely drought tolerant, taproot, plant small |
Found of tough, dry sites, very tolerant of difficult sites |
*Carya glabra |
Slow to moderate growing, strong wood, tall trunk with narrow crown |
Glowing yellow fall color |
Wildlife, taproot requires planting at small size, |
Very adaptable, found throughout Lake Barcroft on dry and moist sites |
*Carya ovata |
Slow to moderate growing, strong wood, tall trunk with narrow |
Glowing yellow fall color |
Wildlife including small mammals, butterflies and other insects, birds, taproot requires planting at small size, |
Prefers moist slopes and sites but adaptable |
Platanus occidentalis |
Fast growth. Massive, tall strong trunk and spreading branches |
Fabulous exfoliating creamy white bark, large lobed leaves |
Supports songbirds and wildlife, tolerates flooding , lakeshores. |
Adaptable, usually found along streams, lakeside |
Liquidambar styraciflua
|
Medium growth, upright, irregular habit, great texture |
Star shaped leaves, turn vivid colors in fall, prickly sweetgum balls or fruit |
Supports songbirds, waterfowl, and small mammals, tolerates floodplains as well as upland slopes, tough and adaptable |
|
Nyssa sylvatica |
Moderate growing |
Fiery orange to red fall color, small blue fruit attracts many songbirds in fall |
Wildlife, taproot, plant small or from large container, street tree, wet or drought tolerant |
Widespread through Lake Barcroft on both dry slopes and moist lakeside sites |
Betula nigra |
Fast growing, often multiple trunks, light airy canopy allows grass beneath |
Very showy creamy to salmon peeling bark, yellow fall color |
Wildlife, easy to transplant, loves wet to regular soils, can plant very close together in small groves |
Adaptable but prefers moist soils near lake; tolerates dry sites |
Diospyros virginiana Common Persimmon Family: Ebenaceae
|
Medium to large tree with slender oval crown; can sucker into colonies |
Attractive, edible fruit in fall is pale orange, becomes sweeter after first frost. Must have male and female trees for fruit. |
Attracts wildlife such as foxes, raccoons, opossums. |
Taproot can make it harder to transplant - plant small, very tough tree for dry, poor soils, along Holmes Run, best in sunny sites |
Fagus grandifolia American Beech Family: Fagaceae
|
Slow growing, shade tolerant tree that eventually becomes massive and widespreading |
Beautiful smooth, silvery bark, fine textured branching, majestic, with 4 season appeal |
Beechnuts attract a variety of songbirds and wildlife |
Extremely shade tolerant. Does not tolerate compacted soils or root disturbance. Wonderful for a wooded area and can function as an understory tree for many years. |
* May need to seek out at specialty native plant nurseries
A few Local Native Plant Sources:
Park Fairfax Native Plant Sale, April 24, 2010, 9am – 2pm, 3601 Valley Drive, Alexandria, great sale with 14 vendors from several states
Green Spring Garden Day, May 15, 2010, 9am – 3pm, Witchhazel Drive, Alexandria, many vendors
Nature by Design, 300 Calvert Ave, Alexandria; www.nature-by-design.com
Lower Marlboro Nursery, Dunkirk, MD; www.lowermarlboronursery.com
For an online list of more nurseries selling native plants from the Virginia Native Plant Society
http://www.vnps.org/growing.html