Going Out on a Limb

I’m going to ask you to get up from your computer and walk out your front door . Now cross the street, turn around and look back at your house. Take a good look at the landscaping. Does your eye flow smoothly across the yard or do you see obvious gaps? Is there one spot that seems to cry out for a vertical focal point? Now go look at your backyard. Can you picture a small ornamental tree over in the corner by the fence or maybe where the swing set used to be?

Trees are always the best place to start when landscaping and the value of ornamental trees cannot be overstated. In addition to beauty, they provide vertical interest, shade and scale for other plantings. Early spring and fall, when the trees are dormant, is the ideal time to plant

There are several useful ornamentals for us Zone 4 gardeners, but I’m going to focus on a couple of the best ones.

It’s difficult to find fault with the Flowering Crabapple (Malus). It is the most popular ornamental tree in northern climates for good reason. Few ornamental trees offer such an extensive variety in size, shape and flower color and they score high marks for multi-season interest. With over 35 species and several hundred cultivars, you are guaranteed to find one that suits your needs.

Crabapples can be columnar, rounded, horizontal, weeping, pyramidal or vase-shaped. They may have pink, white or red flowers. Foliage color is usually medium or dark green, but it can also be bronze and almost all crabapples have attractive fall foliage. Ornamental fruit that attracts birds appears in the fall and, in some cases, persists through the winter.

Most flowering crabs bloom before the leaves unfold and have darker buds that open to lighter flowers. They average between 15’ - 25’ and like full sun and well-drained soil. One of the best things about them is that they are highly adaptable to many environments. What more could you ask?

Once you determine what shape and color of Flowering Crabapple you’d like to plant, check out the local nurseries to see what they recommend or take a look at a couple of my choices. 'Prairie Fire,’ is a rounded dark pink variety that is definitely a winner here and is my personal favorite. A useful white flowering variety is ‘Sargent,’ and a nice upright light pink crabapple is 'Pink Spires.'

The Eastern Redbud (Cercis Canadensis) in bloom is an unmistakable sign of spring in our area. The lavender-pink blooms, large heart-shaped leaves and the interesting structure of the tree make it very appealing. It does well in full sun or part shade and it thrives in most soil types. I’ve always found it striking as an understory tree on the edge of wooded areas. It grows to around 15’ - 20’ feet with a similar width. The redbud is a good choice for dry areas as it is very drought tolerant.


I’m secretly yearning for the white version, ‘Alba’, of the Eastern Redbud and yes, I know that makes the name a bit of a contradiction.

One of the newest redbud cultivars is ‘Lavender Twist’, aka ‘Covey’. It is a lovely weeping version with zigzagging branches that will grow to a maximum of 8’. It makes a wonderful specimen in the garden and although it claims to be a new cultivar, I’ve had this tree for about three years now. It is truly eye-catching.

A few other ornamental tree options you may want to investigate are Magnolias, Dogwoods and Ornamental Pears. If you have a sheltered spot and are patient and willing to fuss a bit, Japanese Maples can easily become an addiction.

Whatever your choice, every landscape can benefit from ornamental trees. One final comment. Remember to locate all underground utility lines before you dig. The power company and your neighbors will thank you.