Trees for Central Northwest Washington
Hot, dry summers and cold and drying winters in North Central Washington present challenging conditions for many trees we know and want to plant.
There are beautiful trees that grow well in areas of Chelan and Douglas Counties. In addition to familiar trees commonly planted in this area, a host of others less frequently seen add interesting form, flower and colors to enrich the diversity of our tree population. Consider these trees when you consider planting a new landscape or replacing a tree.
Trees grown in Central Northwest Washington require supplemental water-- more during the first year of growth.
Listed here are: Small Trees- mature height 30’ or less Medium Trees – mature height 30' to 55' Tall Trees- mature height 60' and over
Small Trees- mature height 30’ or less
Oregon Green Austrian Pine Vanderwolf's Pyramid Pine Japanese Umbrella Pine
Pinus nigra 'Compacta' Pinus flexilis 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid' Sciadopitys verticillata Size: 15' x 10' Size 25' x 15' Size: 20' - 30' x 15' Zone: 4 Zone: 4 Zone: 5 Shape: Columnar to oval with Shape: Upright columnar Shape: Pyramidal upsweeping branches Foliage: Blue green 5 needle Foliage: Large whorled needles Foliage: Stiff dense 2 needle Flower: Cone Flower: Cones Flower: Cones Comments: Very adaptable Foliage color: NA Comments: Slow growing, protect from hot afternoon sun
Silver Whisper Swiss Stone Pine Golden Desert Ash Paperbark Maple
Pinus cembra 'Silver Whisper' Fraxinus excelsior 'Aureafolia' Acer griseum Size: 12' x 6' Size: 20' x 18' Size: 25' - 30' x 20' Zone: 3 Zone: 5 Zone: 5 Shape: Columnar Shape: Rounded, compact Shape: Upright, spreading Foliage: Green 5 needle Foliage: Yellow Foliage: Dark green Flower: Cone Flower: NA Flower: NA Comments: Slow growing Fall color: Golden-yellow Fall color: Unreliable red Comments: Good street tree Comment: Beautiful exfoliating bark
Amur Maple
Acer ginnala 'Flame' Japanese Stewartia Japanese Ivory Silk Lilac Size: 20' x 20' Zone: 2 Stewartia pseudocamellia Syringa reticulata 'Ivory Silk' Shape: Low branched, rounded Size: 20'-30' x 20'-30' Size: 25' x 15' Foliage: Green Zone: 5 Zone: 4 Flower: NA Shape: Pyramidal to oval Shape: Oval, compact with upward curving Fall color: Orange-red (shown) Foliage: Green branches Comment: Red November nice cultivar Foliage: 2.5" white Foliage: Dark green Fall color: Yellow/red/purple Flower: Large white clusters in early July Comments: Attractive exfoliating bark, (shown) avoid hot afternoon sites . Comments: Excellent for urban landscape
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum Persian Parrotia Size: 20' - 25' x 10' - 15' Zone: 5 Parrotia persica Shape: Pyramidal, drooping branches Size: 25' - 30' x 20' Foliage: Green Zone: 5 Flower: Fragrant, lily-of the valley like Shape: Upright to wide spreading, oval Foliage in summer Foliage: Pink/purple emerging leaves turning green Fall color: Red - purple Flower: NA Comments: Prefers soils of 7.2 or less. Slow growing. Fall color: succession of yellow - orange - red Comments: Good landscape and street trees
Chinese Fringe Tree Forest Pansy Redbud
Chionanthus retusus Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' Size: 20' x 20' Size: 20' x 25' Zone: 5 Zone: 5/6 Shape: Broadly oval Shape: Upright spreading/rounded Foliage: Deep green Foliage: Deep purple to bronze-green interior Flower: White, snow-like, in large clusters in late Flower: Magenta rose in spring (shown) spring (as shown) Fall color: Yellow Fall color: Bright yellow Comments: 'Hearts of Gold' is zone 5-matures leaves are chartreuse
Amur Maackia
Maackia amurensis Size: 25' x 20' Zone: 3 Shape: Upright vase Shape with rounded crown Foliage: Medium green Flower: Upright white clusters in mid-summer Fall color: NA Comments: Tolerant of many conditions Wireless Zelkova Zelkova serrata 'Schmidtlow' Size: 24' x 36' Zone: 5 Shape: Broadly spreading vase Foliage: Medium green Flower: NA Fall color: Red (as shown)
Dwarf Japanese Red Pine Dwarf Eastern White Pine
Pinus densiflora 'Umbraculifera' Pinus strobus 'Nana' Size: 20' x 30' Size: 6' x 10' Zone: 4 Zone: 3 Shape: Oval, irregular branch habit Shape: Oval, irregular branched habit Foliage: Paired needles Foliage: Silvery blue/green 5 needle Flower: Cones Flower: Cone Comments: Reddish/orange exfoliating bark Comments: Slow growing
Medium Size Trees - mature height 30' to 55'
Colorado Blue Spruce White Fir Eastern Red Cedar
Picea pungens 'Hoopsii' Abies Concolor Juniperus virginiana Size: 30' - 60' x 10' - 20' Size: 50' - 75' x 25' Size: 40' x 10' Zone: 3 Zone: 3 Zone 2 Shape: Pyramidal Shape: Pyramidal Shape: Pyramidal Foliage: Blue/green needle Foliage: Blue needles Foliage: Blue/green scale or awl-like needles Flower: Cone Flower: Cones Flower: Seed cones (berry) Fall color: NA Fall color: NA Fall color: Bronze Comments: Smaller cultivar - Fat Albert (15') Comments: cultivar 'Candicans' Comments: Tolerant of adverse conditions. Many smaller cultivars 15 - 25 ft.
Katsura Autumn Blaze Maple Black Tupelo
Cercidiphyllum japonicum Acer x freemanii 'Jeffersred' Nyssa sylvatica Size: 40' x 40' Size: 50' x 40' Size: 40' x 25' Zone: 5 Zone: 3 Zone: 3 Shape: Upright, pyramidal when young, Shape: Broadly oval Shape: Pyramidal to irregular rounded rounded with age Foliage: Green Foliage: Glossy green Foliage: blue green Flower: NA (seedless) Flower: NA Flower: NA Fall color: Brilliant orange/red Fall color: Red Fall color: yellow to apricot Comments: Fast growing. Comments: Does not tolerate high pH (above Comments: Thin bark can sunburn. There are many cultivars of maple trees 7.8) Compacted soil can be a problem.
Ginkgo biloba Cryptomeria japonica Kentucky Coffee Tree
Size: 40' - 50' x 25' Size: 50' - 60' x 25' Gymnocladus diocus Zone: 3 Zone: 5 Size: 50' x 35' Shape: Pyramidal, irregular Shape: Pyramidal Zone: 4 Foliage: Green fan-shaped Foliage: Green blue, awl Shape: Narrow to oval Flower: NA Shaped needles Foliage: Dark green Fall color: Yellow Flower: Cone Flower: White pea-like in late spring, Comments: Buy male clones - Fall color: Bronze pods Fall color: Yellow Autumn Gold, Lakeview, Magyar, Comments: Smaller popular cultivars Comments: tolerates heat, drought, Princeton Sentry, Shangri-la 'Yoshino' (15'-25' x 10'-15')- as alkaline soils, and soil compaction. shown
Golden Rain Tree Cedar of Lebanon
Koelreuteria paniculata Cerus libani 'Stencoma' Size: 35' x 30' Size: 40' - 50' x 30' - 50' Zone: 5 Zone: 5 Shape: Rounded Shape: Pyramidal in youth; dense; flat topped, horizontally Foliage: Dark green spreading branches with age Flower: Yellow in summer, pods Foliage: Very dark green, needles in clusters Fall color: Yellow/orange Flower: Cones, purple Comments: Tolerates drought, heat, wind, and air Fall color: NA pollution Comments: Slow growing Tall Trees - mature height 60' and over
Tulip Tree Dawn Redwood
Liriodendron tulipifera Metasequoia glyptostroboides Size 60' x 30' Size: 70' x 25' Zone: 5 Zone: 4 Shape: Oval Shape: Pyramidal, rounding with age Foliage: Green Foliage: Soft green needles Flower: Greenish yellow with orange center; late spring, early Flowers: Cones summer Fall color: Bronze Fall color: Yellow Comments: Deciduous Comments: Fast growing. Smaller cultivars Fastigiatum (50' x 15')
Giant Sequoia Weeping Alaskan Cedar
Sequoiadendrum Chamaecyparis nootkatensis sempervirans Size: 60' - 90' x 20' - 30' Size: 60' - 70' x 30' Zone: 4 Zone: 5 Shape: Pyramidal with Shape: Pyramidal weeping tertiary branches Foliage: Blue green awl Foliage: Green scale-like Shaped needles needles Flowers: Cone Flower: Cone Fall color: NA Fall color: NA Comments: Reddish brown bark
This list was compiled by Paula Dinias, Urban Horticulturist, WSU Chelan County Extension. March, 2009.
Image Sources- Consult these image sources for more information about the trees in this list: Dirr, Michael. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Fifth Edition. Stipes Publ. J. Frank Schmidt & Sons. www.jfschmidt.com Landscape Plants Images, Identification & Information oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/ Iseli Nursery Images www.iseli-nursery.com/ University of Connecticut Plant Database www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants/index.html WSU Clark County Extension PNW Plants www.pnwplants.wsu.edu