Get a Tree That Does More

 

This is a photo of a non-native ornamental cherry; it is a photo that was taken yesterday. It has looked like this for well over a month; it’s not dead but it sure looks like it. These cherries lose their leaves like this a lot in our area – why would anyone want something that looks like this in their front yard? People get them for the spring blooms and that’s pretty much all they get out of them.

Non-native cherry tree in summer

When I saw this house with them lined up on both sides, I could not imagine driving between those every day and not eventually calling a tree service to cut them down.

Non-native cherry trees in summer in Georgia

If you’re in the market for a tree (and the next few months are a good time to plant them in Georgia), consider not only how the tree looks year-round but also what the tree might give back to its environment. Get a tree that does more!

Here are some tree ideas that I’ve written about before; of course, they are all native because regionally native trees naturally give back to their ecosystem:

Trees that bloom in the spring

Trees with great fall color (includes some shrubs too)

Native trees that are underused

Double-duty native trees

Small trees with great fall color

I hope some of these posts will give you ideas on how to get more out of your landscape trees. What would I plant instead of these? Serviceberry is one of my favorite full sun trees; it provides spring flowers, fruit to eat, and great fall color.

A preview of fall: serviceberry leaves