Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Monday - April 30, 2012
From: Saint Paul, MN
Region: Midwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Tree for St Paul MN
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Need deciduous faster growing shade tree, more taproot style (few/no surface bulging roots--had to cut down large silver maple), few/no fatal pests, tolerant of cold (MN), preferably able to take variations in rainfall (normally sufficient in total). Soil tends toward mix of sand & earthy, now with lots of wood chips where I need to plant, roughly where old tree was--stump chopped to approx. 6 inches depth. Choices welcome. Tree must be fairly readily available. Want to start with 4-5 footer. Cost not a big problem.ANSWER:
We are going to use our Native Plant Database to see how close we can come to fulfilling your requirements. We will begin with the database (link above), search on trees that grow natively in Minnesota, and by adding different specifications, see if we can find the perfect tree for your purposes. If you need more information on a specific plant, go to the bottom of the webpage on that plant to Additional Resources, click on the Google link, and you will get links to more information.
To begin with your first request, a taproot tree-lots of gardeners are looking for this one. While many trees and woody plants start off with a taproot, as they develop they will, of necessity, put out extensive, close to the surface roots that will likely be more extensive underground than the spread of the canopy aboveground, often as much as three times the size of the canopy. The majority of the roots will be within 12 inches of the surface of the soil, to facilitate gas exchanges. In order to carry on photosynthesis, green plants need a supply of carbon dioxide and a means of disposing of oxygen.
It is important to remember that the plant has no choice in how it grows. Nature takes care of that. You have the choice in where you place the plant, so you need to consider the requirements and ultimate size of the plant when you select a place for it in your garden.
We went to the database and, using the Combination Search, indicated Minnesota as the state, tree as the Habit or General Appearance. We have no way of indicating in our search how fast-growing a plant is, but sometimes the webpage will have that information, as well as pests and diseases. So, we'll run our first search and see what we get.
Trees for Minnesota:
Amelanchier laevis (Allegheny service-berry)
Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam)
Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (Redosier dogwood)
Crataegus mollis (Downy hawthorn)
Gymnocladus dioicus (Kentucky coffeetree)
Ilex verticillata (Common winterberry)
Malus ioensis (Prairie crabapple)
Prunus americana (American plum)
You can go back to our database and select on other specifications, such as height, light requirements, soil moisture, etc. Go to our National Suppliers Directory, put your town and state (or zip code) in the "Enter Search Location" box and you will get a list of native plant nurseries, seed suppliers and landscape specialists in your general area. All have contact information; if the one you reach does not have the species you are looking for, they may be able to recommend a supplier who does.
From the Image Gallery
More Trees Questions
Sap dripping from redbud in Bertram, TX
March 03, 2014 - Our multi-trunked Texas redbud has sap dripping down 3 of the trunks. It seems to originate from a very small crack in each trunk. The tree is just starting to show pink this week, and is about to blo...
view the full question and answer
Will Texas Mountain Laurel roots damage pipes in Tucson AZ?
May 20, 2010 - We have a Texas Laurel tree in our back yard,and it is doing fine, and we are are planning to put another one in the front yard close to the house will the root system attack our pipes ? no septic sys...
view the full question and answer
Can I move my Dwarf Orange tree from California to Florida?
April 12, 2012 - I am moving from California to Florida and have a small dwarf orange tree. Can I bring it with me to Florida? Thanks!
view the full question and answer
Sap of mulberry similar to sap of maple for syrup from Wellman IA
February 23, 2012 - Can the the sap of the mulberry tree be used to make syrup similar to maple Syrup?
view the full question and answer
Privacy hedge for South Dakota
August 08, 2008 - Hi, I'm looking for something to use as a hedge. 8 foot or so tall offering semi privacy all year. I like dogwoods but loss of leaves in the winter makes me skeptical. Boxwood would be interesting...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |