LARGE TREE BUNDLE

A native hardwood found in central and southeastern forests in Minnesota.

Details:

• Size: Grows 40 to 60 feet tall (sometimes up to 80 feet) in Minnesota.
• Bark: Smooth and reddish-brown with white horizontal lines on young trees; rough, dark brown, and broken into thick, scaly plates on older trunks.
• Leaves: Alternate, oval, shiny green, and finely toothed, turning brilliant yellow or red in autumn.
• Fruit: Drooping clusters of small, dark red-to-black cherries that taste tart or sour, ripening in late summer.
• Habitat: Thrives in well-drained, moist soils, often found in oak forests and disturbed habitats or open areas.

Suitable for Climate Ready Woodlands

A tough, native deciduous tree in Minnesota that grows 50 to 70 feet tall and tolerates harsh urban conditions, drought, and clay soils.

Details:

• Size: Reaches 50 to 70 feet high with a spread of up to 50 feet.
• Bark: Features bumpy warts on young trunks that turn into prominent, cork-like ridges as the tree matures.
• Leaves and Fruit: Produces asymmetrical dark green leaves that turn yellow in fall, alongside small purple berry-like fruits (drupes) that feed local wildlife through winter.
• Growth Rate: Exhibits a medium to fast growth rate.

• Native Range: Found naturally in floodplains, southern Minnesota, and westward up the Red River Valley, though it adapts well across most Minnesota counties.
• Sun and Soil: Thrives in full sun to partial shade. It handles poor soils, clay, and occasional flooding or drought with ease.
• Planting Window: Plant in the spring after the ground thaws or in early fall (at least six weeks before the first hard freeze).

• Pros: Excellent shade tree, highly resistant to wind and salt, and a great food source for birds like cedar waxwings. It often replaced American elms lost to disease.

Suitable for Climate Ready Woodlands

A large, hardy native hardwood tree that reaches the northern edge of its natural range in southern and southeastern Minnesota.

Details:

• Size: Grows 50 to 75 feet tall (and occasionally up to 100 feet) with a wide, spreading crown.
• Hardiness: Thrives in USDA Zones 4 through 9, making it cold-tolerant for most of Minnesota.
• Leaves & Nuts: Features large compound leaves with many leaflets and produces edible, richly flavored nuts enclosed in a green husk that turns brown in the fall.
• Toxicity: The roots, leaves, and hulls contain a natural chemical called juglone, which can inhibit the growth of certain garden plants (like tomatoes and apples) planted directly underneath or near the canopy.

Distribution in Minnesota

• Natural Range: Commonly found in moist, well-drained soils along streams, rivers, and mixed forests in the southern and twin-cities regions of the state.
• Urban & Northern Planting: Frequently planted as a shade tree in parks and urban landscapes further north, such as the Arrowhead region.

Suitable for Climate Ready Woodlands