News
ENLARGE
We're talking about tree selection(s) on your woodlands or residential property.
Visit any large nursery and peruse their selection of tree species and you will likely find an abundance of exotic/hybrids from the cypress, cedar and juniper family. Quite possibly, what will not be found are “common” ponderosa pine, incense cedar, Douglas fir, Oregon white oak and big leaf maple. So what's the deal?
Most everyone enjoys feeling unique in some way or the other, be it our fashion for clothes, the car we drive or the style of our home decor or garden landscape. Japanese maple, flaming ash, Italian pine ... they all sound kind of cool, and the picture of a mature tree looks pretty good so you buy it. And sometimes we all live happily ever after and sometimes we don't. So what's the deal?
Here are a few caveats to be considered in your next tree selection. First of all, keep in mind that nurseries aren't necessarily offering what will grow the best on your property; they're selling what sells the best. If some hybrid cypress species is the latest fad, you can't expect a nursery to sit on a bunch of ponderosa pine hoping someone will buy them, and you can't blame them.
Look around. What do you see? I bet there aren't any Italian pines or Florida dogwoods. Mother Nature has decided that Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, incense cedar, white oak and Oregon ash do quite well. Yes, Douglas fir aren't going to thrive on a dry, rocky slope, but our native pine is right at home there. If variety is the spice of life, we have more than an adequate number of species to add variety to anyone's property.
This is not to say there aren't introduced tree species that have adapted to our climate. Giant sequoia, deodar cedar, horse chestnut, sweetgum and sycamore are a few that have done very well around our region. The point is Mother Nature has supplied us with some hearty and beautiful trees that call Oregon home, so why clutter things up?
But we are a land of immigrants (trees), so providing they can adapt, maybe it's OK to give them a chance. But don't put all of your eggs (trees) in one basket. Diversity is the key.
Also, remember when transplanting any tree, the larger the tree, the greater the degree and longevity of transplant shock. A large tree (5-6 feet or taller) can take up to 3 years to fully recover/adapt to their new home. The first year is most critical and by far the most common cause of failure involves lack of water, so continue to pamper that tree.
A final note to keep in mind is the lifespan of a tree. When you pick a species and determine where to plant it, that is now its home… for a long time. Proper vertical and horizontal space is paramount to its success.
Trees are like people: They need room to grow. Give them space and they will come back to reward you many times over.
Steve Bowers is the Forestry Extension agent for OSU Extension Service of Douglas County.
Visit any large nursery and peruse their selection of tree species and you will likely find an abundance of exotic/hybrids from the cypress, cedar and juniper family. Quite possibly, what will not be found are “common” ponderosa pine, incense cedar, Douglas fir, Oregon white oak and big leaf maple. So what's the deal?
Most everyone enjoys feeling unique in some way or the other, be it our fashion for clothes, the car we drive or the style of our home decor or garden landscape. Japanese maple, flaming ash, Italian pine ... they all sound kind of cool, and the picture of a mature tree looks pretty good so you buy it. And sometimes we all live happily ever after and sometimes we don't. So what's the deal?
Here are a few caveats to be considered in your next tree selection. First of all, keep in mind that nurseries aren't necessarily offering what will grow the best on your property; they're selling what sells the best. If some hybrid cypress species is the latest fad, you can't expect a nursery to sit on a bunch of ponderosa pine hoping someone will buy them, and you can't blame them.
Look around. What do you see? I bet there aren't any Italian pines or Florida dogwoods. Mother Nature has decided that Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, incense cedar, white oak and Oregon ash do quite well. Yes, Douglas fir aren't going to thrive on a dry, rocky slope, but our native pine is right at home there. If variety is the spice of life, we have more than an adequate number of species to add variety to anyone's property.
This is not to say there aren't introduced tree species that have adapted to our climate. Giant sequoia, deodar cedar, horse chestnut, sweetgum and sycamore are a few that have done very well around our region. The point is Mother Nature has supplied us with some hearty and beautiful trees that call Oregon home, so why clutter things up?
But we are a land of immigrants (trees), so providing they can adapt, maybe it's OK to give them a chance. But don't put all of your eggs (trees) in one basket. Diversity is the key.
Also, remember when transplanting any tree, the larger the tree, the greater the degree and longevity of transplant shock. A large tree (5-6 feet or taller) can take up to 3 years to fully recover/adapt to their new home. The first year is most critical and by far the most common cause of failure involves lack of water, so continue to pamper that tree.
A final note to keep in mind is the lifespan of a tree. When you pick a species and determine where to plant it, that is now its home… for a long time. Proper vertical and horizontal space is paramount to its success.
Trees are like people: They need room to grow. Give them space and they will come back to reward you many times over.
Steve Bowers is the Forestry Extension agent for OSU Extension Service of Douglas County.
