Tree species list - pH and soil moisture ranges
General information for several trees that can be used in tree trenches/tree boxes. NOTE: this list is not exhaustive and could include dozens of additional species.
| Scientific name1,2,3,4 | Common name 1,2,3,4 | Soil moisture condition5 | Wetland indicator status6 | Moisture use | Soil pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer x freemanii 2 | Freeman maple | 3-9 | FAC | High | 7.0-8.5 |
| Acer rubrum 2 | Red maple | 2-8 | FAC | High | 4.7-7.3 |
| Acer saccharinum 1,2 | Silver maple | 4-9 | FACW | High | 4.0-7.3 |
| Acer saccharum 1,2 | Sugar maple | 4-9 | FACU | Medium | 3.7-7.9 |
| Alnus glutinosa 2 | European alder | 2-8 | FACW | High | 4.4-7.2 |
| Alnus incana ssp. rugosa 1,2 | Speckled alder | 3-9 | FACW | High | 5.0-7.0 |
| Amelanchier spp. 2 | Juneberry/serviceberry | 4-7 | FACU | Medium | 4.8-8.4 |
| Betula nigra 'Cully' & ' BNMFT' 1,2 | Heritage and Dura-Heat river birch | 2-8 | FACW | High | 3.0-6.5 |
| Betula populifolia 2 | Gray birch | 4-8 | FAC | Low | 3.5-6.5 |
| Carpinus betulus 2 | European hornbeam | 4-9 | FAC | Medium | 4.0-7.4 |
| Carpinus caroliniana 2 | American hornbeam | 3-9 | FAC | Medium | 4.0-7.4 |
| Carya ovata 2 | Shagbark hickory | 3-11 | FACU | medium | 4.0-7.3 |
| Catalpa speciosa 2 | Narthern catalpa | 2-10 | FACU | Low | 5.5-7.0 |
| Celtis occidentalis 2 | Common hackberry | 3-11 | FAC | Low | 6.0-7.8 |
| Cercis canadensis 2 | Eastern redbud | 4-10 | FACU | Low | 5.0-7.9 |
| Cladrastis kentukea 2 | Yellowood, Kentucky yellowood | 4-7 | Low | 4.8-7.5 | |
| Crataegus crus-galli var. inermis 2 | Thornless cockspur hawthorn | 4-11 | FAC | Low | 4.5-7.2 |
| Crataegus phaenopyrum 2 | Washington hawthorn | 4-9 | FAC | medium | 4.3-7.0 |
| Fraxinus americana 2 | White ash | 3-9 | FACU | High | 4.7-7.5 |
| Fraxinus Manchurian | Manchrian ash | 3-9 | FACW | High | 4.4-8.2 |
| Fraxinus nigra 1 | Black ash | 3-9 | FACW | High | 4.4-8.2 |
| Fraxinus pennsylvanica 1,2 | Green ash | 3-9 | FACW | Medium | 4.7-8.1 |
| Gingko biloba 2 | Gingko – male only | 4-12 | FAC | Medium | 5.2-7.5 |
| Gleditsia tricanthos var. inermis 2 | Thornless common honeylocust | 2-12 | FAC | Medium | 4.8-8.0 |
| Gymnocladus dioicus 2 | Kentucky coffeetree | 3-12 | FACU | Medium | 6.0-8.0 |
| Larix decidua 3 | European larch | 3-10 | FACU | Medium | 5.0-6.8 |
| Larix laricina 1 | Tamarack | 3-10 | FACW | Medium | 5.5-6.5 |
| Maackia amurensis 2 | Amur maackia | 4-9 | 4.0-8.0 | ||
| Malus spp. 2 | Crabapple spp. | 3-8 | FACU | Medium | 5.0-7.5 |
| Ostrya virginiana 2 | American hophornbeam, ironwood | 4-10 | FACU | Low | 4.2-7.6 |
| Phellodendron amurense 2 | Amur corktree | 2-11 | FAC | 4.5-6.5 | |
| Populus grandidentata Michx. 2 | Bigtooth aspen | 4-10 | FACU | High | 4.8-7.2 |
| Populus deltoides 1,2 | Eastern cottonwood | 1-12 | FAC | High | 4.6-6.5 |
| Populus tremuloides 1,1 | Quaking aspen | 4-10 | FAC | High | 4.3-9.0 |
| Prunus sargentii 2 | Sargent cherry | 4-7 | FACU | Medium | 5.5-8.5 |
| Prunus virginiana 2 | Chokecherry | 4.9 | FACU | Medium | 5.2-8.4 |
| Pyrus fauriei 'Westwood' 2 | Korean SunTM pear | 3-11 | 8.2 | ||
| Pyrus ussuriensis 2 | Ussurian pear, Chinese pear | 3-11 | Medium | 5.5-7.5 | |
| Quercus bicolor 2 | Swamp white oak | 2-11 | FACW | High | 4.3-6.5 |
| Quercus macropcarpa 2 | Bur oak | 2-12 | FAC | Medium | 4.5-7.5 |
| Quercus rubra 2 | Red oak | 4-11 | FACU | Medium | 4.3-7.3 |
| Robinia pseudoacacia 2 | Black locust, false acacia, robinia | 3-12 | FACU | Medium | 4.6-8.2 |
| Salix nigra 1 | Black willow | 1-6 | OBL | High | 4.8-8.0 |
| Salix babylonica | Weeping or Babylon willow | 3-10 | FACW | High | 4.5-8.0 |
| Sorbus americana 3 | American mountainash | 4-9 | FAC | Medium | 5.3-6.8 |
| Sorbus alnifolia 2 | Korean mountainash | 4-9 | 5.0-8.0 | ||
| Sorbus x hybrida, Sorbus x thuringiaca 2 | Oak-leaf mountainash | 4-9 | 5.0-8.0 | ||
| Syringa reticulata 2 | Japanese tree lilac | 4-11 | 8.2d</t> | ||
| Taxodium distichum 2 | Common baldcypress | 1-10 | OBL | High | 4.5-6.0 |
| Tilia americana 2 | Basswood | 3-9 | FACU | Medium | 4.5-7.5 |
| Tilia cordata 2 | Littleleaf linden | 4-9 | Medium | 4.8-7.2 | |
| Tilia x euchlora 2 | Crimean linden, Caucasian lime | 4-9 | 8.2 | ||
| Ulmus x species 2 | Elm hybrids | 2-11 | 5.8-8.0 | ||
| 1 Shaw, D. and R. Schmidt. 2024. Plants for Stormwater Design Selection for the Upper Midwest. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) 2 Bassuk, N. et al. 2009. Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance. Urban Horticulture Institute, Dept of Horticulture, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 3 USDA Plants Database 4 Dirr, M.. 1998. Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 5th Ed.. Timber Press, Inc. Portland, OR. 5 Range is from 1 (saturated soils) to 12 (droughty soils) 6 OBL=obligate wetland, FACW=facultative wetland, FAC=faculative (upland or wetland), FACU=facultative upland, UPL=obligate upland |
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