Best Picks for Shade Trees

Jerry Goodspeed, horticulturist with the Utah State University Extension offers his favorite, less common, trees for Northern, and Southern Utah.

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My favorite less common trees for Northern Utah:

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

• Medium growth rate

• Great fall color

• Adaptable to many soils

• Few pests

• Does better with good drainage

• Large mature tree

Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

• Deciduous conifer

• Drops its needle in fall

• Great fall color

• Nice spring growth

• Tall tree

• Few pests

• Very unique

Goldenrain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata)

• Medium sized tree {#Goldenrain }

• Yellow flowers in the summer

• Brown to purple seed pods in the fall

• A little messy, but not bad

• Few pests

A tree that grows well in both Northern and Southern Utah:

Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’)

• Nice blue color

• Unique shape

• Few pests

• Nice specimen tree

• 60 + feet tall

More favorites for Southern Utah:

Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis)

• Good large shade tree

• Nice fall color

• Interesting Bark

Lace Bark Elm (Ulmus parvifolia)

• Good medium to large shade tree

• Nice elm

• Wonderful bark

• Good fall color

Bonus Tree (If you can find it):

American Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)

• Fragrant white spring flowers in clusters

• Medium tree

• Seed pods

• Does not flower every year

• Vase shape

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