East Polk SWCD Tree List
Shrubs and Small Trees
Redosier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)
Mature Spread: 10-15ft
Mature Height: 7-10ft
Full sun to partial shade
Grows best in moist to somewhat wet loams
Fast growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover
Juneberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)
Mature Spread: 5-12ft
Mature Height: 6-15ft
Loam to sandy loam soil high in organic matter
Full sun to partial shade
Limited to drought tolerance, does not withstand ponding
Slow growth rate
Edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover
Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Mature Spread: 6-12ft
Mature Height: 8-12ft
Adapted to a wide variety of soils
Full Sun
Drought tolerant
Medium growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Nesting
Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)
Mature Spread: 8-12ft
Mature Height: 10-14ft
Adapted to a variety of soils
Full sun to partial shade
Limited to drought tolerance
Medium growth rate
Edible fruit
Wildlife:Food/Cover
American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)
Mature Spread: 10-12ft
Mature Height:15-18ft
Moist, rich, well drained soils
Full sun to partial shade
Drought tolerant
Slow to medium growth rate
Edible Fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover/Nesting
Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum)
Mature Spread: 8-12ft
Mature Height: 8-12ft
Prefers fertile to loamy soils
Partial shade to full sun
Does best on well-drained sites with moisture
Medium growth rate
Edible fruit
Wildlife: Fruit eaten by birds
Elderberry (Sambucas canadensis)
Mature Spread: 4-8ft
Mature Height: 4-12ft
Moist,well-drained, slightly acid soils
Full Sun
May not withstand periods of extended drought
Slow to medium growth rate
Edible fruit: blue/purple berries
Wildlife: Food/Cover/Nesting
Nanking Cherry (Prunus tomentosa)
Mature Spread: 6-10ft
Mature Height:6-10ft
Does best in loamy soils
Full sun
Tolerates considerable wind and dryness
Fast growth rate
Edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Nesting
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Mature Spread: 10-20ft
Mature Height:12-15ft
Performs well on a variety of soils
Full sun, moderately shade tolerant
Moderate drought tolerance
Medium growth rate
Edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover
Black Chokeberry (Aronia Melanocarpa)
Mature Spread: 4-6ft
Mature Height:3-6ft
Moist to wet Soils; bogs, swamps, open shrubby wetlands and forest openings
Part Sun / Shaded - Tolerates Full Sun
low drought tolerance
Moderate-Slow growth rate
Edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover
Sand Cherry (Prunus Pumila)
Mature Spread: 4-6ftft
Mature Height:1-6ft
Dry, sandy or rocky soil; prairie, savanna, dunes
Full sun, moderately shade-tolerant
Drought tolerant
Fast growth rate
Edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover
Medium Trees
Red Splendor Crabapple (Malus 'Red Splendor')
Mature Spread: 10-30ft
Mature Height: 20-30ft
Highly adaptable to heavy loams
Full sun
Moderate drought tolerance
Medium growth rate
Edible Fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover
Siberian Crabapple (Malus bacata)
Mature Spread: 15-25ft
Mature Height:15-25ft
Variety of soils, prefers a heavy loam soil
Full Sun
Needs well-drained soils, moist soils
Medium growth rate
Edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover
American Plum (Prunus americana)
Mature Spread:8-10ft
Mature Height: 8-10ft
Adapted to a variety of soils
Full sun to partial shade
Fair to good drought tolerance
Medium growth rate
Edilbe fruit
Wildlife: Nesting/Cover/Food
Flame Willow (Salix flame)
Mature Spread: 10-20 ft
Mature Height: 15-20ft
Performs well on a variety of soils
Full sun to light shade
Ample water to moist soil
Fast growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Nesting/Cover
Golden Willow (Salix alba 'Vitellina')
Mature Spread: 40-55ft
Mature Height: 40-55ft
Deep, moist loams
Full sun to partial shade
Flood tolerant, drought tolerant
Medium growth rate
Wildlife: Cover/Food
Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Mature Spread: 20-30ft
Mature Height: 35-60 ft
Good firebreaks
Tolerates most soil conditions
Shade intolerant
Fast growth rate
Wildlife: Cover/Food
Large Trees
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Mature Spread: 40-60ft
Mature Height: 40-60ft
Variety of soils except those with a very high pH
Partial shade to full sun
Wet, moist or dry
Medium to fast growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Nesting
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Mature Spread: 60-80ft
Mature Height: 70-90ft
Adapted to a wide variety of soils
Shade tolerant
Less drought tolerant
Medium to slow growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Nesting
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
Mature Spread: 30-50ft
Mature Height: 40-65ft
Performs poorly on tight clay soils
Full Sun
Susceptibility to drought
Fast growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Mature Spread: 35-60ft
Mature Height: 40-70ft
Performs well on a variety of soils, best in fertile loam
Full sun, moderately shade tolerant
Slow growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover/Nesting
Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Mature Spread:45ft
Mature Height: 60-75ft
Acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained and clay soils
Full sun, at least 6 hours of direct sunlight
Normal moisture, some drought tolerance
Fast to moderate growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover/Nesting
American Linden (Tilia americana)
Mature Spread: 30-50ft
Mature Height: 50-70ft
Deep, fertile well-drained loam and clay soils
Full sun, will tolerate shade
Drought intolerant, food-plain tree
Medium growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Shelter
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Mature Spread: 35-50ft
Mature Height: 50-75ft
Grows best on moist alluvial soils
Full sun to partial sun
Fast growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover/Nesting
Norway Poplar (Populus deltoides (Siouxland)
Mature Spread: 30-40 ft
Mature Height: 70-90 ft
Sandy loam to clay
Dry, moist and wet soil
Full sun
Fast growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Cover/Nesting
Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
Mature Spread: 20-40 ft
Mature Height: 30-55ft
Loamy or sandy soils along rivers, lakes, or ravines
Full sun
Well drained, moist sites, does not tolerate drought
Medium growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Food
Eastern Cottonwood (Populas deltoides)
Mature Spread: 40-75ft
Mature Height: 50-100ft
Loams to sands are more favorable
Full Sun
Moist site, tolerates drought
Fast growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Nesting/Cover
Conifers
White Spruce (Picea glauca)
Mature Spread: 10-20ft
Mature Height: 40-60ft
Tolerates most soil conditions
Full sun
Drought tolerant
Moderate growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Nesting/Cover
Black Hills Spruce (Picea glauca var. densata)
Mature Spread:15-25ft
Mature Height:30-60ft
Grows best in moist loams soils
Full Sun
Fairly drought resistent
Medium growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Nesting/Winter Cover
Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens glauca)
Mature Spread: 20-35 ft
Mature Height: 70-100 ft
Cultivated on a wide variety of soils, except those that are very moist
Sandy loam to clay
Partial to full sun
Medium growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Cover
Norway Spruce (Picea Abies)
Mature Spread: 25-30 ft
Mature Height: 40-60 ft (Can be 100+ ft)
Cultivated on a wide variety of soils, Prefers those that are moist; Sandy loam to clay
Lower drought tolerance
Partial to full sun
Medium growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Cover
Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana)
Mature Spread: 20-35 ft
Mature Height: 50-65 ft
Prefers dry to moist soil conditions
Sandy loam to sand
Full Sun
Fast growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Cover
Red Pine (pinus resinosa)
Mature Spread: 15-30ft
Mature Height: 50-80ft
Prefers dry, sandy,infertile soils
Full Sun. Tolerates shade only in youth
Drought tolerant
Moderate growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover/Nesting
White Pine (Pinus Strobus)
Mature Spread: 50-60ft
Mature Height: 50-80ft
Prefers dry, sandy,infertile soils
Full Sun. Tolerates Light Shade
Tolerant of Moderate Drought
Moderate growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover/Nesting
Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)
Mature Spread: 20-30ft
Mature Height: 50-75ft
Grows in silt loams to stony loams
Prefers wet soils
Full-partial sun
Slow growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Cover
Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
Mature Spread: 10-20ft
Mature Height: 15-40 ft
Deep moist loam and boggy soils
Partial to full sun
May not withstand periods of drought
Slow growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Food/Cover/Nesting
Techny Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
Mature Spread: 6-20 ft
Mature Height: 15-25 ft
Sandy loam to clay soils
Prefers moist to wet soils
Partial to full sun
Medium growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Cover
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virinian)
Mature Spread: 12-15 ft
Mature Height: 25-35 ft
Gravelly soil and rocky ledges
Prefers dry or well-draining soils
Full sun | Shade Tolerant
Medium growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Cover
Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopolorum)
Mature Spread: 6-8 ft
Mature Height: 4-20 ft
Sandy to clay soils
Can grow in all soil moistures
Full sun
Slow growth rate
Non-edible fruit
Wildlife: Cover