Forestry

Protecting Arkansas’s forests, and those who enjoy them, from wildland fire and natural hazards while promoting rural and urban forest health, stewardship, development, and conservation for all generations of Arkansans

Tree Recommendations

Small Trees: Approximately 10-30 feet tall at maturity

Common  Name  Botanical  Name Comments
 Serviceberry Amelanchier  arborea Height  15-25', white spring flowers,  light shade
 Possum haw Ilex  decidua Height  20', bright red berries
 Yaupon holly Ilex  vomitoria Height  20', evergreen
 Eastern redbud Cercis  canadensis Height  30', pink spring flowers
 Goldenrain tree Koelreuteria  paniculata Height  30', yellow summer flowers
 Trident maple  Acer  tataricum Height  20', fall color
  Hawthorn Crataegus  sp. Height  15-30', select thornless  varities
 Dogwood Cornus  florida Height  15', spring flowers, requires  shade

Medium Trees: Approximately 30-50 feet tall at maturity

Common NameBotanical NameComments
Thornless honeylocustGleditsia triacanthos var. inermisHeight 45', small leaf litter, best suited NW Arkansas
 American            hornbeamOstrya virginianaHeight 40'
 Littleleaf lindenTilia cordata Height 45', best suited NW Arkansas
Chinese/Lacebark  elmUlmus parvifolia (Allee, Athena)Height 40', tolerant of poor conditions
 ZelkovaZelkova serrata (Green Vase, Village Green,'Musashino')Height 35- 45', Vase shaped
 Sugar mapleAcer saccharum 'Newton Sentry'Height 35', Best suited for NW Arkansas
 OakQuercus x Crimson Spire/Regal Prince/ 'Streetspire'/'Skinny Genes'/Kindred SpiritHeight 45', narrow or columnar trees
 PondcypressTaxodium ascendens 'Prairie Sentinel'Height 45', narrow or columnar tree
 River birchBetula nigra Heritage/ Dura-HeatHeight 40', beautiful exfoliating bark when young
  BirchBetula x Royal FrostHeight 40'. white bark when young; purple leaves
  Red cedarJuniperus virginianaHeight 50', huge leaves, long pods
 PersimmonDiospyros virginianaHeight 50', pale orange fruit sweeten after frost, almost black bark, good fall color
 SassafrasSassafras albidumHeight 50', all parts aromatic, lobed leaves are yellow-orange in fall, blue berries
 Carolina  silverbellHalesia carolinaHeight 40', outstanding white, bell shaped flowers in spring, bark is showey in winter
 Smoke tree Cotinus obovatusHeight 40', stringy reddish flowers look like tufts of smoke, bright red to orange fall color
 YellowwoodCladrastis kentukeaHeight 50', large flowers hang in showy clusters in spring
 Paw pawAsimina trilobaHeight 40', fruit for wildlife
 Chinese pistachePistacia chinensisHeight 35', drought tolerant, fall color
 American hollyIlex opacaHeight 35', evergreen, red berries
 BlackgumNyssa sylvaticaHeight 50', fall color, fruit for birds

Large Trees: Approximately 50-100 feet tall at maturity

 Common NameBotanical NameComments
 Ginkgo Ginkgo bilobaHeight 50+', pollution tolerant
American  sycamore Platanus occidentalis  Height up to 100', fast growing,           showy bark, tolerant of wet soil
 Baldcypress  Tacodium distichum  Height 70', tolerant of drought and       wet soil
 Dawn redwood Metasequoia glyptostrobidies Height 70', drought tolerant
 Kentucky  coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus Height 75', drought and pollution        tolerant
 Northern red  oak Quercus rubrumHeight 75', pollution and compacted soils tolerant, acorns for wildlife
 Southern  magnolia  Magnolia grandiflora Height 80', evergreen, large white     flowers, small cultivars available
 Tuliptree Lirodendron tulipiferaHeight 90', fast-growing, yellow flowers
 Willow oak Quercus phellos Height 60', tolerates poorly-drained  soils, acorns for wildlife
 Shumard oak Quercus shumardii Height 60', fall color, acorns for  wildlife, best oak for fall color
 Mockernut  hickory Carya tomentosa Height 80', nuts for wildlife, fall color
 Shortleaf pine Pinus echinata Height up to 100', evergreen
 White oakQuercus alba Height 100', acorns for wildlife
 CatalpaCatalpa speciosa Height 60', large white flower  clusters in spring, huge leaves, long pods
 SweetgumLiquidambar styracifluaHeight 80', good fall color, ball-shaped pods litter the ground, ask   for sterile cultivars
 HackberryCeltis occidentalis Height 60', good for difficult sites,  leaves disintegrate in fall
 Bitternut hickoryCarya cordiformis Height 70', leaf buds are yellow,  bright yellow fall color, bitter nuts are not favored by wildlife
 Shagbark  hickoryCarya ovata Height 80', gray, shaggy, lined  patches of bark cover the trunk of  older trees, large leaves, good fall  color
 Linden  (Basswood)Tilia americana Height 80', a relative of Little Leaf  Linden, prefers sun and is heat  tolerant
 Black locustRobinia pseudoacacia Height 80' fragrant, showy flowers in spring
 Cucumber  magnoliaMagnoila acuminata Height 70', large greenish  flowers,green finger-sized fruits, turn purple-red as they mature
 Sugar mapleAcer saccarum Height 70', great fall color, a good  shade tree for large lawn
 Bur oakQuercus macrocarpa Height 80', largest acorn of  Arkansas native oaks (up to 2 " in  diameter
 Cherrybark oakQuercus falcata var. pagodifolia Height 80', good form, red fall color, attractive bark
 PecanCarya illinoensis Height 80', graceful trunk lines, good for shade
 Loblolly pinePinus taeda Height 90', blue green needles,
 Black walnutJuglans nigra Height  70', broadly branching, good shade tree, long narrow leaves, valuable nuts

Bradford Pear Replacement Trees (25 KB)