A commercial facility or municipality would be pretty bland if it was just a vast expanse of concrete or lawn.
As an office park, you want to provide places for employees to relax in shade. For a retail center, you want to create a welcoming environment for shopping. For a healthcare facility, you want healing gardens and safe passage for patients and hospital staff. For HOAs and municipalities, you want to create an aesthetically pleasing space that gives people a sense of community.
Trees and shrubs can do quite a bit to enhance the appearance and positive attributes of commercial properties and communities. And along with some amazing color and visual appeal, they also bring oxygen, shade, soil management, noise reduction, privacy, wildlife habitats, and other perks with them.
But choosing which trees may suit your site best could pose a challenge. Not only are there so many options available to choose from, you should also know which conditions are best to match the right tree to the right location to ensure it thrives. And when you pick the tree species, you also want to be able to get it quickly without suffering any supply chain setbacks or delays.
If you’re looking for a great tree to plant this fall, check out these 5 varieties – all available at the Davey Nursery. They’re great performers and can help you check this task off your to-do list and have the confidence of knowing you made a great choice.
#1. & #2. Princeton and Frontier Elms
Missing elm trees after Dutch elm disease attacked your beloved American elms?
Now there are a few Dutch elm disease-resistant elm trees that can bring you the many benefits of elms without the worry of this devastating disease.
The Princeton and Frontier elms are great choices for all kinds of site conditions in urban and suburban locations. The Princeton elm does best in USDA zones 3 to 9, while the Frontier elm works well in USDA zones 4 to 10.
Featuring a stately vase shape with an overhead arch reminiscent of the classic American elm without the disease threat, the drought-resistant Princeton elm reaches a height of 50- to 70-feet and has a 30- to 50-foot spread. Its leaves turn a classic shade of yellow in the fall.
While most elms greet autumn with golden color, the Frontier elm displays shades of red and purple, making it a great option for cities that want streetscapes with more moderate 25- to 40-foot trees that offer a little something different. The shape of this tree is also a bit narrower than the Princeton elm, making it a good option for areas with space limitations.
#3. Exclamation London Plane
Looking for a golden autumn glow? Then the large, thick leaves of the Exclamation London plane tree that turn a radiant shade of yellow in the fall along with beautiful peeling bark can bring quite a glow to your city street, retail center or office park.
This tree with its classic, pyramidal crown can reach a 60-foot height and 45-foot spread in full sun and rich, well-drained soil in USDA zones 4 to 8. Resistant to anthracnose and frost cracking, the Exclamation London plane tree also tolerates city smog and pollution quite well.
#4. Swamp White Oak
If you have a wide range of soil conditions on your commercial property, the swamp white oak can tolerate most of them, making it an easy choice for tough locations that other, more finicky trees can’t handle.
A native species to the U.S., the swamp white oak requires less maintenance than non-natives and grows well in full to partial sun in USDA zones 4 to 8 and handles transplanting extremely well.
If you’re looking for a shade or street tree, the swamp white oak’s moderate growth pace and 300-year lifespan will give your landscape long-term enjoyment. This tree can reach 50- to 60-feet in height with a 50- to 60-foot spread.
In fall, its dark green, leathery-textured leaves turn shades of gold, bronze and reddish-plum.
#5. Espresso Kentucky Coffee Tree
When you want something that’s as rugged at it is picturesque, try the Espresso Kentucky coffee tree.
It’s tropical-looking leaves provide the perfect amount of filtered shade that can help fill in large areas with its impressive 60- to 75-foot height and 40- to 50-foot width.
Offering a better branching habit than the straight species version, this tree matures into a vase-like shape full of forest green foliage. In fall, the large leaves turn a brilliant gold that contrasts the rough dark bark.
Plus, since it’s a seedless variety, you also never have to worry about seed pods clogging up sewers or causing tripping or slipping hazards.
Eager to get your fall planting done? Let Davey Nursery help you choose the right species for your needs. We offer a wide inventory full of possibilities, and all these featured trees are available to plant right now.
