Spring? A Great Time to Plant a Tree

Joanne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer

"I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree."

These opening lines of the classic poem "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer perfectly express the love that gardeners have for trees in our gardens. The winter silhouettes of deciduous trees, the early spring flowers of dogwoods and cherries, the gorgeous oranges, reds, and yellows of fall leaves all add to the beauty of our landscapes.

Early spring is an ideal time to add this beauty to your landscape. Planting trees in cooler temperatures when they are dormant allows the roots to settle in before the stress of summer heat and humidity takes hold.

Trees benefit the environment in many ways. Their beauty enhances the appearance of gardens and neighborhoods making them inviting places to live and visit. Studies have shown that time spent outdoors reduces stress and enhances mental well-being.

In addition, trees add so much value to your property and the environment by providing cooling shade in the summer, screening for privacy, nesting sites for birds, food for pollinators and wildlife, wind protection, removal of air pollutants, improvement of soil health, and storm water filtration.

Native trees are particularly valuable landscape additions as they evolved over thousands of years adapting to the local environment without human manipulation. That has acclimated them to local climates, soils, and other environmental factors. As such, they are vital to a healthy ecosystem supporting pollinators, birds, insects, birds, and mammals.

The following are some native trees to add to your landscape.

Redbuds have nitrogen-fixing properties that enrich garden soils. Red Bud, Cercis canadensis, Jim Robbins, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

The Fringe Tree's scaly bark adds winter interest to the garden. Fringe Tree, Chionanthus virginicus, Jim Robbins, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Redbud, Cercis canadensis, is flowering now in eastern NC. It's a slow-growing tree reaching from 15 to 30 feet high. It grows best in full sun to partial shade in moist soil. Reddish-purple flowers appear along the branches ahead of the leaves. It's a favorite of native bees and other pollinators. It's a host plant for 12 species of the butterflies and moths, including Henry's Elfin Butterfly (Callophrys henrici) and the Redbud Leaffolder Moth (Fasciata cercerisella).

Fringe Tree, Chionanthus virginicus, is a deciduous tree growing 12 to 20 feet tall forming a wide multi-stemmed shape. It grows in average, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Its fragrant, creamy white flowers bloom in late spring. Its blue-black fruits provide nutrition for birds and wildlife.

Eastern Red Cedar has the best drought resistance of any conifer native to the eastern U.S. Eastern Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana, Nicholas A. Tonelli, CC BY 2.0

Carolina Silverbell makes a pretty combination with azaleas in the spring garden. Carolina Silverbell, Halesia Carolina, Jim Robbins, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Eastern Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana, is an evergreen in the cypress family. This juniper tolerates a wide variety of soils growing up to 30 to 40 feet tall with a width of 10 to 20 feet. Although viewed as weedy by some gardeners, it's a tough, dependable salt-tolerant tree. The small, round blue cones ("juniper berries") of the female tree are favored by cedar waxwings. For the Juniper hairstreak and the Imperial moth, it's a host plant for their moth larvae.

Carolina Silverbell, Halesia carolina, grows best in moist soil in partial shade as heat and drought stress it. In summer, it will need additional watering. Its height varies from 10 to 40 feet tall, but it frequently grows in a multi-stemmed shrubby form. Its white bell-shaped flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.

Sweet Bay Magnolia, Magnolia virginiana - This magnolia does best in full sun to partial shade and tolerates wet soil. It holds its leaves much of the year, except in colder climates. Its beautiful fragrant creamy white blooms are 2 to 3 inches in diameter. They open in the afternoon and close at night for 2 to 3 days.ˇThe flowers attract pollinators, and its red seeds are food for wildlife.

Colonists called the Sweet Bay Magnolia the "Beaver Tree" because its fleshy roots were used as bait in beaver traps. Sweet Bay Magnolia, Magnolia virginiana, Jim Robbins, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

For more information on planting trees and on native plants, go to the following links:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/11-woody-ornamentals
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/12-native-plants
https://gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/gardening-plants/trees-3/
https://ncwf.org/habitat/native-pollinator-plants/trees/