Download Three trees for Colorado Springs - CSU Extension in El Paso County

Year Round Gardening
Fredricka Bogardus, Colorado Master Gardener
Three trees for Colorado Springs
Finding tree species that will do well in compacted clay soil can be a challenge. If you have
alkaline soils it further complicates tree selection. You can and should improve the soil in the
immediate planting area, but species selection is critical to long term success of city trees.
This article will suggest three trees which should do well in Colorado Springs. These are trees
that are more tolerant of compacted or alkaline soils that are so common here.
Hawthorn trees (Crataegus sp.)
Hawthorns are small trees (species range from shrubs to trees which can reach about 40’). Some
varieties have nasty thorns, others have few if any thorns. As members of the Rosaceae family they
bloom in late spring, and develop a pomme type fruit (similar to a crabapple or rose hip) in late
summer. The fruit is attractive to wildlife and edible by humans. The trees have a dense, twisted
branch habit which makes the tree shape interesting year round. Hawthorns will tolerate clay soil, and
a wide range of soil pH. They are very cold hardy and drought tolerant once established. Some good
varieties might be the Russian hawthorn (Crataegus ambigua), Cockspur Hawthorn (Crataegus crusgalli) and the Toba Hawthorn (Crataegus x mordenensis ‘Toba’). These trees might be a good
alternative to flowering crabapple trees.
Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
Ohio buckeye trees also known as horse chestnut trees are a mediums size tree, mature height can
reach 50’ to 80’. They are a good choice for street shade trees. Since they
can be as wide as they are tall, be sure to give them lots of room. The leaves
are opposite, palmate, compound shaped with 5 leaflets on each leaf. Yellow
flowers on panicles appear in the spring, followed by a nut like fruit. The nuts
are not edible for humans or livestock due to high tannic acid content. While
these trees prefer moist well drained soil, they tolerate alkaline soils. They are
susceptible to leaf scorch during hot dry periods, so regular watering is
important for these trees especially if they are in full sun. This tree might be a
good alternative to a maple tree if you have alkaline soils.
Weeping White Spruce (Picea glauca “pendula”)
While the standard form of Colorado blue spruce, may grow too large for a small city lot there are
some cultivars which do not grow as tall or fat as the standard spruce. “Pendula” is a cultivar which
grows to about 25 feet, is tolerant of many soil types and even alkaline soils. Because of it has a
weeping growth habit, the branches are held close to the trunk limiting the width of the tree to a spireColorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and El Paso County Extension Programs
are available to all without discrimination
like appearance. It requires moderate water. It is a good specimen tree that will add evergreen color
to your landscape without becoming so large that it dwarfs your residence.
When you have questions, Colorado State University Extension has research based answers
Get answers to your horticulture questions by calling a Master Gardener Volunteer at 520-7684
or emailing [email protected]. Volunteers are available to help you Monday through
Friday from 9:00 to noon. For current garden tips
visit https://www.facebook.com/ColoradoMasterGardeners.EPC.
Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and El Paso County Extension Programs
are available to all without discrimination