Ash Alternatives

Catalpa

Catalpa is one of our native greats with beautiful blooms in late May and usually large leaves that give the trees a tropical look. There’s nothing tender about this tree as it grows in a wide range of soil conditions. Look around any neighborhood built in the early 20th century, and you’ll spot this tree enduring over the decades. Northern Catalpa is the kind most commonly found, but two other selections are available. Purple Catalpa emerges purple and turns green in the summer heat. Farges is a smaller tree so perhaps a better choice for small lots. Both have the same durability, foliage and flowers that we love about catalpa.

Kentucky Coffeetree

Kentucky Coffeetree is another native tree that thrives in Nebraska soils, heat and bitter cold. The sculptural display of the winter form is a feature we value, and the fact that there are very few (if any) insect or disease problems that impact Kentucky Coffeetree. The fall color is golden yellow, and homeowners appreciate that the leaves fall within a short period of time making fall raking an easier task. The selection named Decaf exhibits much greater branching than trees found in nature. This native cultivar consistently produces buds and branches from new growth leading to a much more desirable, well branched tree at a young age. New growth is finer textured in branches, twigs and leaflets and emerging leaflets show a caramel coloration into early summer. Decaf™ produces only male flowers and has not shown the tendency to fruit.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo is said to be the trees from the age of dinosaurs, a living fossil, and we know it seems to have outlived any pests or diseases as few are known. It is highly adapted to urban sites, although not a fast growing tree. Windover is a selection that roots faster and develop better branching structure sooner than other selections. Princeton Sentry is a more narrow selection making it a good choice for street tree plantings. Both are male cultivars so no problem with the stinky fruit found on female trees.

Honeylocust

Honeylocust is a Nebraska native tree of moderate size and maximum durability. The selection Street Keeper has a more upright form making it an ideal street tree or small property planting.

Goldenrain Tree

Goldenrain Tree is a mid-size ornamental tree that bursts into a beautiful yellow bloom in the middle of summer when we least expect trees to be blooming. Lincoln’s best recognized planting of Goldenrain Tree is in the median of Capitol Parkway between 27th & 33rd Streets.

American Hophornbeam

American Hophornbeam or Ironwood or Ostrya is a small native trees that grows well in both full sun and part shade, making it a good understory tree for a landscape in transition. You can plant get a early start by planting this trees in the shade of large ash trees. The hop-like seed clusters add interest late in the growing season, and the fall color is typically golden yellow.

Exclamation London Planetree

London Planetree, a hybrid cross that includes our native American sycamore as one of its parents, shows the peeling white bark of its American parent. But unlike the American parent, it is smaller in stature and doesn’t have the problems of Anthracnose that often defoliates American Sycamore. Easy to grow in a wide range of soil types, London Planetree grows best in full sun, but tolerates part shade.

Bald Cypress

Bald Cypress is native to wetlands of southeastern United States but shows great adaptability to oxygen-deprived urban soils. The tolerance of wet and dry soils make it a good choice for most landscape, and it is a relatively fast growing tree. The russet brown fall color make a nice display just before all the leaves drop for the winter. Great specimens of Bald Cypress can be found on UNL East Campus near CY Thompson Library.

Green Vase Zelkova

Green Vase Zelkova is a close relative of elms and shows the same durability and fast rate of growth without the susceptibility to Dutch Elm Disease. Green Vase has a more narrow form. We love the fall color mix of orange, red and yellow.

Linden

Linden comes in many forms and all are durable trees with good rates of growth. The nickname “honey bee’s delight” is a tribute to the wonderfully fragrant bloom that occurs in late spring.

Greenspire is a Little-leaf Linden (T. cordata) that is smaller than the species and has a strong central leader. American Sentry is an American Linden (T. americana) known for its symmetrical form. Sterling Silver, a selection of Silver Linden (T. tomentosa), has a silver underside to the leaves and better tolerance of heat and drought.

Royal Frost Birch

Royal Frost Birch has beautiful burgundy-red foliage that turns a radiant orange-yellow in the fall. It tolerates wetter soil conditions as often found in irrigated lawn or low points in the landscape. Because it tolerates both full sun and part shade, this birch is good for transitioning in the shade of a large ash tree.

Elm

Elm trees bring back great memories of the classic tree that lined our streets in the 20th century until being devastated by Dutch Elm Disease. Plant breeders have been working for decades to find resistance to this disease, and so the classic beauty can return to our streets. Frontier Elm is a smaller scale trees that is a fast grower with fantastic burgundy fall color. New Horizon is compact, upright and fast growing in addition to the resistance to Dutch Elm Disease and many insects that can be troublesome to elms.

Maple

Maples are perhaps over planted in our urban landscape so we suggest trying ones that aren’t so common. Shantung Maple is a well adapted small understory tree that grows at a good pace. It tends to have a loose form, as perfect in the more naturalistic setting. The tremendous fall color mix of orange, red and yellow is hands down the reason to plant this small tree. Trident Maple is another more unusual small maple that grows at a slower rate, both in sunny as well as part sun settings. We see good burgundy fall color in full sun settings, perhaps variable in less than full sun.

Sweet Gum

Sweet Gum is not widely planted in Nebraska, but can be a unique addition to the landscape because of its unusual leaf shape and gumball fruit. The fall color is a spectacular mix of orange, red and purple. Plant where the gumball fruit isn’t a nuisance, and you’ll enjoy the uniqueness of another large tree in your landscape.
Slender Silhouette is a skinny version of Sweet Gum that is perfect for a planted screen in small spaces.
Moraine is a fast growing form that has a more upright form and is considered more cold hardy than the species.

Frans Fontaine Hornbeam

Frans Fontaine Hornbeam is a narrow form of European Beech and has shown good adaptability in Eastern Nebraska. Beautifully textured leaves, strong upright growth and golden fall color make this plant one of our favorites for tight sites.

Hackberry

Hackberry is a native tree throughout much of the United States and can often be taken for granted, but its widespread adaptability reinforces the importance of using in our urban landscape. It tolerates poor soils, wet or dry, as well as the pollutants often found on our streets. The inconspicuous flowers are great for pollinators, and the seeds are good for birds and wildlife. It grows, it provides, it make a great tree for the sustainable landscape.

Oak

Oak trees are a diverse group of trees that range in size, form, leaf shape and fall color. Be sure to consider all the possibilities by reading our Oaks Galore website post.