Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Now is a good time to examine your landscape trees and shrubs to determine which ones may need replacing in the near future. When planting trees next spring, it’s a good idea to keep Nebraska’s weather conditions in mind when deciding what to plant. 

Take a look around the yard or visit one of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum’s 65 locations to see what trees, shrubs and perennials have done well in Nebraska. For a complete listing of Nebraska Statewide Arboretum site locations, visit www.arboretum.unl.edu

It’s important to choose hearty, drought-tolerant species to survive the varying Nebraska weather conditions. Species native to Nebraska are some of the best for tolerating these conditions.  Selecting drought-tolerant species also is beneficial to the environment because water is conserved.

Numerous drought-tolerant trees and shrubs are available for planting. One of the most popular large shade trees that can withstand varying conditions is the Kentucky coffeetree. Other drought-tolerant trees include the Ohio buckeye, Freeman maple, American linden, hackberry, juniper and many oak and pine varieties. These trees will require minimal care once they are established.

Shrubs that will thrive despite drought conditions include shrub roses, gro-low sumacs, black chokecherries, cotoneasters, gray dogwood, common witch hazel and several others on the recommend list of species for conservation plantings in Nebraska.

Also, ornamental grasses and goldenrods are suitable drought-tolerant plants.Fall is a good time to plant trees and shrubs and, depending on the weather, they may be planted well into November. Fall planting allows for the development of a strong root system, as opposed to spring planting, where the energy goes to developing leaves and flowers.