Utility Trees

Scientific Name: Prunus serrulata ‘Amanogawa’
Size: 20′ X 6′
Drought Tolerance: Average
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Orange-Red
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Scientific Name: Maackia amurense
Size: 20′ X 25′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Red
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Slow

Comments:
The Amur Mackia is a little known tree here in Utah. It is a very slow growing but beautiful tree. It has white flowers in the summer when few other trees are in bloom and small brown seed pods in the autumn. It will tolerate the toughest conditions, including our alkaline soils. An added benefit is that the roots will fix nitrogen in the soil like legumes.

Scientific Name: Ameianchier X grandiflora
Size: 20′ X 15′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: Yes
Fall Color: Orange-Red
Edible Fruit: Yes
Growth Rate: Slow

Comments:
The Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry is a tree that is native to Utah. It is shrub that has beautiful white flowers in the spring, fantastic fall color and edible fruit. It is very drought tolerant and does very well in our soils.

Scientific Name: Picea pungens ‘Baby Blue Eyes’
Size: 20′ X 10′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Blue
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Slow

Comments:
As with most conifers, the branches on the Baby Blue Eyes Spruce need to start at ground level. This helps protect the trunk from sun scald. It is a tough, narrow, drought tolerant tree. This tree is prone to blowing over in wind storms if it is put in the lawn and watered shallowly and often, and not allowed to grow deep roots. It is not salt tolerant.

Scientific Name: Acer grandidentatum
Size: 20′ X 20′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: Yes
Fall Color: Orange-Red
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The Big Tooth Maple has the best color of our Utah native trees. It is very drought tolerant and does very well in our area.

Scientific Name: Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’
Size: 20′ X 18'
Drought Tolerance: Average
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Yellow
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderately

Comments:
The Camperdown Elm is a gorgeous, weeping tree. It is susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease, but is otherwise hardy. It needs moderate watering in the summer.

Scientific Name: Malus floribunda
Size: 15′ X 20′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Yellow
Edible Fruit: Yes
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
There are many colors and varieties of crabapple. Look for persistent fruit to avoid the mess of fallen fruit. These trees are tolerant of many different soil conditions.

Scientific Name: Malus sp ‘Prairiefire’
Size: 15′ X 15′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Yellow
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The fruit of the Prairiefire Crabapple is persistent which means the fruit hangs on the tree until the birds eat it or it shrivels and falls off. It does not cause a mess. It has the darkest pink flower color of all the crabapples.

Scientific Name: Malus ‘Sargentina’
Size: 6′ X 6′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Yellow
Edible Fruit: Yes
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
This is one of the smallest crabapples. It has beautiful white flowers in the spring and persistent fruit.

Scientific Name: Acer platanoides ‘Crimson Sentry’
Size: 25′ X 15′
Drought Tolerance: Average
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Purple
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderately Fast

Comments:
The Crimson Century Maple is a very narrow maple tree with great color in the summer. It can tolerate a wide variety of conditions but the trunk needs to be wrapped for protection from sun scald in the winter while the tree is young.

Scientific Name: Cercocarpus ledifolius
Size: 15′ X 15′
Drought Tolerance: Very High
Native Plant: Yes
Fall Color: Green
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Slow

Comments:
This is a small, evergreen tree or shrub that is native to our mountains. Once established it does not need additional water. It has narrow waxy leaves and insignificant flowers.

Scientific Name: Cercis canadensis
Size: 20′ X 15′
Drought Tolerance: Average
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Yellow
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
Redbud trees have beautiful spring flowers. They do need shelter from full sun while they get established. Shade from larger trees would be the best. A beautiful cultivar is Forest Pansy which has purple leaves in the spring.

Scientific Name: Quercus gambelii
Size: 20′ X 20′
Drought Tolerance: Very High
Native Plant: Yes
Fall Color: Orange and Yellow
Edible Fruit: Acorns can be ground into edible flour if tannins are leached out in water
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
This is a native oak tree or shrub that is very drought tolerant once established. It naturally forms small thickets but can be grown as a small tree with some maintenance.

Scientific Name: Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’
Size: 25′ X 25′
Drought Tolerance: Average
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Yellow
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The Kwanzan Cherry tree has very large, double, pink blooms in the spring. It is a shorter tree with a broad head.

Scientific Name: Crataegus × lavallei ‘Lavelle Hawthorn’
Size: 15′ X 15'
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Coppery red
Edible Fruit: Fruit is edible, seeds are poisonous
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The Lavelle Hawthorn is a very attractive, hardy tree. It has white flowers in the spring and red fruit in the fall. The only drawback is the thorns.

Scientific Name: Cercis canadensis ‘Covey’
Size: 8′ X 6′
Drought Tolerance: Average
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Yellow
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The Lavender Twist Redbud is a beautiful little weeping tree. It does need protection from hot drying winds and needs adequate moisture with soil that drains well.

Scientific Name: Tilia cordata ‘Halka’
Size: 16′ X 10'
Drought Tolerance: Average
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Bright Yellow
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
Summer Sprite is a nice dwarf cultivar of Linden Trees. Like all Linden Trees this tree is sensitive to depth of planting. Do not plant it too deep or the roots will suffocate. It has beautiful flowers, with a delightful fragrance, that bloom in early summer.

Scientific Name: Pinus nigra ‘Oregon Green’
Size: 25′ X 15′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Green
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Slow

Comments:
This cultivar of Austrian Pines is a new cultivar of an old favorite. It stays very short and compact and is hardy for our area.

Scientific Name: Acer griseum
Size: 25′ X 20′
Drought Tolerance: Average
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Scarlet Red
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Slow

Comments:
The Paperbark Maple tree has very beautiful, exfoliating bark. It is tolerant of alkaline soils and cold winters.

Scientific Name: Cotinus coggygria
Size: 20′ X 20′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Scarlet Red
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The Smoke tree is actually a large shrub. It is very tough and can be pruned into a many trunked tree. The flowers form a smoky looking haze over the purple canopy. There is a cultivar with leaves that have a yellow tinge.

Scientific Name: Prunus X snofazom
Size: 12′ X 12′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Orange-Burgandy
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The Snow Fountains Cherry is a small, beautiful, weeping cherry tree that has white flowers in the spring.

Scientific Name: Acer Tataricum ‘GarAnn’
Size: 20′ X 20′
Drought Tolerance: Average
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Scarlet
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The Tartarian Maple is a beautiful little shrub or tree that has red seed pods. It is more adapted to the alkaline soil of our area so it has less problems with iron deficiency than the Amur Maple. It has nice fall color.

Scientific Name: Crateagus crus-galli var. inermis
Size: 20′ X 20′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Orange-Red
Edible Fruit: Yes but the seeds are poisonous
Growth Rate: Slow

Comments:
The Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn is a very beautiful, thornless Hawthorne tree. It has small leathery leaves and white flowers.

Scientific Name: Juniperus osteosperma
Size: 15′ X 10′
Drought Tolerance: Very high
Native Plant: Yes
Fall Color: Green
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The Utah juniper is another drought tolerant, Utah native. It is a smaller shrub that can take tough conditions.

Scientific Name: Pinus flexilis ‘Vanderwolf’s Pyramid’
Size: 20′ X 15′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Green
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The Vanderwolf Pine tree is a small, very beautiful pine tree with flexible, elegant branches. It is more tolerant of our alkaline soils than other white pines because it is grafted on a root stock that is adapted to our soils.

Scientific Name: Pinus flexilis ‘Vanderwolf’s Pyramid’
Size: 15′ X 10′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Bright Yellow
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The Weeping Siberian Pea Shrub is drought tolerant and tough. It has thorns and yellow flowers in the spring.

Scientific Name: Cercis occidentalis
Size: 20′ X 20′
Drought Tolerance: Average
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Bright Yellow
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
The Western Redbud is tolerant of full sun and alkaline soils. It has beautiful purple flowers that appear before the heart shaped leaves in the spring. It is hardy to zone 6, although there are Western Redbuds that have thrived in zones 5b. The young trees do need to be protected from temperatures below 20° but the older trees are hardy to well below 10°.

Scientific Name: Zelkova serrulata ‘JFS-KW1′
Size: 24′ X 18′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Reddish-Orange, Purple
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Moderate

Comments:
Zelkova trees are beautiful disease resistant trees with great fall color. This is a small, very hardy tree.

Scientific Name: Zelkova serrulata ‘Schmidtlow’
Size: 24′ X 36′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: No
Fall Color: Reddish-Orange, Purple
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Slow

Comments:
This Zelkova cultivar is low and spreading with gorgeous fall color. It is very hardy and disease resistant.

Scientific Name: Pinus edulis
Size: 15′ X 15′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: Yes
Fall Color: Green
Edible Fruit: Yes
Growth Rate: Slow

Comments:
The Pinyon Pine tree is famous for the tasty pine nuts that can be gathered from this tree. It is a very drought hardy, tough and adaptable tree. It is worth planting in our area.

Scientific Name: Pinus longaeva
Size: 15′ X 15′
Drought Tolerance: High
Native Plant: Yes
Fall Color: Green
Edible Fruit: No
Growth Rate: Slow

Comments:
This tree is a beautiful tree that is easily identifiable by the small white resin flecks on the needles. Each cluster of needles contains 5 needles. It is an exceptionally hardy tree and it is very drought tolerant and is native to our mountains. The only thing it cannot handle is heavy, wet soils. Some of the oldest living trees in the world are bristlecone pines.