ABOUT THE TREES
Eastern Redbud
Eastern redbud is one of the first trees to bloom in spring with pink or reddish flowers. Flowering occurs in March to May before leaf growth.
After bloom, heart-shaped leaves begin growing and gradually turn dark green. When mature, leaves are about four inches long and four inches wide.
Eastern redbud produces clusters of flat green pods (3.5 inches long, 0.5 inches wide) that change to brown when mature. Each pod contains four to ten small hard black or brown seeds. It will grow to about 30 feet tall at maturity.
Black gum or black tupelo has an upright growth that makes it ideal for many landscapes. It’s a slow-growing tree, reaching a mature size of 40 to 70 feet tall, but typically 30 feet in cultivation.
It is tolerant of drought, heat, dry, and wet soils, and is moderately salt tolerant. It withstands wind, ice, and salt spray in coastal locations.
The black gum is grown as an ornamental for its beautiful fall color and for its shiny, dark green leaves in summer. It’s also an excellent choice to support wildlife. The nectar from its flowers is prime feeding for bees and tupelo honey is highly prized.
Black Gum
Live Oak
Live oak is a medium-sized, showy, long-lived evergreen. It has a broad crown, rarely grows more than 50 feet tall, and has gnarled branches reaching out 40 to 100 feet wide. It is not a true evergreen, but retains its leaves until the new ones begin to leaf out.
With its broad, spreading canopy, it makes a great shade tree for large areas,
It is a host plant for the larvae of the imperial moth, as well as numerous butterflies.
Sycamore
Sycamore is a large, fast-growing woody, deciduous tree with a wide spreading, irregularly shaped crown and distinctive bark.
It may grow 75 to 100 feet tall with wide, spreading branches. When considering a sycamore for a home landscape, keep in mind it will require a very large space and its littering of twigs and fruits can be messy. Use it as a privacy screen, a shade tree, or a street tree.
Sycamore is moderately deer-resistant yet is a food source for small mammals and songbirds.