Raise your shovels! Plant trees! Friday, April 26, is National Arbor Day. Declared a tree-planting holiday in 1872, the first Arbor Day marked the planting of over 1 million trees across the state of Nebraska. The tradition, as proposed by Nebraska City resident and newspaper editor J. Sterling Morton, has become a worldwide celebration of trees and tree planting.
Nowhere is Arbor Day celebrated better than in Nebraska City, Nebraska, where the weekend is all about trees. Arbor Day activities are presented in tandem with Arbor Day Foundation, which owns the nearby 260-acre Arbor Day Farm and Lied Lodge. Visitors can also explore Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and Mansion, where J. Sterling and his wife Caroline Joy raised their family including a son, Joy Morton, who grew up to be a pioneering advocate of trees.
Undoubtably influenced by the many rare trees planted around his childhood home, Joy Morton invested much of the fortune earned from his Morton Salt Company in trees and a greener future. In 1922, he established The Morton Arboretum on his estate near Chicago. Its centennial, celebrated in 2022, is commemorated in this beautiful video, 100 Years | Growing Strong.
Our nursery has worked closely with Morton Arboretum and its tree scientists for decades, and we grow many of the outstanding trees that they’ve introduced via the Chicagoland Grows® program. Exclamation!® Planetree, State Street™ Maple, Joy’s Pride™ Redbud and Skinny Latte™ Kentucky Coffee Tree are among the finest.
Arbor Day is celebrated on some level in all 50 states. Several states including Oregon recognize April as Arbor Month. Learn more about your state or country’s activities here. Oregon alone lists 10 Arbor Day planting and/or tree giveaway events. One is taking place in the Eastern Oregon community of Hermiston, where they’re planting 10 of our Crimson Sunset® Maples at Horizon Park. We’re honored that this exceptional hybrid maple (featured below) was chosen for the city’s ceremonial planting. Introduced in 2010, it’s proven to be a top performer across the continent.
If you’re wondering what to plant in your area, your best resource is your local independent garden center, especially those offering JFS-grown trees. You can get some good ideas, too, from the Plant Something.org website. Find your state to discover what’s going on in the plant world and, as suggested on the site, “Grow a richer lifestyle by putting down some roots.”
In celebration of Arbor Day, Oregon’s Plant Something pages feature trees recommended by JFS Communications Director Nancy Buley and Arborist Kevin Carr of Bartlett Tree Experts. Each suggested five of their favorites for small-scale Pacific Northwest landscapes and beyond. Several are featured below, and all are detailed in the Plant Something article, 10 trees perfect for small lot sizes.
Pink Flair® Cherry
Prunus sargentii ‘JFS-KW58’
Big clusters of bright pink, single flowers burst from the upright branches of this compact, narrowly vase-shaped flowering cherry. This photo was shared by a West Hartford, CT gardener who said her tree is so striking that passersby took selfies with its pink blooms in the background. Flowers avoid frost damage by appearing a week or two later than is typical of the species. They’re followed by dark green, exceptionally healthy leaves that withstand the heat of summer and periods of drought. Orange red fall color is consistently bright and long lasting. Upright symmetry lends winter appeal, along with distinctive, polished brown bark accented by tannish-cream lenticels.
The most disease resistant cherry we grow, its leaves stay clean and fresh even in our wettest, coolest springs. Since its introduction in 2004, it has proven to be exceptionally adaptable to extremes of heat and cold via plantings in North Dakota, New England, California and the Midwest and Southeast.
Sparkling Sprite® Crabapple
Malus ‘JFS-KW207’ PP 27954
Pink buds open to fragrant, pink-tinged white flowers that smother its densely branched, rounded head. Genetically destined to be a topiary tree, Sparkling Sprite® Crabapple attains a perfectly symmetrical, rounded head with little to no pruning. Perfectly suited for patio, terrace or container culture, the summer foliage of this petite top-grafted tree is especially clean, bright green and disease resistant.
The four-season show goes on well into winter, when an abundant crop of tiny persistent fruits turns from golden yellow to orange and attracts birds to the garden.
Starlight® Dogwood
Cornus kousa x nuttallii ‘KN-43’ PP 16293
Clean, dark green foliage unfurls to set the stage for large, firm, long-lasting creamy white flowers that appear in late spring. Mildew and anthracnose-resistant foliage blankets the branches of this upright oval tree throughout the summer months. A smattering of orange fruits of 3/4-inch diameter appears among the leaves in late summer and lasts into fall, when foliage turns to bright red orange. This adaptable hybrid of Pacific and Chinese dogwoods developed at Rutgers University grows to a height and spread of about 30’ x 20’.
Vanessa Parrotia
Parrotia persica ‘Vanessa’
Offering upright, narrow form and greater density than is typical of the species, this time-tested cultivar is a fine choice for smaller-scale landscapes or for use near streets. Its distinctive shape, drought tolerance, low maintenance requirements, and adaptability to varied soils and climates earns this versatile small tree a place on our UtiliTrees® list.
Tiny flowers with bright red stamens bloom in late winter, augmenting the beauty of exfoliating grey and tan bark. Slightly scalloped, oval leaves emerge with burgundy edges and turn medium green as they mature. Autumn brings a kaleidoscopic display of bronze, crimson, orange, red and gold leaves.
Crimson Sunset® Maple
Acer truncatum x A. plat. ‘JFS KW-202’ PP 21838
A tree for the future, this medium-size shade tree is compact enough for shading homes on today’s smaller lots, and is also large enough for street use, where its upright and symmetrical form is appreciated. Tailored for today’s landscape needs, Crimson Sunset® Maple offers the rich purple foliage color that made Crimson King Maple a favorite of generations. Improvements over the popular old Norway Maple cultivar include improved tolerance of heat and drought, better leaf quality, brighter fall color and more compact, symmetrical growth habit. Its cold hardiness, heat resistance and adaptability to challenging soil conditions are among reasons that Crimson Sunset® Maple was selected for the Arbor Day planting in Hermiston, Oregon.
Gardeners! Please note that our nursery is strictly wholesale. To purchase these and other trees grown by our nursery, please use our Retailer Locator to find sources of JFS trees near you.
