Communities and tree planting organizations across the continent are gearing up to plant millions of trees in our urban areas, thanks to historic funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and administered by the US Forest Service Urban & Community Forestry Program. More than $1 billion is being invested in our urban forests over the next decade in efforts to bring nature-based solutions to combat extreme heat and climate change in cities, towns and suburbs where more than 84 percent of Americans live, work and play.
The benefits of trees are limitless, according to Beattra Wilson, Assistant Director for Urban & Community Forestry, who highlights some of the benefits in this YouTube video.
We can thank trees for mitigating the effects of climate change, cooling our communities, improving air quality, enhancing our physical and mental health, and so much more, as presented on the Green Cities: Good Health website.
To learn about urban forestry programs and projects that may be underway in your area, scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the USFS region where you reside. You’ll find many resources tailored to your climate and growing conditions.
Meanwhile, you can make a positive difference in your own living space by planting a tree. i-Tree tools, developed by the Forest Service and partners, can help you place a tree strategically to provide maximum shade and energy savings, and to calculate your return on investment as it matures over the years. You can also calculate the benefits of existing trees in your yard, or in your community! To get you started, here are several of our favorites that deliver cool shade, big benefits and beauty.
Green Mountain® Maple
Acer saccharum ‘Green Mountain’
The standard for comparison in Sugar Maples, Green Mountain® Maple is the most widely planted selection and has proven itself well over the years since its introduction in 1964. Selected and introduced by the legendary plantsman William Flemer III, it is probably the hardiest sugar maple and is the best choice for northern areas through USDA Zone 3.
Deep green leaves clothe the branches of this 50’ x 40’ tree in summer and provide cool shade before turning bright red in autumn. Fall color is reliable in cold as well as milder winter areas. Leaves pictured in today’s blog headliner photo fell from a tree in the J. Frank Schmidt Jr. Arboretum, providing a carpet of brilliant red fall color on a sunny autumn day.
American Dream® Oak
Quercus bicolor ‘JFS-KW12’ PP 23632
In addition to drought resistance and the ability to thrive in poorly drained sites, this fast-growing tree demonstrates good resistance to anthracnose and mildew. Its large, lustrous, deep green leaves are thick and glossy, with wavy margins. After turning buttery yellow in autumn, they turn to rich tawny brown and remain on the tree late into the season.
A vigorous grower, American Dream® Oak develops a broadly pyramidal canopy of good density as it reaches a mature height and spread of approximately 45’ x 45’. Hardiness is USDA Zone 4.
Northern Sentinel® Honeylocust
Gleditsia triacanthos ‘JFS GMorgenson1’
Here’s a big shade tree that’s a better fit for residential yards and narrow streets than the typically broad-spreading honeylocust cultivars in the marketplace. Narrowly upright growth habit combined with open branch angle attachment is unusual and contributes to its storm-resistant structure. Fine textured, medium green leaflets cast filtered shade and turn yellow in autumn. Mature height and spread are approximately 45’ x 25’.
Sharp-eyed plantsman Greg Morgenson spotted this unique honeylocust growing in a South Dakota landscape and saw its potential as a street tree for cold climates and confined planting spaces. The parent, pictured in winter, has never been observed to have suffered ice or snow damage. Nor has it produced seed, although we can make no claim of its being seedless under all growing conditions.
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.
