Our trees are back in the news – this time in The Digger, published by the Oregon Association of Nurseries. The Replacements – Candidates for diversifying the urban canopy, addresses the need for diversity of genera and species in urban tree plantings, and suggests alternatives to some commonly planted city trees.
As noted in the article, JFS has greatly increased the diversity of our product line over the past 40 years, embracing the principle that diversity of species is the best weapon against invasive pests and diseases. Communications Director Nancy Buley explained that “our initial effort was spurred by the lessons learned from the earlier devastation of American Elms by Dutch elm disease.
“Back in 1982,” she stated, “we offered 109 species and cultivars derived from 19 genera. Acer, Betula,Fraxinus, Malus and Prunus were big sellers. Our 1982-83 catalog lists just four oak species, one dogwood and no elms. Forty years later, our 2023 catalog presents around 450 species and cultivars derived from 64 genera.”
It’s a big leap, and among those diverse offerings is Emerald City® Tulip Tree, a Schmidt introduction that’s praised in the article by Dr. Bert Cregg, Professor of Horticulture at Michigan State University. He called it a top choice among trees planted in challenging urban soils by the Greening of Detroit organization.
“We planted them literally with a pickaxe,” he said. “They really took off and did fantastic.”
This remarkable cultivar and other JFS trees featured in the article are profiled below. Find more photos and details and photos in our online reference guide.
Emerald City® Tulip Tree
Liriodendron tulipifera ‘JFS-Oz’
This refined cultivar of our familiar North American native tulip tree is a popular choice for street tree plantings – proving to be as tough as it is beautiful. Glossy dark green leaves that turn to bright, clear yellow in autumn distinguish it from trees of seedling origin. Upright branches with strong, open angles radiate from a dominant central leader, assuring a uniform, relatively narrow, upright oval canopy. Its unusual, tulip-shaped flowers that appear among the leaves in spring attract bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators.
In the nursery, growers appreciate its speedy growth and ease of care, while landscape designers and urban foresters appreciate its predictable performance, its uniformity, and its adaptability to challenging urban soils and planting sites.
Wichita Osage Orange
Maclura pomifera ‘Wichita’
What’s not to like about this handsome, durable shade tree? It thrives in urban soil conditions ranging from acid to alkaline, wet to dry, and is tolerant of drought, periodic flooding and road salt. Fruitless and thornless, its strong wood and branch attachments prevent storm damage. Resistant to diseases, insect pests and deer, the tree is a fine choice for sites where other trees fail. Wichita and White Shield have proven to be the best performing fruitless male cultivars, and also lack the spiny thorns of seedling-grown trees. Developed by the late Dr. John Pair of Kansas State University, Wichita Osage Orange also presents a more symmetrical and fully branched canopy as it reaches a mature height and spread of 35’ x 35’.
Though its native range is limited mostly to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, the species is widely adaptable and thrives throughout much of the Midwest and beyond. Its spread is thanks to early settlers who planted thorny seedlings to grow a hedge or fence row to be “horse high, bull strong and pig tight.”.
Summer Elixir® Elm
Ulmus chenmoui ‘JAB Morton’
Smaller in stature than most elms, this compact, mannerly tree is a good fit for many of today’s scaled-down landscape settings. Vase-shaped in youth, it develops a rounded shape with age as it grows to a mature height and spread of 35’ x 30’. Emerging leaves may be flushed with pink or red and then mature to attractive dark green.
Selected by James Barborinas of Urban Forest Nursery, Inc., Mt. Vernon, Washington, it’s the best of many elm seedlings shared with him decades ago by Dr. George Ware of Morton Arboretum in Illinois. Dr. Ware encouraged Jim to continue growing and evaluating the standout seedling, which he eventually brought to us for trial and potential introduction. Jim (a highly respected consulting arborist as well as a fine nurseryman and longtime customer) notes that “its stand-out characteristics include a relatively small mature form, summer red-tipped leaves and rusty-red to blush-red fall color, and good structure.”
Exclamation!® Planetree
Platanus x acerifolia ‘Morton Circle’
The perfect symmetry of this hybrid Planetree demands attention wherever it’s planted. Its upright, pyramidal canopy is shaped by a strong central leader and well-spaced, upright-angled branches. Its resistance to anthracnose and powdery mildew, moderate growth rate, light-fruiting habit and resistance to frost cracking are among reasons to plant this remarkably adaptable urban tree that go far beyond its ease of care and good looks.
A top performer among crosses made in the 1980’s by Dr. George Ware at the Morton Arboretum, Exclamation!® Planetree is a hybrid of an unusually anthracnose-resistant North American native sycamore (P. occidentalis) and the naturally anthracnose-resistant Oriental Planetree (P. orientalis).
Crimson Sunset® Maple
Acer truncatum x A. plat. ‘JFS-KW202’ PP 21838
A tree for the future, this easy-care hybrid offers heat and drought tolerance in a purple-foliaged tree. Tailored for today’s landscape needs, this medium-size shade tree is compact enough for shading homes on today’s smaller lots. On the streets, its upright and symmetrical form is ideally shaped for street use.
Foliage resembles that of Crimson King Maple, but unlike the popular old Norway maple cultivar, its leaves resist tatter and scorch damage. Foliage retains its rich, dark glossy color through the summer and turns reddish purple in autumn. Rated hardy through USDA Zone 4, Crimson Sunset® Maple grows to a height and spread of about 35’ x 25’.
Armstrong Gold® Maple
Acer rubrum ‘JFS-KW78’ PP 25301
This slender beauty sets a new gold standard for columnar trees. A standout among hundreds of seedlings of Armstrong Maple, its selection criteria included vigor, form, foliage quality and color, and overall appearance and performance.
This namesake of the successful and widely planted Armstrong Maple improves greatly on the parent in appearance (improved columnar form, rich green summer foliage and golden orange fall color) and performance. Greater foliage density and stout branches contribute to its improved columnar form. Low-branched forms create perfect hedges or visual screens as they reach a height and spread of approximately 40’ x 12’. Hardiness rating is USDA Zone 4.
