TREES

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Abies concolor WHITE FIR

A native Colorado evergreen with silvery blue-green leaves. 80' tall at maturity. Grows about 6" a year for the first few years then 12" per year. One of the most beautiful and easy to grow evergreens. Zone 4.

Abies equi-trojani TROJAN FIR

Discovered on the slope of Mount Gargarus, the highest mountains of the Kaz-Dagh (Mount Ida, Turkey). 75' tall at maturity. Zone 5.

Acer ginnala 'Cheyenne' MAPLE, CHEYENNE

This is a superior selection of the ginnala maple, from a Cheyenne, Wyoming source. Selected for brilliant red fall leaf color, robust vigorous growth, salt and cold tolerance. 25' tall. Zone 3.

Acer ginnala 'Flame' AMUR MAPLE, FLAME

Great red fall color; can be grown as a shrub or tree. 20' tall. Zone 3.

Acer monspessulanum MAPLE, MONTPELIER

We're growing the Montpellier Maple because it is one of a handful of maples that does well in alkaline soils. Another reason to grow it in Colorado: it likes sunny and dry locations. Its glossy, dark green, leathery leaves are made up of three rounded lobes. The leaf is only about 1-2" long. It has red-winged fruits in mid-summer. Its small leaves and tolerance of dry soil makes it a good choice for bonsai. 15-25' tall at maturity. Zone 5.

Acer truncatum MAPLE, SHANTUNG

The new leaves emerge reddish-purple in spring and then turn glossy dark green. Fall color can be combinations of yellow, orange, and red. Drought and heat tolerant. Hardy to zone 4.

Albizia julibrissin MIMOSA

Also known as silk tree because the pink thread-like flowers resemble strands of silk. The small compound leaves and feathery flowers give this a tropical appearance. Zone hardiness is yet to be determined. The seed parent for these trees is located in Dighton, KS (Western Kansas, a little south of Colby). 20' tall.

Bumelia lanuginosa CHITTAMWOOD

Chittamwood is an small to medium sized, upright tree, of a somewhat irregular shape, with a stiff spiny branches, fragrant, small, off-white to yellow flowers that bloom June to July, with dark fruit in the fall. Pioneer children would chew the sap like chewing gum. 40' tall. Zone 5?

Calocedrus decurrens INCENSE CEDAR

This western native with exfoliating red brown bark is moderate to fast growing. Drought-tolerant once established, incense cedar prefers dry areas, full sun, and does well on southwestern slopes. The seeds are eaten by songbirds. 35' tall at maturity. Zone 5.

Catalpa speciosa CATALPA

This moderate to fast growing tree is cold hardy yet has large exotic-looking leaves. The showy white flowers in mid Spring are followed by long pods. It's drought tolerant once established. 40' tall. Zone 4.

Celtis occidentalis HACKBERRY

A moderate to rapid grower similar to elm but better. This deep rooted tree withstands wind, heat, drought and alkaline soils. A great shade tree for our area with a spreading crown and red-orange fruit. 50' tall. Hardy to zone 2.

Crataegus ambigua HAWTHORN, RUSSIAN

This vase shaped small tree has interesting winter branching and clusters of white blooms in late spring. The heavy crop of small red fruit provides food for wildlife. 25' tall. Hardy to zone 5. xeric!

Cupressus arizonica ARIZONA CYPRESS

This attractive Southwestern native tree grows slowly under natural dry conditions, but it is a rapid grower (up to 3 feet per year) in cultivation. Plant in spring to allow the roots to establish before winter. Hardy to 5200' or possibly more. Zone?

Gymnocladus dioica KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE

This tree is adaptable to many soil conditions, including alkaline. The long "coffee beans" that gave it its common name are mahogany colored and decorative in the winter. The doubly-compound leaves give a lacy appearance in summer. The genus name means "naked branch", and after the leaves fall, the naked branches give the tree a very picturesque winter appearance. 50' tall. Zone 4.

Juglans nigra BLACK WALNUT

This hardwood tree is fast growing. In optimum sites it can grow 3'-4' per year. It likes regular moisture during the growing season and needs full sun. 50' tall. Hardy to zone 4.

Malus 'Haralred' APPLE, HARALRED

This late-blooming dwarf apple tree produces medium size crisp, tart, and juicy fruit good for eating, cooking, and storing. Fire blight resistant. 12'-15' tall. Hardy to zone 3.

Malus 'Honeycrisp' APPLE, HONEYCRISP

This introduction from the University of Minnesota has been around since 1991, but this is the first year I noticed it at the grocery store. Wow. Best apple ever! Crisp, juicy, sweet, and it keeps in storage up to 5 months! Fruit is mottled red over yellow. Ripens late September. I'm planting one of these myself. Zone 3.

Malus 'Indian Magic' CRABAPPLE

Red buds open to incrediby showy deep pink flowers in spring followed by red 1/2" crabapples for fall and winter color. Very disease resistant. 20' tall. Zone 4.

Malus 'Liberty' APPLE, LIBERTY

Blooms mid to late season. Medium sized red fruit is ripe in early October. Crisp and juicy, this disease resistant apple wins in taste contests against Red Delicious and MacIntosh. Good for fresh eating, cooking and canning. Long storage life. Semi-dwarf 12'-15' tall. Zone 4.

Pinus monticola WESTERN WHITE PINE

A pyramidal tree, with beautiful evergreen foliage The needles are about 3" long, slender, straight, and soft to the touch. They are bluish-green in color with a white strip on the back, and are found in bunches of five. 100' tall. Zone 5.

Populus idahoensis IDAHO HYBRID POPLAR

Idaho Hybrid Poplar grows rapidly, as much as 6 to 10 feet a year under irrigated conditions. Discovered approximately 40 years ago, this variety is much better than other poplars for our western growing conditions. Although it can survive drought, for faster growth it needs adequate water. 40' tall. Zone 3.

Populus tremuloides QUAKING ASPEN

A pioneer tree that regrows from its roots after a forest fire, aspen trees are found at high elevations in Colorado. The soft rustling of their leaves is one of nature's loveliest sounds. The leaves are attached by flattened petioles (leaf stems), joined at right angles to the leaf, so that they twist and flutter with the slightest breeze. 40-70' tall at maturity. They live 150 years, although some colonies are much older. Zone 2.

Prunus americana WILD PLUM

This Colorado native will eventually spread into a thicket, making a great habitat for wildlife. It has fragrant, white flowers in May and ripe fruit in July or August. Our tastiest native fruit, the plums are good for preserves and for wildlife. The leaves turn yellow to red in the fall. Hardy to 8500'. 3'-10' tall. Xeric. Zone 4.

Prunus 'Italian Plum' PLUM

Fruit ripens in late September. The greenish yellow flesh turns dark wine when cooked, making it very attractive when canned/bottled. Good for drying, too. Self fertile. Early to bear. Zone 3.

Prunus persica 'Saturn' FLAT TOP PEACH

This white-fleshed peach, a descendent of the peento (originally pan tao) from China, is much sweeter than any of the yellow peaches and is fast becoming the favorite peach of all time. Clingfree. 10' - 15'. Zone 5.

Prunus 'Rainier' CHERRY, RAINIER

This cherry has sweet yellow blushed red cherries in July. Fruit keeps well after harvest. Needs cross pollination with Bing, Lambert or Stella. 25' tall. Zone 5.

Prunus 'Stella' CHERRY, STELLA

Sweet dark red to black fruit good to eat fresh or make jams and preserves. Blooms early; harvest June-July. A good pollinator that grows vigorously and upright. 20'-25' tall. Hardy to zone 5.

Prunus 'Sweetheart' CHERRY, SWEETHEART

This self-fertile sweet cherry produces large, bright red, sweet fruit with good flavor in mid July. 25' tall. Zone 5.

Pseudotsuga menziesii 'Glauca' DOUGLAS FIR, ROCKY MOUNTAIN

This tree is common through the west; it flourishes in higher elevations but is probably not the tree for Pueblo. This is one of the fastest growing evergreens. Often used as a Christmas tree because of its great form, color, and because it holds its needles for such a long time. Zone 4.

Ptelea trifoliata WAFER ASH TREE

Seeds came from Mike Ramsey in Garden City, KS. The wafer ash (also known as Hoptree) has aromatic flowers. It has slender branches and pale compound leaves with three leaflets that vary in shape. The winged fruit is the most distinctive part of tree, and was used in olden times as a substitute for hops. 25' tall.

Quercus gambellii GAMBEL OAK

Our native oak. Although called a "scrub" oak, its size varies from 5 foot shrubs to 50 foot trees, depending upon available moisture and deer browsing. With adequate moisture, gambel oak can grow 2 feet per year. Here at Perennial Favorites we have an oak that is 30' tall. Zone 5.

Quercus macrocarpa x Rober BUR-ENGLISH OAK

Imagine this: a fast growing oak! This hybrid of Burr Oak and Columnar English Oak can grow 2 to 4 feet a year once established and is adaptable to alkaline soils. The tree forms a large open crown and produces a multitude of acorns annually. 50' or more tall. Hardy to at least zone 4.

Quercus macrocarpus x gambellii BUR-GAMBEL OAK

This hybrid between Bur oak and Gambel oak combines the best of each of its parents: the cold hardiness and fast growth of the bur oak, and the drought hardiness and acorn production of the Gambel oak. Excellent red color in fall. Zone 4.

Quercus turbinella LIVE OAK

This evergreen oak is a Colorado native. It can be found in Pueblo County, Fremont County, and the Four Corners area. Very drought tolerant. 8-10' tall. Zone 5.

Sapindus drummondii WESTERN SOAPBERRY

A North American native, this tree grows in full sun or partial shade on a wide variety of soils. It's very tolerant of wind, drought, and poor soils. Transplants easily, too, and will establish with only minimal irrigation. The strong wood of this tree make it a good choice to plant where severe winds are a given along the front range. 25' tall. Hardy to 6500'.

Syringa pekinensis TREE LILAC

This lilac is an upright, multi-stemmed tree or large shrub. It flowers in June; creamy white flowers with a light fragrance. The peeling bark is an added attraction in the landscape. 15' tall. Zone 3.

Xanthoceras sorbifolium POPCORN OR YELLOWHORN

This small tree has many common names. Popcorn shrub is one of its names, referring to the clusters of white flowers in the spring, Yellowhorn refers to the horn-like protuberances between the flowers. 20' tall at maturity. Drought tolerant once established. Zone 5.