Stillwater's Top 12 Picks

1. Kentucky Coffee Tree - Gymnocladus dioicus Kentucky Coffee Tree is a very hardy, tough tree, that is native to Oklahoma and has a very unique form and leaf. Makes a great shade tree and will grow in almost any soil type. It has little to no pest or disease problems.

2. Bald Cypress - Taxodium distichum is also a large pyramidal shaped tree (shaped like a pine tree) with a very delicate soft leaf. It is a deciduous tree even though it is commonly mistaken for a pine tree. It has peely bark and a very tapered trunk, and it will grow in almost any soil type also. Even though it is found near swampy habitats throughout its native range, it doesn't require a swampy area to grow well.

3. Amur maple - Acer tataricum ssp. ginnala - Excellent, low growing tree for small yards. It can be a multi-stemmed clump or have a single trunk. The tree grows about 20 feet tall and has upright, rounded growth habit with dense branching. The main ornamental value of amur maple is red fall color and fruit. The fruit have bright pink wings. Amur maple is hardy, a rapid grower and tolerates poor soil. The plant is sometimes used in hedges or screens.

4. Shumard Oak - The Shumard Oak Quercus shumardii is a beautiful, large oak tree which has a brilliant red fall color in the fall and is commonly mistaken for a pin oak. The Shumard is much more tolerant of Stillwater alkaline soils than the pin oak, and fits nicely in a large front yard landscape.

5. Bur Oak - Quercus macrocarpa is a giant oak tree which will attain a height of 60+ ft and 50 ft of width at maturity. It is a very long lived oak and will easily live into the 100's in the Stillwater area. It has very large acorns (golf ball size) so it must be planted where the acorns won't be a problem around driveways or sidewalks.

6. Shantung Maple - Norwegian sunset variety Acer truncatum - It is a lovely small maple with a mature height of 20-25 feet. It tolerates a wide variety of soils and urban conditions. It is very heat and drought tolerant compared to other maples. It has a wide, star shaped, maple leaf which turns orange-red to red in fall.

7. Cedar Elm - Ulmus crassifolia - A very unique elm tree. It has a very upright shape when it is young slowly rounding out to a large canopy tree as it gets older. It will grow to 50 feet tall in Stillwater. The leaves are dark green and rough to the touch. It is extremely tough and will tolerate all soils found around Stillwater. It is also very resistant to drought damage.

8. Oklahoma Redbud - Cercis reniformis Oklahoma Redbud is a small compact tree with glossy heart-shaped leaves and a brilliant spring bloom of red to purple blooms. It is a tough tree and will tolerate a wide range of soil and sun exposure conditions.

9. Fruitless Thornless Osage Orange - Maclura pomifera variety “whiteshield”- This is a large tree with glossy green foliage. It is a very fast grower and provides dense shade. This is a very hard-wooded tree and extremely tough. It will grow where nothing else will. It is also virtually pest free. This is a native plant that commonly grows in fence rows around Stillwater, but this particular variety has been selected for ornamental use because it does not have thorns or fruit.

10. Soapberry - Sapindus drumundii - Soapberries are another native tree that have shown significant value in the urban landscape. It is also a very tough tree which will tolerate a wide range of soil and exposure conditions. It provides a good amount of shade and has a very nice form and texture. It has a compound leaf similar to a chinese pistache or pecan and also has a very unique fruit which turns translucent as it ages and remains persistent. This tree should be not be planted around driveways or sidewalks due to the dropping of the fruits.

11. Hackberry - Celtis occidentalis - Good tree for general landscape plantings. They are good garden trees because of their deep roots. You can grow a lawn near a hackberry or place one near a pavement without fear of it lifting or cracking it. An established hackberry is tough, taking desert heat, strong winds, and dry alkaline soil. It is very tough and drought resistant. It has a very unique "bumpy bark". Not a very showy tree, but a very durable shade provider. It's berries are good for wildlife and birds also.

12. American Holly - Ilex opaca - A large tree growing up to 40 feet tall in Stillwater. It is evergreen and grows fairly slowly. It prefers a more well drained soil of a more acidic pH (like most evergreens), so placement of the tree should be chosen carefully. They do produce brilliant red berries in the fall.