During the devastating windstorm in December, many trees were lost. Large evergreens were uprooted or simply split into pieces by the wind gusts.
When thinking about replacing these trees, it is a good idea to consider the climate resiliency of the new trees.
Trees are a long-term investment — they may live up to a century, so careful selection is important.
Gardeners are used to checking U.S. Department of Agriculture cold-hardiness zones when selecting plants. Our local zones range between Zone 5a and 6a (minimum temperatures of minus-20 degrees and minus-10 degrees consecutively).
While cold-hardiness consideration is a good start, we should also be thinking about drought and heat tolerance when selecting trees.
Trees have many coping mechanisms for dealing with heat and drought, and some species are simply better at it than others. Native trees are a good choice, and so are some nonnative species that are very well adapted to our climate.
Look for trees that have a broader USDA zone-native range, which can indicate that the tree has better heat and cold tolerances and is more likely to thrive in changing conditions. In general, slower-growing trees will exhibit more climate resilience than faster-growing species. Fast-growing species are typically soft wood trees and are more susceptible to wind damage.
Heat tolerance is especially critical in urban locations when there is a lot of reflective heat, such as near parking lots and streets.
Planting trees can reduce urban heat, and make your landscape far more comfortable, but only if they survive. Long live the trees!
• For an extensive list of recommended trees for our region, consult the Front Range Tree Recommendation List.
• Approved trees for use in Colorado Springs right-of-way plantings
Email gardening questions to csumg2@elpasoco.com. For more information, visit facebook.com/ ColoradoMasterGardeners.EPC. To sign up for classes, go to epcextension.eventbrite.com.
Leave a Reply