With a climate as unique as upstate South Carolina, it’s crucial to know the right tree varieties when considering planting trees at your property. Here are 5 popular options:
1. Silver Maple Tree
The Silver Maple enjoys a claim to fame as one of the prettiest members of the hardy maple tree species. You can recognize a Silver Maple by its leaves, bright green on the top and silvery white on the underside. Silver Maples can grow as high as 80 feet and spread their strong limbs as far as 50 feet wide, making them your front yard’s crowning glory.
With wide-spreading limbs comes a sprawling root system. These trees grow quickly, enjoy total exposure to the sun or partial shade, and require regular trimming for best maintenance. Plant your Silver Maple a fair distance from structure foundations, driveways, and sidewalks to prevent its roots from damaging your home or outbuildings.
2. American Basswood Tree
With long limbs sweeping up toward the sky and large heart-shaped leaves, the American Basswood tree can thrive in most soil types and pHs. Landscape enthusiasts appreciate its cream-colored, sweetly-scented flowers and bark, which develops from a smooth texture to a deeply furrowed one. The American Basswood produces fruit in the autumn, bringing rabbits, chipmunks, and songbirds to your yard.
One downside to the American Basswood is that it’s a favorite of the Japanese beetle. These bugs enjoy munching on the tree leaves, creating a pest problem while damaging the tree’s growth.
3. Honey Locust Tree
If you want a tree that provides ample shade, the Honey Locust belongs on your list. This tree’s dense canopy can spread up to 70 feet wide, and the tree trunk grows from 30 to 70 feet high. This woody plant can survive droughts, air pollution, and yards with compacted soil.
While the Honey Locust offers plenty of benefits, it does require at least six hours of total sun exposure to grow. Some varieties of Honey Locust grow with thorns, so, if you’d like to avoid those, check your sapling before deciding to plant it.
4. Bur Oak Tree
The spreading canopy of the Bur Oak tree creates dense shade with its lobed leaves. Also called the Mossycup Oak, this popular tree grows well even in compacted soil thick with clay, making it perfect for upstate South Carolina landscaping. Homeowners enjoy the wildlife that visits to collect the Bur Oak’s acorns, including squirrels, rabbits, and deer.
If you choose to incorporate a Bur Oak into your yard’s landscaping, plant it in a wide open area with heavy direct sun exposure and plenty of growing space. This tree thrives in the yards of country homes but can easily tolerate urban pollution.
Before planting a tree in your yard, find out how much maintenance and what kind of care it needs to grow to full maturity. Even after reaching adulthood, your tree may still need trimming to stay in good health.
Reach out to the landscaping specialists at CollinsBrooke Landscape Construction and we can guide you in choosing the best trees for your yard and as well as handle all aspects of the installation.