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Sherburne County Soil & Water Conservation District

Tree Characteristics

WHITE PINE Needles are 3" to 5" and are bunched in groups of 5. 8' to 10' tall in 10 years, 80' to 100' tall at maturity. Crown spread is 50' to 80'. Shade tolerance is intermediate, (most shade tolerant of the pines.) Drought intolerant, prefers moist, well drained sandy soils. Photos and information are courtesy of Minnesota Power.

NORWAY PINE Winter hardy, rapid growth, 8' to 10' tall in 10 years, 50' to 80'+ at maturity, crown spread is 20' to 40'. Needles are 4" to 6" long and are bunched in groups of 2. Shade tolerance: intolerant. Drought tolerance: moderately tolerant. Prefers moist, well drained sandy soils, but will tolerate dry conditions. Photos and information are courtesy of Minnesota Power.

BLACK SPRUCE Small tree; straight trunk up to 12" in diameter with some-what drooping branches; mature tree usually reaches a height of 20' to 30', although under favorable conditions, it can attain a height of 70' to 80'; often associated with tamarack, balsam fir, and white cedar. In cold swamps the growth is practically stagnant and trees 2" in diameter have been found to be 127 years old. Photos and information are courtesy of MN DNR.

WHITE SPRUCE Fairly rapid growth rate, 40' to 80' at maturity, crown spread 20' to 30'. Needles 1/3" to 3/4" long. Shade tolerance: tolerant. Drought tolerance: moderately tolerant. Prefers moist, well drained soils. Photos and information are courtesy of Minnesota Power.
 
BALSAM FIR Steeple shaped conifer that is commonly grown for Christmas Trees.  The needles occur in flattened sprays.  Grows mostly in moist wooded areas.  Is shade tolerant.  Photos and information are courtesy of Minnesota Power.

TAMARACK Straight, upright trunk extending to top of tree; spreading or ascending branches; height 40' to 70', diameter 14" to 24".Tamarack is the only conifer in Minnesota that sheds all its leaves each fall. Found chiefly in the swamps in the coniferous forest region of northern Minnesota; occasionally found in drier localities where it reaches larger size; also found southward scattered in cold swamps throughout the hardwood region as far south as the Twin Cities; shade-intolerant. Photos and information are courtesy of MN DNR.

CRABAPPLE Moderate growth rate, 20-30' tall at maturity and a maximum crown spread of 20'. Adapts to a variety of soil types, but prefers well drained.  Requires full sun to grow. Early spring bloom, provides excellent wildlife food and nesting cover. Photos

COMMON CHOKECHERRY Rapid growth rate, 20' to 25' at maturity, crown spread 15' to 25'.   Useful in screen or mass plantings due to its suckering habit.  Adapted to a wide variety of soils.  Moderate drought tolerance.  Shade tolerant.  Requires full sun to produce good fruit crop.  Photos and information are courtesy of The North Dakota Tree Information Center.

HYBRID POPLAR "Cottonless" cottonwood strain that is suitable for planting throughout Minnesota. Rapid growth, 40' to 60' at maturity. Shade tolerance: intolerant. Drought tolerance: intolerant. Prefers moist, well drained soils. Photos and information are courtesy of The North Dakota Tree Information Center.

RIVER BIRCH Typically reaches heights of 40' to 50' at maturity.  Prefers wet soils, but will tolerate dry soils.  Prefers partial shade, susceptible to leaf burn if grown in full sunlight. Photos

RED MAPLE Medium size tree, mature height rages from 40' to 60'. Moderate to rapid growth rate. Flowers red, in short clusters along twigs March-May. Moderately shade tolerant. Prefers moist to moderately well-drained soils. Moderately drought tolerant. Fall leaf color yellow to red. Photos and information are courtesy of Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University.

BLACK CHERRY Moderately fast growth rate with a mature height of 60' to 80'.   Will grow in full to partial sun.  In early spring produces small, white, fragrant blossoms.   Small bitter fruits ripen during summer and fall, prized by birds and quickly devoured.  Can be used for jams, liqueurs and such.  Although tolerant of dry sites, responds best in moist loam soil that is mulched to keep root system cool.  Native to Sherburne County.  Photos and information are courtesy of Minnesota Power.

SILVER MAPLE Height 100' or more with a diameter of up to 36" or more; trunk usually short, divided into a number of long ascend-ing limbs that are again divided and their small branches droop but turn upward at tips, forming a broad, rounded crown. Common in southern Minnesota; scattered northward to the upper Mississippi River; moderately shade-intolerant, fast-growing. Photos and information are courtesy of MN DNR.

HACKBERRY Height 40' to 75', diameter 10" to 36"; limbs often crooked and angular; tree-head made up of slender, hanging branches or short, bristly, stubby twigs when growing in the forest; in the open, crown is generally symmetrical. Found sparingly in the southern part of the state and in the western part northward through the Red River Valley; naturally found in flood plains but will grow on various types of soil from the poorest to the richest; never found in pure forest stands; moderately shade-tolerant, moderately fast-growing. Photos and information are courtesy of MN DNR.

QUAKING ASPEN Fast growth rate, mature height of 40' to 50' and crown spread of 20' to 23'.  Prefers moist soil and full sun. Beautiful golden fall color.  Photos and information are courtesy of The North Dakota Tree Information Center.

REDOSIER DOGWOOD Predominantly red twigs and stems, small inconspicuous white flowers, white berries. Moderate growth rate, up to 10' at maturity, crown spread up to 12'. Hardy in all zones. Shade tolerance: tolerant. Drought tolerance: intolerant. Prefers wetter soils. Photos and information are courtesy of The North Dakota Tree Information Center.

WILD PLUM At maturity is as wide as it is tall, 8' to 10'.  Drought tolerant, grows in full sun to partial shade.  Tolerates a wide variety of soil types.  White flowers in early spring.  Valuable cover and nesting for songbirds.  Fruit can be used for preserves and jellies.  Native to Sherburne County.   Photos  and information are courtesy of The North Dakota Tree Information Center.

SERVICEBERRY (JUNEBERRY) A hardy, medium sized shrub that is prized for it's sweet dark fruit.  Reaches heights of 6-15' with a crown spread of 5-12'.  White blossoms in early spring, bearing fruit in late summer.  Prefers loamy sand soil, limited drought tolerance; does not tolerate ponding.  Photos and information are courtesy of The North Dakota Tree Information Center.

AMERICAN CRANBERRY BUSH  Large shrub, reaching 10' to 12' tall at maturity and a width between 6' to 10'.  White flowers in May and July, bright red fruit in September and October.  Fruit is suitable for jams and jellies.  Prefers full sunlight and moist well drained soils. Photos 

SAND CHERRY Moderate growth rate, 6' to 10' at maturity.  White spring flowers, small edible berries - can be used for jelly. Good wildlife cover and food source. Shade tolerance: not tolerant. Drought tolerance: tolerant. Prefers well drained soils.   Photos and information are courtesy of North Dakota State University Extension Service.

NANNYBERRY A large tree-like shrub.  Attractive for its shiny foliage, red fall color, and fruit display.  Full sun to partial shade. Photos and information are courtesy of The North Dakota Tree Information Center.

COMMON LILAC Medium to tall shrub for farmstead windbreaks and highway beautification. Occasionally used in field windbreaks. Showy, fragrant flowers. Full sun. Photos and information are courtesy of The North Dakota Tree Information Center.

AMERICAN HAZELNUT Small shrub, often in clumps reaching 12 feet in height.  Edible brown nuts (1/2 inch diameter) enclosed in a hairy, leaf-like husk with ragged edges; initially green, ripening to a brown in late summer. Photos and information are courtesy of Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resourses.

TERRA SORB Comes in a 1 ounce packet to be mixed with 2 1/2 gallons of water. Also called "Blue Slurry". It is used to coat the roots to hold in moisture during planting. One packet will treat between 50 and 100 seedlings, depending on the size of the seedlings.

TREE MARKER FLAGS Come in packets of 25.  Very useful for marking planting locations and trees for mowing and weed control.

If you have any questions about trees, spacing, windbreak design, soil types, etc., call or e-mail us. We will do our best to help you find the answers to your questions. Technical assistance is free of charge. Our office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.