Selecting a Tree

You shouldn’t pick the first one that catches your eye.

I love these flowers! This bark is gorgeous! It’s hot, I need some shade! Reasons abound for choosing to plant a tree in your landscape. You might be lucky enough to have inherited a mature tree in your landscape, but many folks are without the wealth of shade and beauty that a mature tree provides. For those looking to choose a tree for your landscape, the most obvious outward characteristics of the tree may be the least important.  

Trees, like all plants evolved within a historic climate range, with preferred soil types, different nutritional and water needs, different mature heights and canopy spread, and with differing disturbance patterns. While there are somewhere over 70,000 tree species on the planet, we are constrained by availability, site conditions, and preference to a slim couple of hundred commonly used in landscapes. In Hillsborough County, Florida, only ten tree species compose most of the urban forest.  

To avoid future challenges when selecting a tree consider the following factors: 

Climate range suitability 

• USDA Hardiness zones are determined based on the coldest nighttime temperatures; Florida recently had several zones shift to represent a more truly subtropical climate.  
• Hillsborough County falls within zones 9b to 10a.  
• When selecting your tree, don’t try to ‘push the zone’ by selecting a plant whose range is more temperate or more truly tropical.  
• Check out this map to find your zone: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/  

Soil type 

• Florida has predominantly sandy, calcareous soils, there are areas, however, where clay is more predominant. Soil pH and salinity are also contributors to tree health. See this publication for more information: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS494 
• In newer neighborhoods, soil compaction is a common problem where tree roots cannot establish successfully, become unstable or result in stunted tree growth. Check for soil compaction by following the steps in this publication: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS529  

Water needs 

• In almost all cases, a mature tree does not need irrigation. However, some trees can handle being in or near the water better than others.  
• Any tree with ‘swamp’ in its name is a good candidate to put near a freshwater body. Trees with ‘scrub’ or ‘desert’ in the name will likely need less water.  

Mature height/spread 

• Tree fact sheets will often include information about mature height and canopy spread of a tree species, think about your lot size and any potential future interactions between your tree and above/underground infrastructure. 
• Remember that a tree’s roots can extend half or more the width of the canopy beyond the drip line.  

  

Pruning/maintenance needs 

• Some trees lose their leaves all at once, others do it slowly, some trees drop acorns or fruit or flowers, all trees create some kind of litter that you should come to expect and accept.  
• Trees such as pines have adapted to Florida’s historic fire disturbance to naturally drop their lower limbs as they age.  
• Plan for your tree’s future early by establishing a structural pruning plan at planting.  

For an in depth and interactive look at tree selection, use this tool: https://floridatrees.ifas.ufl.edu/FloridaTrees/  

Now the fun part!  

You’ve decided based on the above criteria which tree species is the right one for you, now you are going to the nursery to pick it out. What should you look for in your baby tree?

Don’t be afraid to pull it out of the pot. 

• Check the roots for any signs of girdling/wrapping.  
• Roots should be light brown, tan or white with no lesions, rotting or foul odor. 
• Feel the soil for moisture level, overly dry soil could be a sign that the tree hasn’t been watered adequately. 
• What is the ratio of root to container size? If there is a small root mass in the container, the tree has had less time to establish since its last repotting.  

Check the structure.   

• Look for a tilted or crooked stem. 
• Watch for strong branch/bark connections, where the junction between branches is u-shaped and there are not many similar diameter branches emerging from the same junction.  
• Check the leaves. Look for signs of insect damage, leaf spots, yellowing or general lack of vigor. 

Once you have selected a site appropriate, healthy young tree, you’ll be ready to put it in the ground. Check out the next blog in this series on planting myths to ensure you give your tree a good start in life.

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