Ornamental Trees Bring on the Bling

Like a great piece of jewelry, ornamental trees add a bit of bling to your landscaping.

They might be small, but they are mighty in terms of visual impact. Putting an ornamental tree in just the right spot pulls a whole landscape together. In our last blog post we talked about our favorite shade trees; here are our picks for top ornamental trees:

Cutleaf Japanese Maple

Tuck this specimen in a corner of your home, in a courtyard, or by your deck or patio. If you are partial to an Asian garden look, this tree is a must-have. Be sure it has protection from strong wind and bright afternoon sunlight. This lovely tree is no diva: it shines, but won’t take over your landscape.

Choose this tree for:

• Lacy, elongated leaves that create a delicate look

• Fall color that ranges from orange to red

• Its weeping cultivars, which have graceful arching branches

• Mounding growth, which retains low height

Weeping Redbud

The lavender flowers of redbud trees are always a welcome sight after a long Cincinnati winter. This new genus of redbud has unique weeping and twisting branches that cascade down to the ground. Unlike its wild cousins, this redbud cultivar remains compact between 4 and 6 feet tall. Sure this tree offers gorgeous flowers and pretty colors, but it’s also tough and hardy.

You’ll love this tree for its:

• Pinkish purple flowers that bloom in early spring

• Dark green heart-shaped leaves throughout the summer

• Yellow fall foliage

• Petite size

• Low-maintenance character

Lilac on Standard

Dense and deciduous, the Lilac on Standard is a sweet lollipop-like tree. Perfect for a formal garden, or as a pop of color near your patio or in a front yard bed. The tree blooms later than common lilacs to keep the color going in your landscape. You get all the beauty and fragrance of lilacs in a neat tree form.

What makes it a favorite:

• Sweetly scented, bright purple flowers

• Nickel-size leaves that resist mildew

• Neat outline and polished shape

• Dwarf height of 7 feet tall

• Sun-loving nature and adaptability to all soils

Ornamental Trees and More

These are just a few of the tree species we recommend for Cincinnati landscapes. If you would like to add year-round beauty to your yard, contact us for a no-obligation consultation.

Shade Trees for Your Cincinnati Landscape

Shade trees are some of our favorite trees to plant around Cincinnati homes. These workhorse trees offer benefits all year long. In the summer, a carefully placed shade tree can cool your deck, patio or house and give your air conditioner a break.

Colorful foliage is a visual treat every fall. And when the leaves drop, you can thank these trees for allowing winter sunshine to filter in and warm your home. Here are a few of our favorite shade trees:

Red Sunset Maple

A moderately fast-growing tree, this red maple cultivar shades a yard with green glossy leaves that turn first orange-red then brilliantly red in the fall. A moist site makes this tree happy. It adapts to a range of climates and tolerates full sun to partial shade. This is one of our top picks because you can’t beat the gorgeous foliage of the Red Sunset. It’s a showstopper.

Choose Red Sunset Maple for:

• Superior fall color

• Good branch structure

• Reddish winter buds and winged summer fruits

• Small red and yellow flowers in the spring

• Impact: A full-grown tree will reach 45 to 50 feet in height with a 35- to 40-foot spread

• Its ability to stand up to the cold

Japanese Lilac Tree

If you’re looking for a shade tree that stands out, this one is for you. Also known as a Chinese tree lilac, this species grows to 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide. It’s a trouble-free, low-maintenance lilac that prefers full sun. Don’t let the gorgeous flowers and beautiful shape fool you: This tree is tough and hardy.

What we love about this shade tree:

• Showy, fragrant white flowers in panicles (long flower clusters) reaching 12 inches long

• Rounded oval crown

• Blooms after other lilac blooms have passed

• Reddish-brown peeling bark on younger branches

• Dark green leaves

• Hummingbirds and butterflies love Japanese lilac trees

Lacebark Elm

Make space in your yard for this tree—it will reward you with shiny dark green leaves all summer long. Lacebark elm is a tough tree with a graceful rounded shape. It’s medium- to fast-growing and easily reaches 40 to 50 feet in height with a 40-foot spread. With Cincinnati’s hot summers, we like a tree that can tolerate drought.

You’ll love this tree’s:

• Multicolored bark that flakes to show gray, cream, orange, brown or green patches

• Leaves that turn in shades of yellow to reddish purple in the fall

• Good resistance to Dutch elm disease

• Small dark green leaves

• Adaptability to a variety of soil conditions

• Durability

Shade Trees and More

If you would like to add more shade to your front or back yard, contact us for a no-obligation consultation. Our landscape designers are thrilled to share their tree expertise.