Trees for Guilderland - conifer and evergreen list

Guilderland Tree Preservation Committee
- Trees for Guilderland - Conifer and evergreen list

The list below was compiled by Laura Barry and members of the Committee, using professional sources and with regard to the local climate zone and soils. A sunny site is preferable for all these evergreen and coniferous species; some do not tolerate any shade; only the Eastern Hemlock prefers light shade.
Evergreen conifers make good windbreak trees, and some of the less tall cultivars are good for natural screening, instead of fencing.
Conifers should not be used for sites close to streets (in the tree lawn, less than 15 feet from the paved roadway), because they can block sight lines for pedestrians and drivers, and when mature their lower branches may expand into the sidewalk or roadway.
Most of the trees on this list are difficult to transplant as bare root plants; most of them will be much more likely to establish successfully if supplied as ball & burlap, or if small as container plants.
The one species compatible with the Pine Bush ecosystem is shown by the

to the name.
Non-native tree species are marked by a

to the name.

List as pdf page for printing (no pictures)

Trees for Guilderland: Conifers and evergreens
Mature Height to 30’
Scientific name	Common Name	Height	Image	Tolerances	Wildlife	Notes/Cultivars
Ilex opaca	American Holly	15’ - 30’ (some taller)		tolerates air pollution climate zones 5-9		more than 300 cultivars slow growing deer resistant
Juniperus virgniana	Eastern Red Cedar	30' columnar to broad-pyramidal		tolerates salty soil		deer resistant, slow growing several cultivars in a variety of sizes prefers open sunny sites bare root transplanting difficult
Thuja occidentalis	Eastern Arborvitae	40' - 60' (some less tall) broad-pyramidal				many cultivars not deer resistant bare root transplanting difficult
Mature Height 30’ to 60’
Picea glauca	White Spruce	50' pyramidal		tolerates salt spray		deer resistant bare root transplanting difficult
Picea omorika	Serbian Spruce	40’-60’ narrowly pyramidal				many cultivars moderately fast growing deer resistant bare root transplanting difficult
Pinus banksiana	Jack Pine	30’-50’		not heat tolerant		deer resistant, irregular shape ("shabby"?) bare root transplanting difficult
Mature Height Over 60’
Scientific name	Common Name	Height	Image	Tolerances	Wildlife	Notes/Cultivars
Abies concolor	Concolor Fir	50’ - 80’ conical		disease resistant		deer resistant soft longish blue/green needles native to western US bare root transplanting difficult
Pinus strobus	Eastern White Pine	50’ - 80’ pyramidal, more open with age		sensitive to salt, especially salt spray tolerates dry soils		many cultivars bare root transplanting moderately difficult
Picea abies	Norway Spruce	60' - 100' pyramidal		disease resistant		many cultivars bare root transplanting difficult
Taxodium distichum	Bald Cypress	50' - 70' columnar, spreading with age		tolerates salt, salt spray		deciduous, fall colour wet sites many cultivars bare root transplanting difficult
Thuja plicata	Giant Arborvitae	50' - 75' pyramidal				many cultivars moderately fast growing somewhat deer resistant bare root transplanting difficult
Pinus rigida	Pitch Pine	40' - 60' irregularly pyramidal		tolerates salty soil; prefers sandy soil		bare root transplanting difficult could be used as street tree
Pinus resinosa	Red Pine	50’-80’ pyramidal				some cultivars available
Pinus rubens	Red Spruce	60' - 75' conical		sensitive to air pollution		shallow rooted
Pseudotsuga menziesii	Douglas Fir	40' - 80' open pyramidal		not tolerant of winter wind exposure		many cultivars bare root transplanting difficult
Larix laricina	Tamarack, Eastern Larch	40' - 80' openly pyramidal		tolerates salt spray		deciduous, fall colour
Tsuga canadensis	Eastern Hemlock	50’-80’ pyramidal		attack by Hemlock woolly adelgid		many cultivars available

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