Should have provided a link to the ref'ed source.

Here is a link that might be useful: Great Trees

For those who like Sugar Maples such as Acer saccharum âÂÂFall Fiestaâ Fall Fiesta Sugar Maple mentioned in the link...one beautiful tree, but the downside is they are notorious surface rooters.

Dave

Good to know that the Tree experts concur with us!!!

LOWEST RATED COMMONLY USED TREES (IN ORDER OF LEAST PREFERENCE OUT OF 371
TREES)
1. Pyrus calleryana âÂÂBradfordâ Bradford Pear

Whitman (at link) is listing multiple trees under wrong names like "Magnolia acuminate" 'Butterflies' ('Butterflies' is a hybrid and not a pure M. acuminata selection).

The maple cultivar mentioned here is 'Bailsta'. Fall Fiesta is a registered trademark used for the marketing of 'Bailsta'. See the Image Library section of the Bailey Nurseries web site.

bboy - I am interested in making the list as accurate as possible. Please let me know of any additional errors in the naming (send to private email listed on pdf). Different sources provide different information.

Neat list. KC isn't that far away so it should be useful to me.

Thanks whaas and slimwhitman. Its nice to see Nyssa and Metasequoia up on a list and so many oaks. Also a nice touch putting in the smaller trees. Especially when I see I already planted one!

Am I correct the two Fraxinus trees are rated low because of EAB?

Is the knock on generic Acer rubrum the way the thousands of cultivars are more predictable? Or that it is over-planted as can be?

Whaas:

I would not worry about this list. Most trees--those on your list included--have a very high tolerance for drought. With some species there can be a problem on very light textured shallow soils, but I would not worry a bit about the drought tolerence of these trees, unless you have a special soil issue.

Case in point: this year at my home about 15 miles north of Winchester, VA, the US Drought Monitor site had us in the "Extreme" drought category. This is one notch worse than "Severe." With trees I had planted three years ago, I had to water, but more established trees came through this just fine. As for trees in woodlands and yards, I noticed a few cases where they suffered, but very, very few died. On my property here I have about 100 different kinds of trees planted in the last 9 years, and those I planted more than just three years ago did fine, including those rated moderate and low on your list. I don't see any dead in the woodlands--not sugar maples or tuliptrees, or anything.

My advice--unless you have a very light textured and shallow soil--throw out your list and enjoy planting what you want. You may have to water small trees for three years, and in an occasional case 4 or more, but plant, and enjoy!!

--spruce

spruce, I appreicate the words of advice.

I had a little concern as 40% of the soil is rock, doesn't retain moisture like the clay I'm use to.

I mainly wanted to "rate" the trees so I could avoid dry, hot, sloped areas with a tree like Tulip Tree.

In 2008 and 2009 we hit extreme drought during the summer as well. 2010 not so bad, although late summer and fall was quite dry...think we went a month without a trace of rain.

I will add my experience with Taxodium. In 2007, my 25+ year old tree developed fall colors by mid August. This September it started coloring within the last 10 days of the month, which is also early. In extreme seasons it always possible some trees could start color and leaf drop sooner than normal. I think 2007 would serve as a good litmus test for all plants in terms of drought tolerance.