Small Species

Common Name
Scientific Name
Description
 American smoke tree
 Cotinus obovatus
spring flowers grow in small panicles which look somewhat like clouds of smoke, unusual and attractive foliage, native, tolerant of urban conditions.
 Amur maple
Acer ginnala
multistemmed clumb or may be trimmed into a small tree with a single trunk, rapid grower but remains compact, showy red fall color, moderate drought tolerance.
 Autumn Brilliance serviceberry
Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance'
tolerant of various soils but does best with good drainage, showy flowers and fall color, showy edible fruit that attracts birds, root sprouts can be a problem.
 bigtooth maple
Acer grandidentatum
similar to sugar maple but smaller in size and more drought and heat tolerant, cold hardy, can be grown on various soils, bright red and gold fall color.
 butterfly bush
Buddleia davidii
attracts butterflies and other pollinators, large rounded shrub with arching branches, drought tolerant and tolerates a range of soil types.
 Carolina buckthorn
 Rhamnus caroliniana
wildlife value, orange/red fall color, showy red fruits, moderately drought tolerant, does well in various soil types.
 Chickasaw plum
 Prunus angustifolia
wildlife value, covered in white flowers before leafing out, thorny, natural structure is multi-stemmed, makes a good screen or hedgerow, native tree that is adapted to local conditions.
 Chinese fringe tree
Chionanthus retusus
white fragrant blooms, slow growing, fruits attract birds, moderate drought tolerance and may need occasional irrigation during prolonged drought, can be grown in various soils, naturally multitrunked but can be trained into a single trunked tree.
 contorted mulberry
Morus bombycis 'Unruyu'
corkscrew shaped branches, deer resistant, specimen tree, nonfruiting.
 crape myrtle
 Lagerstroemia indica
colorful, summer blooming, drought tolerant, multi-stemmed growth habit, tree is often “topped” but this pruning practice is discouraged when used in tree form.
 desert willow
 Chilopsis linearis
native, narrow willow-like leaves, showy trumpet shaped purple/pink flowers during summer, drought tolerant, adapted to various soil types, wildlife value, grows best on well drained soil.
 diabolo ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo'
spreading large shrub with purple foliage, white flowers, colorful exfoliating bark, great screen or hedge plant, tolerates various soils, grows well in harsh conditions.
 dwarf chinquapin oak
Quercus prinoides
native cross timbers species, looks similar to the native chinquapin oak only much smaller, drought tolerant and tolerates poor soils, acorns are favored by many birds.
 eve's necklace
Sophora affinis
Oklahoma native, cascading flowers and legumes that look like a string of beads, drought and heat tolerant, moderately fast growing, needs good drainage.
 flameleaf sumac
 Rhus lanceolata
beautiful red/orange/yellow fall color, spreading, larger than fragrant sumac, adapted to various soils, interesting trunk and branch arrangement.
 fragrant sumac
 Rhus aromatica
wildlife value, bright fall color, low growing and spreading, does well on disturbed sites.
 Indian cherry
 Rhamnus caroliniana
“OK Proven Tree”, produce edible fruits that also have wildlife value, spreading or rounded form.
Indian Magic crabapple
Malus 'Indian Magic'
average water needs, resistant to fireblight and powdery mildew, dark pink blooms, rounded form, red fruit, tolerates many soil types.
 Kwanzan cherry
Prunus 'Kwanzan'
double pink flowers, vase shaped form with a rounded crown that spreads with age, yellow and orange and copper fall color, fruitless, sensitive to some urban stressors but can be grown in alkaline soil and tolerates some drought.
 lacey oak
Quercus laceyi
small lobed grayish green leaves, very drought and heat tolerant, needs good drainage, acorns are food for birds and small mammals.
 little walnut
Juglans microcarpa
OK native, smaller narrower leaves than black walnut, nuts are mostly eaten by wildlife, often multitrunked, needs good drainage, roots produce toxins that will harm nearby apple and white pine trees.
 Mexican plum
 Prunus mexicana
native Edmond cross timbers species, edible fruit, attractive bark and blooms, drought tolerant, wildlife value, may have thorns on branches.
 Oklahoma red bud
 Cercis reniformis ‘Oklahoma’
“OK Proven Tree”, native Edmond cross timbers species, irregularly shaped, dark green heart shaped leaves, produce small seed pods, deep pink/purple flower forming on branches in early spring, thin and easily damaged bark, state tree of Oklahoma.
 possumhaw holly
 Ilex decidua
deciduous holly with bright red berries persisting through winter, wildlife value, native, multi-stemmed, does well in areas with standing water.
 ‘Prairifire’ crabapple
 Malus ‘Prairifire’
 “OK Proven Tree”, more disease resistant than other crabapples, pink flowers through spring with fruits forming in summer and persisting into the winter months, needs well-drained soil.
 roughleaf dogwood
 Cornus drummondii
wildlife value, four-petaled white flowers, drought tolerant, multi-stemmed, needs well-drained soil.
 rusty blackhaw viburnum
 Viburnum rifidulum
native, blocky bark on mature trees, wildlife value, clusters of small white blooms in spring, drought tolerant and adapted to various soils, not tolerant of soil compaction.
 saucer magnolia
 Magnolia x soulangiana
large white and pink flowers in spring, late frost can cause blooms to fall off – plant late-blooming varieties such as ‘Jane’, multi-stemmed, best on sites that are not extremely alkaline, best in full sun, light gray bark, branches droop, needs good drainage.
 vitex
Vitex agnus-castus
multistemmed, flowers in summer with purple spikes, drought and heat tolerant, adaptable to various soils.
 Washington hawthorne
 Crataegus phaenopyrum
grows fast when young getting slower with age, wildlife value, bright orange/red fruit, small white clusters of flowers, beautiful fall color, thorns present, has some pest/disease problems.
 whitebud
 Cercis Canadensis var. ‘Alba
red bud variety with white flowers (see Oklahoma red bud).
 winterberry euonymus
 Euonymus bungeanus
long-lived, bright red fruits, cold hardy, tendency to produce sprouts.

Evergreen

Common Name
Scientific Name
Description
 pinyon pine
Pinus edulis
native to the OK panhandle, drought tolerant and needs good drainage, short needles and small cones, slow growing, rounded form.
 Taylor juniper
Juniperus virginiana 'Taylor'
very narrow columnar form, good screen or accent for a corner or as a dramatic vertical element, moderate growth rate, blue green foliage, moderate water needs.
 yaupon holly
 Ilex vomitoria
very adaptable tree, wildlife value, colorful feature year round (such as red berries and purple tinted new leaf growth)