CHOOSE YOUR TREE

Every tree on this page is proven for success in Omaha. Mature sizes are typical ranges. Your arborist will help match the right tree to your site's light, soil, and space.

Home > Choose Your Tree

Quercus macrocarpa

Jeff's favorite! A Nebraska native built to last for centuries. One of the most drought-tolerant shade trees you can plant, and its rugged, corky branches look striking against a winter sky.

Mature size: 60–80' tall × 60–80' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Native to Nebraska · Excellent drought tolerance · Handles clay and alkaline soils · Large fringed acorns for wildlife · Yellow-brown fall color

Quercus rubra

One of the faster-growing oaks, with a broad, rounded crown and dependable russet-to-red fall color. A classic shade tree for larger yards.

Mature size: 60–75' tall × 45–60' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Red fall color · Faster growth than most oaks · Good urban tolerance · Acorns for wildlife

Quercus muehlenbergii

A native oak that thrives in the alkaline soils so common in our area. Its toothed, chestnut-like leaves turn yellow to orange-brown in fall, and its sweet acorns are a favorite of wildlife.

Mature size: 40–60' tall × 40–60' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Native to Nebraska · Tolerates alkaline soil · Drought tolerant · Distinctive toothed leaves · Acorns for wildlife

Quercus imbricaria

An oak that doesn't look like one, with glossy, narrow leaves and no lobes. Leaves turn russet in fall and many hang on through winter, adding texture and a bit of screening.

Mature size: 50–60' tall × 50–60' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Unique glossy leaves · Holds leaves into winter · Tolerates clay and urban sites · Very cold hardy

Quercus bicolor

Tough and adaptable, handling both wet spots and dry spells. Its two-toned leaves, dark green above and silvery beneath, shimmer in a breeze, and young branches show attractive peeling bark.

Mature size: 50–60' tall × 50–60' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Tolerates wet or compacted soils · Moderate drought tolerance · Yellow to bronze fall color · Peeling bark for winter interest

Platanus occidentalis

A fast-growing native giant with some of the most striking bark of any tree: mottled white, tan, and olive patches that glow in winter. Best for large properties with room to spread.

Mature size: 75–100' tall × 60–80' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Native · Fast growth · Peeling bark for winter interest · Tolerates wet soils · Huge shade canopy

Ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold'

A fruitless male selection of one of the world's oldest tree species. Fan-shaped leaves turn butter-yellow in fall, often dropping all at once in a golden carpet.

Mature size: 40–50' tall × 25–35' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Brilliant gold fall color · No messy fruit · Tolerates drought, salt, and alkaline soil · Very few pest problems

Taxodium distichum

A conifer that loses its needles. Soft, feathery foliage turns cinnamon-orange in fall before dropping, and it handles wet sites and dry spells alike with a neat pyramidal shape.

Mature size: 50–70' tall × 20–30' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Russet-orange fall color · Tolerates wet or dry soils · Soft, fine texture · Few pests

Prunus serotina

A native with fragrant white flower clusters in spring, dark fruit that birds devour, and distinctive dark, flaky bark. Supports a huge range of native insects and wildlife. Not recommended near livestock or over patios where fruit can drop.

Mature size: 50–80' tall × 30–50' wide

Light: Full sun to part shade

Highlights: Native · Spring flowers · Fruit for birds · Yellow to red fall color · Distinctive bark

Celtis occidentalis

A Nebraska native that shrugs off drought, wind, and alkaline soil. Its warty, corky bark is a winter conversation piece, and its small fruit feeds birds through the cold months.

Mature size: 40–60' tall × 40–60' wide

Light: Full sun to part shade

Highlights: Native · Extremely tough and drought tolerant · Unique corky bark · Fruit for birds · Butterfly host plant · Yellow fall color

Catalpa speciosa

Big, bold, and showy. In late spring it's covered in white orchid-like flowers, followed by huge heart-shaped leaves and long bean-like pods that hang on through winter.

Mature size: 40–60' tall × 20–40' wide

Light: Full sun to part shade

Highlights: Showy late-spring flowers · Tropical-looking foliage · Seed pods for winter interest · Heat and drought tolerant

Ulmus americana 'Princeton'

The classic vase-shaped American elm, back in the landscape. This selection has strong resistance to Dutch elm disease and quickly grows into a graceful, arching canopy.

Mature size: 50–70' tall × 30–50' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Resistant to Dutch elm disease · Fast growth · Classic vase shape · Tolerates urban and alkaline soils · Yellow fall color

Acer saccharum

The source of maple syrup and some of the most brilliant fall color anywhere, in orange, red, and gold. Performs best in a protected spot with good soil and consistent watering.

Mature size: 60–75' tall × 40–50' wide

Light: Full sun to part shade

Highlights: Spectacular fall color · Dense shade · Tolerates shade when young · Long-lived

Liriodendron tulipifera

A tall, straight tree with uniquely shaped leaves and tulip-like green, yellow, and orange flowers in late spring. Fast-growing with golden fall color; prefers moist, well-drained soil.

Mature size: 70–90' tall × 35–50' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Tulip-shaped flowers · Golden fall color · Fast growth · Attracts pollinators

Cercis canadensis

A native favorite that lights up spring with rosy-pink blooms along bare branches before the leaves appear. Heart-shaped leaves follow, turning yellow in fall. Available in single-stem or multi-stem form.

Mature size: 20–30' tall × 25–35' wide

Light: Full sun to part shade (understory tree)

Highlights: Native to Nebraska · Early spring flowers · Heart-shaped leaves · Yellow fall color · Attracts pollinators · Single or multi-stem

Amelanchier × grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance'

A standout selection known for heavy spring bloom and some of the brightest fall color of any small tree. Good disease resistance and a tidy shape make it a great choice near patios and entries.

Mature size: 20–25' tall × 15–20' wide

Light: Full sun to part shade (understory tree)

Highlights: Brilliant orange-red fall color · Abundant white spring flowers · Edible berries · Disease resistant

Quercus prinoides

A small, shrubby native oak that brings oak character to tight spaces. It produces acorns at a young age, handles dry sites and tough soils, and works well for wildlife plantings and naturalized areas.

Mature size: 10–15' tall × 10–15' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Native to Nebraska · Compact size · Drought tolerant · Early acorn production for wildlife · Bronze-yellow fall color

Picea glauca var. densata

A dense, compact spruce from South Dakota's Black Hills, with soft blue-green needles and a classic Christmas-tree shape. Ideal for privacy screens and windbreaks.

Mature size: 30–40' tall × 10–20' wide

Light: Full sun to light shade

Highlights: Year-round color · Very cold and wind hardy · Dense screening · Slow, tidy growth

Pinus ponderosa

The pine of Nebraska's Pine Ridge. Long needles, a strong upright form, and orange puzzle-piece bark that smells faintly of vanilla on warm days. Exceptionally drought tolerant once established.

Mature size: 50–70' tall × 25–30' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Native to western Nebraska · Excellent drought tolerance · Distinctive bark · Windbreak and screening

Pinus strobus

Soft, fine blue-green needles give this pine a gentle, feathery look, and its branches form graceful layers as it matures. Best in a spot sheltered from road salt and harsh winter wind.

Mature size: 50–80' tall × 20–40' wide

Light: Full sun to part shade

Highlights: Soft needles · Fast growth · Graceful form · Year-round screening

Pinus flexilis 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid'

A compact pine with twisted blue-green needles that give a silvery shimmer. Flexible branches shed heavy snow without breaking, and it tolerates drought and alkaline soils. A great fit for smaller yards.

Mature size: 20–30' tall × 10–15' wide

Light: Full sun

Highlights: Silvery blue-green color · Drought and cold-tolerant · Snow-resistant branches · Compact size