Trees in St. Louis
Written by Rachel Downey
My Mission: To educate my customers on how to achieve the perfect lawn and landscaping.
The Missouri Botanical Gardens has an excellent website with information on many types of plants. They specifically list trees that are in the St. Louis area. Here are a few of the trees from their site. If you want to learn about even more trees, visit their pages: Medium-Large Trees or Small Trees.
1. Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Height: 40-70 feet
Sun: Full sun or some shade
The red maple is a low maintenance tree that is native to North America. The leaves turn into a pretty red color in the fall. This tree does well in the cold. Some insects, specifically leaf hoppers, are attracted to this tree and can cause damage.
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2. Paperback Maple
Acer griseum
Height: 20-30 feet
Sun: Full sun or some shade
This is another low maintenance tree, but it is native to China. One of its features includes a copper-colored bark that peels into curls. It does not have many disease issues but is intolerant to drought.
3. Maidenhair Tree
Ginkgo biloba
Height: 50-80 feet
Sun: Full sun
The maidenhair tree is low maintenance and heat tolerant. In the fall, the leaves are a bright yellow. It works well in many types of soil. These trees grow slowly but do not have significant insect issues.
4. River Birch
Betula nigra
Height: 40-70 feet
Sun: Full sun to some shade
This tree is native to the eastern United States. It tolerates heat and poor water drainage. The bark peels to a lighter brown colored bark. River birches are more resistant to diseases than other birch trees.
5. Yellowwood
Cladrastis kentukea
Height: 30-50 feet
Sun: Full sun
This low maintenance tree has white flowers in the spring with bright green leaves. It may not have blooms for its first ten years. The leaves turn yellow in the fall. This tree is more likely to be damaged from high winds or icy weather.
6. Tulip Tree
Liriodendron tulipifera
Height: 60-90 feet
Sun: Full sun
This tree is named after its spring blooms that resemble tulips. It grows best in moist areas and can also tolerate some shade. This tree is susceptible to some diseases and limbs may break due to high winds.
