Choosing the right tree is a big deal. In the right place, trees are shade and beauty, but in the wrong place they are headaches, sore backs and empty pocketbooks.
Follow a few simple guidelines to help you choose trees that accent your life.
The Right Place
Take a few important steps before heading to the nursery. Observe your yard and decide on a planting site before shopping.
- Utility Lines – Contact Call Before You Dig -- Dial 811 before digging to check for underground utility lines.
- Light – Observe light patterns in potential planting areas throughout the day. Pay attention to the direction the site is facing and to existing structures or trees that provide shade.
- Space – trees should be planted 10 – 15 ’ away from the house and 5 ’ away from patios or fences.
- Privacy – Consider areas where you prefer more privacy and more openness.
- Existing plantings – If the area where a tree is being planted has existing plantings, the new additions to the bed should share the same water needs. Drought tolerant plants go together – water dependent plants go together.
- Make Notes & Take Photos! – All of this information is important to the nursery staff who may help in making your tree choice, so gather it together and bring it when you shop.
The Right Tree
There are a number of things to consider when making a tree selection. Answering these questions will help to narrow your choice.
Evergreen or deciduous
Evergreen trees keep their leaves or needles during winter. Conifers are evergreen trees with needles or scales for leaves. Broad–leaf evergreens are trees such as Madrone or Southern Magnolia that keep their leaves year round but don’t have needles.
For help with Conifer Selection, link to our Conifer Guide.
Deciduous trees lose leaves in winter. Many have leaves that turn bright (Stewartia psuedocamellia shown here) colors before they fall off. They are ideal for planting on the south or west side of a house. Light warms the house in winter and the tree shades the house in summer.
Size & Shape
Trees come in many shapes and sizes. Pyramid, lollipop, column, oval, vase & weeping are the most common shapes.
Flowers, Fall Color & Winter Interest
Flowering trees are wonderful additions to the landscape adding large-scale color during bloom–time.
Dogwoods (Cornus), Redbuds (Cercis), Flowering Cherries (Prunus) & Magnolias are all lovely choices.
Maples (Acer) warm the skies in fall with a range of unbeatable glowing colors, as do Crape Myrtles (tree-guide), Redbuds (Cercis) and Ginkgoes. Coral Bark Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’).
Himalayan Birch (Betula jacquemontii) and Birchbark Cherry (Prunus serrulata) have interesting bark in winter. Many trees hold fruit into winter and provide food for wildlife.
Special Selection Guides
Tree Selection Handouts
- Drought Tolerant Trees
- Evergreen Trees
- Trees 15-25 Feet
- Planting under Walnut Trees
Street Trees
Street trees are planted in the area between your sidewalk and the street.
Choosing the right one is a big decision and the City of Portland offers lists of suggested trees to help you narrow the possibilities.
Street trees are selected to fit differing sizes of parking strips, taking into consideration the existence of power lines. Portland Nursery carries most of the trees suggested by the City of Portland, but usually the caliper sizes are smaller; our trees are mostly 1”-1 ½” in caliper.
Tree availability is seasonal with early spring offering the largest selection.
Follow this link to learn about permits and procedures for street tree planting or removal.
Treebate
Did you know that the City of Portland will reimburse you for part of the cost when you plant a tree in your yard? Treebate is a seasonal program available between September 1 and April 30 of the following yearto coincide with the best time of the year to plant. Just follow the few simple guidelines found here.
Every tree planted in Portland contributes to clean rivers and healthy watersheds. Plant an eligible tree on a residential property and Environmental Services will credit your city water/sewer utility bill for half the purchase price.
Click for a list of mature tree size categories and examples.
How to Get Your Treebate
- Purchase a tree between October 1 and April 30 of the following year.
- Plant it in your Portland residential yard. Complete and submit a Treebate form by April 30 - include the tree purchase receipt with the purchase price circled.
- Receive a credit on your city water/sewer utility bill.
Environmental Services will provide Treebate credits 50% of the purchase price of a tree up to $10 for edible fruit trees, $20 for small trees, $30 for medium trees, and $50 for large trees. Treebate will post as an “adjustment” to your City of Portland sewer/stormwater/water utility bill.
Find the best Trees for your Garden
We carry a wide variety of trees year-round. These represent only a fraction of what you will find and are some of our favorites. Note: Viewing a Native Plant will take you into our Native Plant section.
- All Trees
- Evergreen
- Flowering
- Natives
- Fall Color
- Small Tree
- Tree Selection
- Tree Maintenance
