These are the trees we’re growing at TREESTR, our young landscape-tree farm just north of Spruce Grove, Alberta. The first ones are still several years from being ready, but you can get to know them now and start imagining what might suit your yard.
Mature sizes are approximate landscape ranges, not maximum forest sizes. Hardiness ratings are general guides; variety, seed source, soil and exposure all affect how a tree performs.
Spring flowers, colourful berries and plenty of interest for birds.
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Tree details
Evergreens
Evergreen
Colorado blue spruce
Picea pungens
Year-round colour, privacy and a classic evergreen shape.
Colorado blue spruce brings a strong, pyramidal shape to a yard and keeps its needles through our long winters. Colour naturally varies from green to silvery blue, so not every tree develops the same blue shade. It’s a familiar choice around Edmonton for larger yards and shelterbelts. Give it sunshine and room for its lower branches to spread: that little spruce eventually becomes a substantial tree.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 12–20 m × 4–7 m.
Sun
Full sun.
Soil & moisture
Well-drained soil; moderate moisture, with some drought tolerance once established.
Hardiness
Commonly rated Zone 2.
Good to know: Allow for its full width when planting beside a driveway or walkway. Its stiff, pointed needles are best kept clear of passing people.
Deep green needles and graceful, hanging branchlets.
Norway spruce has a softer outline than many spruces, with sweeping branches and smaller branchlets that hang downward as it matures. It can make an attractive backdrop or part of a windbreak where there’s plenty of room. Around Edmonton, moisture and exposure deserve attention: it dislikes prolonged drought and can suffer winter damage. A sheltered site with dependable moisture gives it a better start than an exposed, dry corner.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 12–20 m × 6–8 m.
Sun
Full sun to partial shade.
Soil & moisture
Moist, well-drained soil; prefers fertile loam and slightly acidic conditions.
Hardiness
Commonly rated Zone 2–3; winter performance varies with source and site.
Good to know: Choose a spot where you can water during dry spells, especially while the tree establishes.
An easygoing pine with blue-green needles and warm orange bark.
Scots pine starts with a fairly tidy, upright shape, then develops a more open, irregular crown with age. Its orange upper bark adds character, especially in winter. It handles dry conditions better than many landscape trees once established and suits sunny yards and acreages around Edmonton. Northern seed sources are important here: cold tolerance varies, and some trees are more prone to winter browning than others.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 10–15 m × 5–8 m.
Sun
Full sun.
Soil & moisture
Well-drained soil, including sandy ground; average to dry once established.
Hardiness
Commonly rated Zone 2 for hardy northern sources.
Good to know: It works well in a mixed windbreak, but its increasingly open crown means it won’t always provide dense screening near the ground.
Long needles and rugged character for a yard with room to grow.
Ponderosa pine stands out for its long needles and, with age, thick bark that develops warm orange-brown plates. It becomes a large, open-crowned tree suited to spacious yards and acreages. Established trees tolerate dry conditions well, but young trees still need regular attention to watering. Cold-hardy seed sources can grow successfully around Edmonton; trees from warmer parts of its wide natural range may be less dependable.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 15–25 m × 6–10 m; potentially larger over time.
Sun
Full sun.
Soil & moisture
Well-drained soil; average moisture while establishing, then relatively drought tolerant.
Hardiness
Approximately Zone 2–3 for cold-adapted sources; origin matters.
Good to know: Give it a permanent home well clear of overhead lines and buildings. This is a large landscape tree.
Soft green needles in summer, brilliant gold in fall.
Larch offers something a little different: the shape of a conifer with the seasonal change of a leafy tree. Its soft needles emerge fresh green, turn golden in fall and drop before winter. Cold-hardy larches are well suited to our northern climate, but moisture needs vary by species. We’re keeping ours listed simply as larch until the species is confirmed, so the details below are intentionally broad.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 15–25 m × 4–8 m, depending on species.
Sun
Full sun.
Soil & moisture
Generally moist soil; drainage requirements and tolerance of wet ground vary by species.
Hardiness
Approximately Zone 1–2 for cold-hardy larch species.
Good to know: Autumn needle drop is normal. Larch provides summer screening, but its branches are bare in winter.
Amur maple is a good fit for homeowners who want autumn colour without committing to a towering shade tree. It can grow as a small tree or a large, multi-stemmed shrub, with a rounded outline and leaves that often turn orange to red. It’s a hardy choice for the Edmonton area. Fall colour varies between individual trees and seasons, and it generally develops best with plenty of sunshine.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 4–7 m × 3–6 m.
Sun
Full sun to partial shade.
Soil & moisture
Well-drained soil; moderate moisture, tolerating some dryness once established.
Hardiness
Commonly rated Zone 2–3, depending on selection.
Good to know: Allow room for its branching habit: a multi-stemmed Amur maple can become nearly as wide as it is tall.
A broad shade canopy with the possibility of spectacular autumn colour.
Red maple is known for fall colour ranging from yellow and orange to deep red, depending on the tree and season. Around Edmonton, it deserves careful selection rather than a blanket promise of success. Northern varieties can be hardy, but other sources are borderline or unsuitable. Our often-alkaline soils can also cause yellowing leaves and poor growth. A suitable variety, compatible soil and steady moisture all matter.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 12–20 m × 8–15 m; varies considerably by variety.
White bark, delicate leaves and branches that gently drape.
Cutleaf weeping birch makes a graceful focal point, with finely divided leaves, pale bark and trailing branches. It has a long history in Edmonton yards, but it needs more care than its delicate appearance might suggest. Dry soil stresses birches, and this European birch is particularly susceptible to bronze birch borer, which can kill the tree. A cool, evenly moist root area helps, though it does not eliminate that risk.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 10–15 m × 6–9 m.
Sun
Full sun to partial shade.
Soil & moisture
Moist, well-drained soil; avoid hot, dry sites.
Hardiness
Commonly rated Zone 2–3.
Good to know: Use mulch to help retain moisture, keeping it away from the trunk, and watch for thinning or dying branches near the top.
A familiar prairie shade tree with bright yellow fall leaves.
Green ash has earned its place in prairie landscapes through cold tolerance and an ability to handle a wide range of soils. Its spreading canopy provides useful summer shade, followed by yellow autumn leaves. The major concern is emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that can kill ash trees. That long-term risk deserves serious consideration when planning a yard, even where the insect has not been detected locally.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 12–20 m × 8–15 m; narrower varieties exist.
Sun
Full sun.
Soil & moisture
Adaptable, including clay and alkaline soils; moderate moisture, with drought tolerance once established.
Hardiness
Commonly rated Zone 2.
Good to know: Build variety into your landscape rather than relying on ash alone for all your future shade.
A roomy shade tree with textured bark and fruit for birds.
Common hackberry develops a broad canopy, distinctive corky bark and small fruits that attract birds. It tolerates clay, alkaline soil and periods of drought once established, making it worth considering for challenging yard conditions. For the Edmonton area, cold-adapted northern stock is the sensible choice. It eventually needs substantial space, so think of it as a long-term shade tree for a generous yard rather than a compact ornamental.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 12–18 m × 10–15 m.
Sun
Full sun to partial shade.
Soil & moisture
Adaptable; prefers moist, well-drained soil but tolerates clay and established dry conditions.
Hardiness
Commonly rated Zone 2–3; seed source matters.
Good to know: Small bumps called galls sometimes appear on the leaves. They usually affect appearance more than the tree’s health.
An uncommon shade tree with long, leafy branches and distinctive nuts.
Butternut is a member of the walnut family, with large compound leaves and a broad, rounded crown. It’s an interesting choice for a spacious property, though less proven around Edmonton than familiar prairie shade trees. Established specimens do grow here, but seed source and a favourable site matter. Butternut canker is a serious disease affecting the species, and nut production should never be assumed in our climate.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 12–18 m × 9–15 m; local growth may be smaller.
Sun
Full sun.
Soil & moisture
Deep, fertile, well-drained soil with dependable moisture.
Hardiness
Often rated Zone 3; treat unproven stock as a cautious choice locally.
Good to know: Position it away from busy patios and paths, where fallen nuts and husks would become a nuisance.
Distinctive leaves, spring flowers and warm autumn colour.
Ohio buckeye brings a different look to a yard, with large, hand-shaped leaves made up of several leaflets. Upright clusters of pale yellow-green flowers appear in spring, followed by nuts in husks. It can grow successfully in the Edmonton area and develops a rounded canopy over time. Fall colour ranges from yellow to orange and red. During hot, dry weather, leaves may scorch or drop early.
Spring flowers, colourful berries and plenty of interest for birds.
Showy mountain ash packs several seasons of interest into a relatively small tree. White flower clusters appear in spring, followed by red berries and orange-red autumn foliage. Birds often visit for the fruit, making it a lively addition to an Edmonton yard. It’s cold hardy and easier to fit into a modest space than a large shade tree. Fire blight can affect it, so watch for suddenly blackened or wilted shoots.
Mature height × spread
Approximately 6–10 m × 4–6 m.
Sun
Full sun to partial shade; flowering and fruiting are best in sun.
Soil & moisture
Prefers moist, well-drained soil; water during prolonged dry spells.
Hardiness
Commonly rated Zone 2.
Good to know: Despite its name, mountain ash is not a true ash and is not a host for emerald ash borer.
