If you're looking for a guide to growing trees in Missouri, then this article is the place to start! We'll discuss some basics on how to grow trees and give you an overview of what soil, water, sunlight, and fertilizers are needed. You can also find out about different types of tree care that will be necessary as your trees grow. This article is perfect if you're interested in planting or maintaining a living legacy by starting with young saplings now!
The Best Flowering Trees to Grow in Missouri
Double Delight Rose Tree
It is hard to find a better tree than the Double Delight Rose to provide your home with color and fragrance. It has beautifully painted buds that smell spicy and sweet. Double Delight variety offers a unique patterned effect during blooming time. The bud's appearance will vary from hot pink to rose and the petals will transition to white; This variety has glossy green leaves that provide a great backdrop for this cheerful flower display. The Double Delight Rose is a happy and vigorous rose variety that doesn't require much attention. This flower has sturdy stems, perfect for cutting into bouquets and blooming every year without issue. Double delight shrubs typically grow between 3 to 5 feet in height and spread between 2-3 feet in width. Kids will love how easy it is to manage in spots like a courtyard or backyard. This ground cover blooms all year long, providing bright color all the time for any area of your outdoor space. Planting Double Delight Rose trees in Missouri is a perfect way to enjoy their fragrant blooms year-round. This joy-filled flowering tree can also act as the centerpiece of your collection with its fragrance and colorful blooming periods throughout spring, summer, fall, the and winter months. Planting it near Missouri's homes provides opportunities to share them with friends or family members who live nearby during warmer months when they're not in full bloom.
Planting & Care
Once you have a suitable location, begin by planting the roses in well-drained soil. Be sure that the plants receive between 4 and 8 hours of sun each day. First, dig a hole twice as wide and twice as deep as the tree's root ball. Backfill the soil until it is at the same depth or slightly larger than where you planted your rose. Mulch any competing weeds near your tree to ensure that they don't grow taller than they can reach for sunlight. When watering trees, water around the roots rather than overhead and water once or twice per week. Mulching will help prevent soil moisture from evaporating quickly. Use rose fertilizers once a month. Keep pruning tools clean, and cut back just after the last hard freeze in spring. Prune anything dead or rotted out from the soil level upward.
Weeping Extraordinaire Cherry Tree
The Weeping Extraordinaire Cherry tree is a beautiful tree with vibrant pink flowers. You can use this tree as a focal point or line the street since it's also tolerant of pollution. Growing Weeping Extraordinaire Cherry trees in Missouri isn't difficult and you don't need to worry about over-watering this particular type of plant! Plant your tree near an existing mature tree so they both get plenty of shade when needed. The Weeping Extraordinaire Cherry Tree is a quickly recognizable seasonal star due to its large pink double blooms in the winter. It doesn’t just change color during the four seasons––its glossy deep green foliage in summer and rich burgundy tones in the fall will always make it an eye-catching tree. Your yard will be brighter with one of these specimen trees. With a remarkable display of flowers, it is perfect for prominent planting in your flower bed or on the side of the street as well as garden focal points and borders around driveways, especially since they are also resistant to runoff from nearby buildings.
Planting & Care
These trees grow in moist, well-drained soil with an acidic pH between 6.5 and 7.0 that receives at least half of the sunlight during all hours of the day. Select an area for roots to be planted deep enough to sit on top by roughly an inch on average or above which is 100% covered by your selected ground’s height Water trees when the top 2 inches of their soil dry out, about twice a week in summer or roughly once every 3 weeks in falland at least 20 minutes of water is recommended for the tree to be properly hydrated. In the first two years, flowering cherries don't require fertilizer. Keep them thoroughly mulched to protect and nurture the soil below their roots. In subsequent years—once every year that has passed since you planted your trees—apply 1/10 pound of actual nitrogen for each year of its age, with a maximum of 1 pound per year as an annual application during spring or summer in one shot or split into equal parts over two to four applications. The removal of old flowers and fruit clumps will promote the formation of new flower buds on the cherry tree. Pruning during winter is necessary to cut off dead branches to fall periods and encourage new growth.
The Best Shade Trees in Missouri
Emperor Japanese Maple Tree
The Emperor Japanese Maple tree will not experience much trouble when planting it in Missouri soil because its deep root system provides stability both as an established specimen or recently transplanted seedling. For this reason, you may want to think about adding plenty of compost before placing your new Emperor into the ground (or garden bed). The Emperor Japanese Maple Tree's brilliant crimson red color, as well as its hardy strength, period, make it the perfect candidate for gardeners striving to find an easy grower that offers vibrant hues when planted in their landscaping. As one of the hardiest in the group, it’s especially popular for street planting as well as being compact enough for many other situations. With 12-15 feet in height at maturity, it can be planted anywhere you have space and with its upright shape, maintenance is straightforward.
Planting & Care
To start, find a location with well-drained soil and enough sun for your Emperor. In hotter climates, be sure to provide afternoon shade and protection from the harsh sun. Dig the planting hole at least 2 to 3 times wider and as deep as your root ball or, if you are planting a small container-grown plant, 2 to 3 times wider and 1 foot deeper. After planting your Japanese Maple, fill the hole around it with soil and tamp it down. Set back on mulch to help conserve the moisture in the ground. The "average" amount of water supplied to lawn and garden plants should be adequate for your new tree. Watering during the early morning or evening hours is recommended. These Maple trees do not require lots of nutrients. As such, it is only recommended that they are fertilized once a year, either in the late winter or early spring before leaves appear. Your tree will need two to three years of growth before you prune it. After this amount of time has passed, you may begin to prune your tree if desired.
Royal Frost Birch Tree
Unlike your typical shade tree, the Royal Frost is uniquely characterized by its vibrant purple foliage and eye-catching exfoliating bark. Vibrant Purple Foliage meets eye-catching Exfoliating Bark. Even though it's deciduous, this tree provides an interesting backdrop year-round because of its white bark. This tree’s burgundy leaves are transformed to deep purple in the fall with a dark red winter coating. What this means, in addition to a showy tree that provides color all year round is an overall transformation of the yard into a more welcoming environment.
Planting & Care
Grow your Royal Frost Birch Tree in an area with a good amount of sun (around 4-8 hours of sun per day) and well-drained soil. To plant, dig a hole that is up to three times the size of your tree’s root ball and perfect for your particular shade. Place your Birch tree into the prepared space in an upright position, ensuring it is at the desired depth. After filling in with soil and tamping down to eliminate air pockets, water thoroughly. Bark mulch and soaker hoses will keep the roots cool and moist. The Royal Frost Birch Tree requires occasional pruning but can tolerate periods without watering as long as there is consistent rainfall.
The Best Fruit Trees in Missouri
Rainier Cherry Tree
The Rainier Cherry Tree is one of the quickest to produce heavy harvests. These trees can be found in grocery stores because they generate a cherry harvest for year 1, and they have some of the sweetest cherries around. These trees are really easy to grow. These hardy trees can adapt well to nearly any type of soil and although they require cross-pollination for fruiting, you can purchase and plant the Bing or Black Tartarian Cherry Trees for tons of cherries in year one. Planting the Rainier Cherry tree in Missouri is easy. It will thrive in the state’s warm, humid summers and freezing winters as long as it has enough water to survive. Rainier Cherries are not self-fertile, meaning that you need to plant a variety of different cherry trees near them for the trees to produce fruit. The types most helpful in pollinating them are Black Tartarian Cherry Tree, Bing Cherry Tree, Stella Cherry Tree, and Montmorency Cherry.
Planting & Care
The growing needs of this type of tree are best met with locations with at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day and well-drained soil. To plant your new tree, dig a hole three times the width of the root ball and just as deep. Place your tree inside this hole then backfill with soil followed by a layer of mulch around the edges for preserving moisture. To ensure your tree thrives during the growing season, it may need some additional water if rainfall is poor or unusually hot. The best way to water a tree is by using a slow trickling garden hose left at the base of the trunk. To determine when to water, feel the soil at about 2 or 3 inches from where it meets the ground. If there is no moisture present in this area, then it's time to water. To fertilize, apply a recommended fertilizer following the guidelines outlined in instructions and consult with your local cooperative extension agent. Once or twice a year (the following planting and after the first application), apply to the trees 6-8" from the tree's trunk. Avoid fertilizing after mid-summer if you live in a cold climate to avoid new growth that will not harden before fall frost; otherwise, follow package directions. For the first year, prune your Cherry Tree in winter to encourage horizontal branch growth and remove drooping branches (prune as necessary).
Big Daddy Blackberry Bush
If you love having fresh blackberries on hand for snacking and preserving jams, don't head out to the countryside. With a Big Daddy Blackberry bush, you can have them right in your backyard. You can grow your own plump, delicious blackberries with the Big Daddy Blackberry plant. The thornless berry bush will give you a hearty harvest without any effort on your part thanks to its easy rooting system! When grown in Missouri, Blackberries ripen throughout July and are generally sweeter than those pollinated by honeybees. Big Daddy Blackberry Bushes reproduce on their own with little to no assistance from you. You can only grow one plant at a time, however, for larger crops consider planting another because it doubles the fruit yield. The disease-resistant properties of these blackberries will cause them to grow without the need for harsh chemicals or pesticides. Your vigorous Big Daddy Blackberry would not be slowed by any chemical treatments.
Planting & Care
To get the best berry production, plant your blueberry bushes in a spot that receives full sun (6 hours or more) and well-drained soil. To plant your blackberry, first, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the root ball. Next place the bush in the hole to make sure that it is level with the ground. Finally, fill in around the root ball with mulch and water thoroughly. To preserve the longevity of your blackberry plant, simply check the soil 3 inches below the surface. Water as necessary if it has dried out. To fertilize your berry plants, apply a formula 10-10-10 general all-purpose fertilizer while they are dormant and before the new season starts. In the spring, before pruning your blackberry bushes, remove any cane tips that are below 24 inches. Prune back to about an inch if they’re shorter than 3 feet long. Removing these canes will make more space on the bush for new growth.
When is The Best Time to Plant Trees in Missouri
If you live in Missouri, the best time to plant is from April through September because of what's called "spring frost" and "fall frost." Spring frost happens when plants are beginning to grow but there's still snow on the ground. Fall frost happens after a hard freeze during the flowering season. These two kinds of frosts can kill trees, so if you want your tree(s) to survive for more than one year they must be planted at just the right time!
Can You Plant All Season Long?
Planting all season long in Missouri can be tricky. Missouri is not like Northern California, where you can plant trees all year. Planting in Missouri will break during the hottest months of summer (July and August). A tree planted outside of this window could still die because it will be exposed to prolonged periods of frost or hot sun without any water.
What are The Best Trees to Plant Each Season in Missouri
Springtime
In springtime, Missourians are torn between planting flowers or trees. Spring is a great time to plant new shrubs and perennials, but if you're looking for something more long-term, then it's the perfect opportunity to invest in some saplings! You can plant Dogwoods and Carolina Silverbells.
Summertime
Summertime brings with it high temperatures that can be taxing on young plants. Give your sapling plenty of water and shade to keep them growing happily all summer long!
Fall time
In Fall Missourians look for shade-producing plants or trees. The best tree for you is one that's perfect for your needs; whether it be evergreen or deciduous variety. If you're looking for something easy on the eyes then go with varieties like American Beech, Buffalo Tree, or Eastern Cottonwood!
Wintertime
In winter, Missourians can plant trees like the Eastern Red Cedar, White Pine. You can plant these trees in fall or wintertime, but they're best to plant in early November and December for optimum growth.
What Trees Have The Least Invasive Roots in Missouri
The least invasive trees in Missouri are the Aspen, Birch, and Dogwood trees. Aspens have shallow roots that stay near the ground’s surface so they have a hard time damaging sidewalks or breaking through concrete. The bark on aspens is smooth with no hairs making it easy to maintain them without getting scratched. Birch trees are low maintenance because they can provide shade and their branches often face walkways. When planting a birch tree, make sure its trunk faces southward so it will maximize solar exposure during the fall andinter months. Dogwoods are a good choice because they have shallow roots and provide food for wildlife.
