The Best Trees for Colorado Front Range Gardens

If you have front range Colorado property, you may be wondering what trees will work best with your landscaping (while still looking great). What trees will grow strong without requiring too much water? Which trees will endure the winters without harm? What species does the soil support? If you’ve been having questions like these, we want to help out with a list of our favorite front range trees. These trees have proven themselves over and over, and they’re beautiful as well!

Japanese Tree Lilac

The Japanese Tree Lilac is a small plant somewhere between a shrub and a tree, ideal for front yards and areas where you want natural beauty, but don’t want your view obscured (the oldest specimens can grow up to 20 feet tall, but this growth can be controlled). Plus, these trees have a friendly globe-like shape that’s very easy to maintain, and beautiful lilac blooms that you will love to see and smell in late spring. These trees do need some attention when they are first getting established, but after that, they are drought resistant and won’t take too much water.

Hawthorns

Multiple types of hawthorn trees fair well on the front range — find a hawthorn species you like, and you’re probably good to go. But one of our favorites is the Russian Hawthorn. Like the Japanese Tree Lilac, this is a smaller tree that’s very hardy once it’s established. It has a taller, oval shape than the lilac tree, and something for every season —splendid deep green leaves, bright bunches of flowers, and rich red berries. The golden bark is particularly pretty in winter.

Kentucky Coffee Tree

The Kentucky Coffee Tree is a very popular option for shady landscaping. These trees grow slowly but eventually develop a massive oak-like structure, with gorgeous fall foliage and tiny summer flowers known to float on the wind. This tree is famous for its “pods” that develop and drop in later summer, which may take a bit of extra cleanup.

Burr Oak

The Burr Oak is a drought-tolerant oak specimen that can grow to be the largest tree on our list over time. In addition to the famous and beautiful oak leaves and acorns, the tree also has particularly interesting, wrinkled bark, which may become popular with local woodpeckers. After being established, these oaks are extremely hardy and are unphased by even harsh winters.

Ohio Buckeye

The Ohio Buckeye is famous for its pods that pop open to reveal rich, dark nuts. However, it’s also a very stately shade tree that looks beautiful on well-maintained properties and needs very little care. It also has an almost-perfect branch crown that looks amazing from a distance, making it a great property highlight.

To learn more about the trees and plants that work best with your local landscaping, or arrange to have some eco-friendly landscaping works done on your property, give us a call today at The Natural Way!