Native Trees that Please
Serviceberry, with its clusters of showy, white blossoms, is a welcome harbinger of spring, though lesser known than the eastern dogwood. It is sometimes called “shadblow” or “shadbush” because historically its bloom has coincided with the early spring migration of shad into coastal rivers. Serviceberry’s flowers often appear earlier than those of eastern dogwood. Blooms are followed by edible, reddish-to-purple berries, which may be used in jams, jellies and pies. Serviceberry is adaptable to a range of exposures and soil types, from sun to partial shade and moist to dry soil. The species Amelanchier canadensis has a low, shrubby form, and may grow 6 to 20 feet tall. Amelanchier arborea (downy serviceberry) and laevis (Allegheny serviceberry) grow taller, 15 to 25 feet.
Paw paw, a small tree (12 to 30 feet) of tropical lineage, produces 3- to 6-inch yellow fruits with a creamy texture and a flavor that resembles bananas, mangos or papayas. The palatability of wild fruits varies, but named cultivars should produce consistently tasty fruit. To ensure cross-pollination necessary for fruiting, two unrelated species should be planted together. Fruit ripens in autumn. Native to the eastern United States, paw paws can tolerate light to moderate shade, but fruit production is greater in full sun. Some protection from sun is critical in the first year or two for young transplants—this can be done with artificial shelters. Moist, slightly acidic soil is best. The tree can adapt to low-lying, wet areas where other trees don’t thrive.
River birch is especially handsome in winter, when its peeling bark shows to best advantage. Depending on variety, the bark may be white, brown, cinnamon or orange in color. Though it occurs naturally in moist environments, river birch is also adaptable to drier soils. Its graceful form is attractive year-round. Wild species grow 40 to 70 feet. A dwarf variety, ‘Little King’, grows to only 10 feet and makes an excellent specimen plant. An exciting new weeping form, ‘Summer Cascade’, was discovered by nurserymen in North Carolina and is now widely available. Left untrained, it develops a shrubby form with layers of arching branches. It can also be staked or trained to form a central trunk of desired height.