Home Owners Association - They may have a specific list of trees that you are allowed to plant in your yard or along your street.
City Parks or Forestry Department - Each city along the front range has a list of tree and shrub recommendations that thrive in our climate. Some cities have lists of trees that you are not allowed to plant in your yard.
Cold Hardiness - We are in Zone 5. Any plant designated for zone five, four, three, two or one is plenty cold hardy here. All of the trees and shrubs sold at Tagawa Gardens Nursery are plenty cold hardy in our area.
Heat Hardiness - Example, Quaking Aspen are plenty cold hardy for our elevation but they are not heat hardy for our elevation. The summers at our elevation are too hot for Aspen trees. Aspen would much rather be planted at 9000' to 10,000' elevation where the summers are cooler. Aspen will survive but they will not thrive at our elevation.
Sun Exposure-*** There are many plants that will bake and die if you plant them in full sun at our elevation. Japanese Maples, for example, grow beautifully in full sun in Ohio where I'm from. They don't do so well in full sun at our elevation in Colorado. The variety of plants that die in full sun in Colorado is too long to list. At Tagawa Gardens we call them "Shade Plants". Please be aware that some plant stores sell shade plants as full sun plants.
Moisture - If all of the irrigation systems in your neighborhood drain into your yard (I've seen this a lot) and everything you plant seems to die you may have to plant Willows, Elderberry, Cottonwood, Dogwoods, Birch and Boxelder Maple. Many homeowners are choosing to plant trees and shrubs that require little water once established. Ask the proffesionals at Tagawa Gardens about water requirements for the tree or shrub you're planting.
Ornamental Tree vs. Shade Tree- The word "ornamental" is a very general term used to describe trees that have some sort of obvious ornamental value. In general, ornamental trees are small (8'-20' tall and 8'-20' wide), and may have a pretty flower or interesting bark and leaf, bright fall color, or seed heads that are colorful, or fruit that is colorful. Most ornamental trees are used as a focal point for the landscape. Ornamental trees can provide shade but shade is not their main function. Shade trees are trees such as Maples, Oaks, Lindens, Catalpas and Locusts that grow to huge sizes and provide large amounts of shade for the house or yard.
