TREE LIST 2026

Our tree selection changes daily when it’s planting time – please call us at (217)-322-6644 for pricing and to confirm availability!

 

MAPLES

  • Acer x freemanii:  Freeman maple cultivars ‘Autumn Blaze’, ‘Celebration’, ‘Matador’: 50’60’ feet tall, 40’ wide. Hybrid silver and red maple.  Ascending branch habit, rapid growth rate, drought tolerant, adaptable to most soils.  Fall color is an excellent orange/ red fall color.
  • Acer rubrum: Red Maple (cultivars): 50’ tall, 30-40’ wide, brilliant red/ orange fall color.  Umbrell shaped, dense canopy. Can tolerate but does not love heavy clay soils.
  • Acer saccharum: Sugar Maple :50-75’ tall, 50’ spread.  Upright and rounded.  Rich yellow to red fall color.  Slow to medium growth rate, and very hardy.  Prefers rich, well drained soil.  Fabulous fall color.
  • Acer griseum: Paperbark Maple: 20-30’tall, 10-15’ spread, upright oval.  Rich, red-brown exfoliating bark, beautiful all year long, especially in winter.  Fall color is green/brown.  Slow growing but well worth the wait.
  • Acer palmatum: Japanese Maple: 12-20’ tall, 15-20’ spread, Rounded, Burgundy red foliage.  Accent or specimen tree.  Prefers a protected location and a moist, well-drained soil, and some shade.  Protect from winter wind.

 

OAKS

  • Quercus alba: White Oak: 60-80’ tall, 60-80’ spread, state tree of Illinois, russet red fall color (only one of the white oak group), leaves tend to persist over winter when young.  Can tolerate sandy and clay soils but is not tolerant of wet sites.  Mildly shade tolerant.
  • Quercus bicolor:  Swamp White Oak: 50-60’ tall and 40-50’ spread.  Commonly found in flat, wet woods.  Symmetrical, rounded habit.  Fall color is yellow to brown.  Very adaptable and durable.
  • Quercus macrocarpa: Bur Oak:60-80’ tall and wide, rounded, open canopy.  Very tolerant of heavy clay soils. Can grow in upland and bottomland soils. Asymmetrical growth habit.  Attractive corky bark that is deeply furrowed.  A very stately tree.
  • Quercus muehlenbergi:  Chinkapin Oak (Chinquapin): 50-80’ tall, 50-60’ wide.  Leaves are unusual in that they are not lobed but have serrated teeth along their margins.  Very drought resistant and  is tolerant of high pH.  Small acorns that are ebony in color and not messy.  Bark and structure is very similar to white oak.
  • Quercus palustris: Pin Oak: 60-70’ tall, 45’ wide, Pin Oaks love wet feet, and unfortunately it is often misplaced in our landscapes.  The yellowing of the leaves during the mid-summer months is due to it being placed on a site that is not suited to it.  The lower branches of pin oak are pendulous and it has a tightly branched crown.  Fall color of red, to yellow to orange.  If the tree is improperly placed, the fall color will be light brown.
  • Quercus prinus: Chestnut Oak: 50-70’ tall and 50-70’ wide.  Easily grown in average to dry soils, that are well-drained.  Tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions. Another common name for this oak is the rock oak because of its ability to thrive in dry rocky soils.  The common name of chestnut oak comes from the chestnut like bark on mature trees (dark brown/black and coarsely furrowed) A very  low maintenance, long lived tree.
  • Quercus rubra: Red Oak: 50-80’ tall, 40-80’ wide, pyramidal shape in youth, rounded at maturity.  Glossy, dark green foliage with fabulous red fall color.  One of the most shade tolerant oaks, making it easier to establish under existing trees.  The foliage is dense and persistent into winter.
  • Quercus velutina: Black Oak: 40-60’ tall, 20-30’ wide, leaves are very similar to Red Oak but fall color on Black Oak is tan-brown.  Very durable, and tolerant of poor soils, especially sand and gravel.

 

SMALL TREES

  • Aesculus pavia: Red Buckeye: 12-15’ tall and wide.  Easily grown in average soils. Clump forming large shrub, small tree.   Showy, red flowers appear in spring – they are attractive to hummingbirds and many pollinators. Foliage will scorch in dry conditions and can completely defoliate in drought.
  • Amelanchier: Serviceberry:  20-25’ tall, small, blue-green foliage turning brilliant red-orange in fall.  White flowers in spring, followed by a reddish/purple fruit.  Attractive light gray bark.  Prefers a well-drained site.
  • Asiminia triloba:  Common PawPaw: 15-20’ tall and 10-15’ wide,  long (up to a foot) dark green, leaves create a tropical feel, silvery smooth bark, early in the spring it produces deep purple flowers that hang like velvety bells.  The fruit is edible and no longer than 6”, ripens in the fall.  Must have more than one tree for cross pollination and good fruit set.  Can tolerate sun or shade – but prefers a part shade location.
  • Carpinus caroliniana:  American Hornbeam, Blue Beach:  15-20’ tall and 10-15’ wide.  Smooth, gray, fluted bark.  Flowers are catkins and are not highly visible.  The fruit is papery and hangs in clusters.  Fall color can be red, yellow and orange.  Very adaptable to a variety of soils.  In full sun the tree will be very symmetrical and formal upright character.  In the shade, it will have a looser, more informal shape.
  • Castanea dentata ‘Dunsten’:  Grows 40-60’ tall, 30-40’ wide, Full sun, catkins in May-June, nuts produced September/October.  Requires pollinator- generally recommended to plant at least 2 Dunstens.  Spiny hulls encase the chestnut.
  • Cercis canadensis: Eastern Redbud:  15’ tall, 10’ wide, outstanding understory or woodland edge tree.  Bright pink, edible flower are fabulous in the spring and mark the beginning of morel mushroom season!  Grows very quickly, and is tolerant of a variety of mesic soils.  It hates wet feet!
  • Coruns alternifolia: Pagoda Dogwood, 15’-25’ tall, 20-30’ wide, yellowish flowers in June.  Fragrant. Full sun to part shade. Native and great for birds!  Blue-black drupe produced in late summer.  Good fall color.
  • Cornus florida: Flowering Dogwood:  15-30’ tall.  White flowers in  April/May.  Full sun to part shade.  Must have well drained soil.  Red Fruits in Autumn.  Good Fall color.  It is advisable to prepare a planting bed a year or two ahead- create a small mound with well drained, organic soil and add soil Sulphur to lower the pH.
  • Cornus kousa: Kousa Dogwood:  15-30’ tall and wide.  Dark green foliage, Creamy white flowers, Prefers a well- drained, somewhat acidic soil in part shade.
  • Cornus mas: Cornelian Cherry Dogwood: Grows 15- 25’ tall and 15’ wide.  Full sun to part shade.  Yellow flowers in March.  Cherry like fruits are edible and attractive to birds. Valued for its early spring blooms, and attractive fruit production.  Can be used in a shrub border, naturalized or in a foundation planting as a small tree.
  • Crataegus virdis ‘Winter King’: Winter King Hawthorn:  Grows 25-35’ tall, 25-35’ wide.  Full sun.  White flowers in May, Orange berries in fall.  Fabulous fall color.  Easy to grow in most soils.  Native to southeastern United States.  Winter King is a more disease resistant cultivar, noted for its profuse blooms, larger fruits, attractive bark and fall color.  Largely spineless. Very adaptable and tolerant of adverse conditions.
  • Euonymus atropurpureus:  Wahoo: 10-20’ tall and 8-10’ wide.  Can be single or multi-stemmed.  Full sun, tolerant of heavy clay soils.  Appreciates protection from wind.  Another common name is “native burning bush”- because of its spectacular red fall color. Rosy colored, Christmas ornament-like fruit – makes a great specimen plant!
  • Magnolia:  ‘Ann’:  8-10’ tall, 10’ spread, later bloom time (mid-April- May),  Lightly scented red-purple, 7-9” flowers that emerge from tapered buds.  Adaptable to a variety of soils.
  • Magnolia kobus var. loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’:  Leonard Messel Magnolia:  15-20’ tall, 20-25’ wide.  Fragrant fuschia-pink flowers are 12-15 petaled and are 4-6” across.  Adaptable and reliable.
  • Magnoila virginiana:  Sweetbay Magnolia:30-35’ tall, 15-20’ wide.  Yellowish/white flowers in June.  Deep green foliage is nearly evergreen in warmer zones.  Full sun or part shade.  Can tolerate moist soils.
  • Magnolia ‘Butterflies’:  15-20’ tall, 10-15’ wide.  Large, creamy yellow flowers in April. Full Sun to Part Shade. Pyramidal in habit. Leaves emerge after flowering. Dark green somewhat glossy foliage.  Excellent specimen tree.
  • Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’: 20-35’ tall, 12-20’ wide.  Large, creamy yellow, fragrant flowers in April.  Full sun to Part Shade. Flowers before leaves emerge.  Pyramidal to oval in habit.  Dark green foliage.  Excellent Specimen tree.
  • Magnolia ‘Galaxy’:  20-35’ tall 10-15’ wide.  Rose pink to reddish purple flowers flowers in April, fragrant.  Full sun to part shade. Pyramidal habit, blooms 2-3 weeks later than early magnolias so generally avoids flowers being frosted.  Medium green oval leaves are attractive all season.  Excellent specimen plant.
  • Malus ’Dolgo’: Grows 25’ tall and 20’ wide, Full sun, white flowers in spring.  Large, Edilbe red fruits, attractive to birds and pollinators. Used as an accent, in a shrub border.  Disease resistant & very hardy.
  • Malus ‘Prairifire’: Prairifire Crabapple: 15-20’ tall, 20’ wide,  upright, becoming rounded with age.  Red-purple flower. Maroon fruit that is 3/8”-1/2” and is persistent into winter.  The fruit is a great late winter food source for birds.  Disease resistant cross by the University of Illinois.  Blooms later than most crabs.  The bark is glossy red and the fruit does not drop.
  • Malus ‘Donald Wyman’:  Donald Wyman Crabapple: 20’ tall and 25’ wide, Upright in youth, rounded at maturity. White flowers, red 3/8” fruit that is persistent.  Glossy, dark green foliage, disease resistant.
  • Malus ‘Royal Raindrops’:  Royal Raindrops Crabapple:  20’ tall and 15’ wide.  Abundant magenta pink blossoms that stand out against reddish-purple, cutleaf foliage.  Better summer color than most red-leaved crabapples.  Shows good resistance to fireblight.
  • Sassafras albidum:  Common Sassafras: 20-30’ tall, 15-25’ wide, Polymorphic leaves- three different leaf shapes- the mitten, the ghost and the football- are a sassafras trademark.  Tea, candy and rootbeer are made from its aromatic leaves and roots.  Fantastic fall color of yellow, orange and red.  Prefers full sun and good soil but will tolerate a heavy clay soil as long as it is well drained.  Sassafras can sucker.
  • Staphylea trifolia:  Bladdernut:  Grows 15-20’ tall, Partial to full shade, White flowers in May.  Large shrub, small tree.  Native to upper Midwest, Flowers are great for pollinators, lobed seed pod formed after flowering.
  • Syringa reticulata: Japanese Tree Lilac: 25’ tall and wide, compact crown.  Creamy white flowers in June.  Tends to flower biannually.  Dark green foliage.  Very few disease problems.

 

SHADE TREES

  • Aesculus glabra:  Ohio Buckeye:  30-50’ tall, 20-30’ wide.  Easily grown in average soils.  Prefers moist, fertile soils, but tolerates heavy clay.  Foliage will tend to scorch in dry conditions and can completely defoliate in drought.  Yellow flowers in spring are attractive to bees, and other pollinators.  Fall color is clear yellow. Sole producer of the lucky buckeye.
  • Betula nigra:  Heritage River Birch:  30-40’ tall, and 20-30’ wide.  Fast growing birch with exfoliating cinnamon to brown bark.  Prefers moist, acidic, fertile soils including semi-aquatic conditions, but also tolerates drier conditions.  Adapts well to heavy clay soils and will tolerate poor drainage.  Leathery, diamond-shaped, medium to dark green leaves with toothed margins.  Yellow fall color.
  • Carya illoiensis:  Pecan:  60-80’ tall, 30-50’ wide.  Upright, straight with strong branching.  Landscape potential of this tree is largely overlooked.  Great shade tree, very durable and adaptable- plus you get pecans!
  • Carya ovata:  Shagbark Hickory: 40-60’ tall, 25-35’ wide.  Very slow growing plant.  Prefers to have shade when it is young. The shaggy bark that is characteristic of this plant develops with age.  Yellow fall color.
  • Catalpa speciosa:  Northern Catalpa:  40-50’ tall, 30-40’ wide.  Pure white blossoms in late May.  Large, heart-shaped leaves, fast growing shade tree.  Fruit is a long pod.  Very adaptable, durable and dependable tree.
  • Celtis occidentalis:  Hackberry:  50-60’ tall and 40-50’ wide.  Very adaptable tree, wet/dry soils in full sun.  Susceptible to nipple gall which produces a gall on the foliage.  This is not a problem for the tree.  Growth rate is very fast in youth, slowing as it matures.  The bark is corky and rough in texture.  Fall color is yellow.
  • Diospyros virginiana:  Persimmon:  30-40’ tall and 10-25’ wide.  Dioecious (meaning male and female flowers are found on separate trees) – you must have both male and female trees to have fruit.  It is difficult to determine the sex of the tree until the 4th year.  The yellow-orange fruit is edible in the fall.  Persimmon is moderate in growth, tolerates light shade but prefers full sun and good garden soil.  Yellow fall color.  Bark is brown/black and broken into beautiful, scale-like blocks.
  • Ginkgo biloba:  Ginkgo, Maiden-hair tree:  50’ tall and 30’ wide.  Upright shade tree with a symmetrical conical form.  Fruit on a female has a distinct odor.  Must have male and female to produce fruit.  Yellow fall color- leaves will drop in a single day in the fall.
  • Gymnocladus dioicus: Kentucky Coffeetree:  40-60’ tall, 30-50’ wide.  Picturesque habit with deeply furrowed, scaly bark and stout branches.  Very coarse, but handsome tree in winter.  Very adaptable, if male and female are present it will produce mahogany colored seed pods that are long and leathery.
  • Liquidambar styraciflua: Sweet Gum:  65’ tall and 60’ wide.  Also known as the gum ball tree- whether you love them or hate them this tree is worthy of being grown in the landscape.  Attractive corky bark and upswept branches make it an ideally shaped shade tree. The fall color is spectacular – a fireworks display of red, orange, and yellow that lasts until a hard frost.  It is native to flood plains but will tolerate urban conditions.
  • Liriodendron tulipifera:  Tuliptree: 60-90’ tall, 20-40’ wide.  A stately shade tree with unique, attractive foliage.  The flowers are whitish-green with a yellow throat and are produced with the foliage.  The fall color is a good yellow.  A great choice for narrow spaces, or as a large specimen.
  • Nyssa sylvatica :  Black Tupelo/Sour Gum: 30-40’ tall, 25-35’ wide.  Silvery bark, can tolerate a wet or dry soil.  Prefers full sun and good garden soil.  Fall color on Nyssa is nothing short of fantastic.  Glossy red-orange fall color.  Dark blue fruit is produced and devoured by birds in September.
  • Ostrya virginiana:  Ironwood, American Hop-Hornbeam: 20-30’ tall, 20-30’ wide. The fruit of this specimen looks like hops.  Fairly fast growing in our rootbags.  Makes a beautiful, low- branched specimen in the landscape and can be massed together for screening.  Ostrya tends to hold its leaves through the winter months.  Fall color is a golden yellow.
  • Platanus x acerfolia ‘Bloodgood’:  Planetree : 90’ tall and 45’ wide.  Very tolerant of adverse soils, air pollution, heat and drought.  A rapid growing tree that has cream, olive and brown exfoliating bark.  Fall color is yellow.
  • Platanus x acerfolia ‘Exclamation’: 60’ tall and 45’ wide.  Pyramidal canopy.  This stately tree was selected for its strong, central leader, dense, upright pyramidal shape and attractive foliage.  Tolerant of adverse soil, air and drought conditions.  Attractive exfoliating bark.  Fall color is yellow.
  • Prunus serotina:  Black Cherry: 50-60’ tall and 30-40’ wide.  Fast growing tree that has white flowers in the spring.  Produces an abundance of fruit which the birds relish making it a tree to use away from a patio, sidewalk or parking lot.  The bark resembles potato chips.  Will flourish in good garden soil and full sun.
  • Taxodium distichum:  Bald Cypress: 40-50’ tall and 20-30’ wide.  Deciduous conifer.  It enjoys being planted on the edge of a lake or stream or anywhere that water tends to stand.  It will also grow in a high and dry situation.  Brown-orange exfoliating bark, soft green foliage, and a gorgeous, russet-orange fall color make this an excellent choice for the landscape.
  • Tilia Americana:  American Linden/Basswood: 50-70’ tall and 40-50’ wide.  Large heart-shaped leaves, fragrant flowers.  Grows best in full sun and average soils.  Will tolerate some shade.  The leaves are soft to the touch and the fall color is a nice yellow.
  • Ulmus parvifolia ‘Zettler’:  Lacebark Elm:  40-50’ tall, 25-40’ wide.  Fast growing shade tree with small foliage and fantastic exfoliating bark.  Prefers full sun but will tolerate light shade, and is adaptable to poor soils and wet and dry sites.  The bark flakes with grays, cream, orange, brown and green. Fall color is yellow.
  • Ulmus x ‘Morton Glossy’:  Triumph Elm:  60’ tall and 35-40’ wide.  Upright shade tree with glossy, deep green foliage.  Strong branching habit and excellent disease resistance.  A Morton Arboretum/Chicagoland Grows introduction.  Yellow Fall color.

 

EVERGREENS

  • Juniperus virginiana:  Eastern Red Cedar:30-65’ tall and 10-25’ wide.  Easily grown in average, dry to moist, well-drained soils in full sun.  Very adaptable  and although it prefers moist soils, it has the best drought tolerance of any conifer native to the eastern US.  Broadly conical, dense evergreen.  Gray to reddish brown bark exfoliates in thin, shreddy strips on mature trees.   Dark, blue-green scale like foliage.  Female trees produce round, blue-gray-blackish-green berry-like cones.  The berry-like cones are attractive to many birds.  Cedar apple rust can appear on the tree but is problematic only  for the person, and not the tree itself.
  • Picea abies:  Norway Spruce: 40-60’ tall and 25-30’ wide.   Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun.  Large, pyramidal evergreen conifer.  Primary branches are slightly upturned but secondary branches become pendulous as the tree matures.  Deep green, spirally arranged needles.  Cylindrical seed bearing cones are pendulous.
  • Pinus stobus:  Eastern White Pine:  50-80’ tall and 20-40’ wide.  Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun.  Prefers full sun, fertile soils very intolerant of heavy clay soils especially when wet.  Intolerant of air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and ozone.  A rapid growing, long needled evergreen that is native to the northeastern part of the US.  It is pyramidal in youth becoming broad oval and picturesque with age.  Blue green needles are soft to the touch.  Cylindrical brown cones.

 

INVASIVE SPECIES

At Boehm’s Garden Center we are passionate about the environment.  We grow many native species from locally collected seed.  This means that when you purchase a tree/shrub/perennial/grass from us- you can rest assured that we have researched its environmental impact.  This means that there are some species we won’t grow or sell to you.  These species have been scientifically proven to have a negative environmental impact.  Following is a list of trees that may be commonly sold in other garden centers, nurseries, or box stores that you won’t find here.

  • Acer platanoides- Norway Maple and its cultivars like ‘Royal Red’ and ‘Crimson King’
  • Pyrus calleryana – Callery Pear and its cultivars like ‘Autumn Blaze’, ‘Chanticleer’
  • Euonymus alatus: Burning Bush
  • Berberis thunbergii: Japanese Barberry