Trees
"HE WHO PLANTS A TREE PLANTS A HOPE"
-Lucy Larcom
All trees and shrubs listed below are potted or balled and burlapped (B&B), branched, and nicely shaped. If windbreak/hedge plants are desired, see Windbreak page. When carrying trees in an open pickup or trailer, please bring sheets or tarps to protect leaves and buds during travel.
Ornamental & Shade Tree Catalog
Quaking Aspen
Excellent native tree for natural landscaping; delicate leaves "tremble" in the breeze; beautiful white bark; brilliant yellow fall color; extremely hardy and adaptable to soil types; available in single and multi-stem form; needs ample water; Montana native. (40-60')
Swedish Columnar Aspen
Columnar form excellent for screening or narrow locations; fast growing and very hardy. (30-40')
Paper Birch
Beautiful white bark; multi-stem form; needs moist, well drained soil; very hardy. (40')
Water Birch
Multi-stem form with shiny, cinnamon red bark; leaves yellow to orange-red in fall; attractive year-round; this has to be one of our favorite trees; prefers moist soil; Montana native. (25')
Ohio Buckeye
Hardy flowering shade tree with distinctive palmate leaves; vibrant fall color; performs best in deep, moist soil; grows beautifully in Big Timber area - one of our favorites, seldom found in nurseries in Montana; related to Horse Chestnut. (40')
Catalpa
Fast growing, upright large shade tree; white 2" flowers in June followed by fruit pods in summer; drought tolerant. (50-60')
Canada Red Cherry
Attractive maroon-red foliage on this small, very hardy tree makes this a good substitute for red-leaved maples where hardiness is essential; white, fragrant flowers in spring and red fruits in summer that birds love; drought tolerant; also available in shrub/multi-stem form. (20-25')
Amur Chokecherry
Exceptional small tree with white flowers followed by black berries birds devour; exfoliating golden bark beautiful in winter; available in single and multi-stem form. (20-30')
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Black/Balsam Cottonwood
(Populus trichocarpa): rapid grower and largest of the American cottonwood; used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition for dugout canoes; broad, dark green, shiny leaves; prefers moist sites; native to the western half of Montana. (75-90')
Lanceleaf Cottonwood
(Populus x acuminata): naturally occurring cross between Narrowleaf and Plains Cottonwood; native from Alberta to New Mexico; hardy to 6,000'; 4" long leaves shaped like the head of a spear turn yellow in fall. (40-50')
Narrowleaf Cottonwood
(Populus angustifolia): the predominant cottonwood along the Yellowstone River and its tributaries west of Billings; hardy to 10,000'; narrow leaves turn yellow in fall; tends to sucker. (60')
Plains Cottonwood
(Populus deltoides): large, fast growing cottonwood native to eastern MT and WY at lower elevations; many found along the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers; deeply furrowed barks gives it lots of character; broad triangular leaf with a flat bottom; defoliates later than most cottonwoods. (60-90')
Sargent Cottonwood
(Populus sargentii): fast growing, oval shaped and valued for its tall, straight growth habit; deep furrowed bark on older trees; ideal for those locations that tend to get early wet snows in the fall. (70')
Accolade Elm
Upright, spreading tree with beautiful glossy, dark green foliage turning golden yellow in fall; highly Dutch elm disease resistant. (60-70')
Brandon Elm
Selected from Manitoba for excellent winter hardiness; popular in boulevard plantings throughout the Canadian prairie provinces; stately vase-shaped form, rapid growth, and adaptable to many soil types. (60-70')
Prairie Expedition Elm
Also known as Lewis & Clark Elm. A tough, cold hardy variety from Fargo, North Dakota. Highly resistant to Dutch elm disease. Dark green foliage with vase shaped canopy. (50-60')
Princeton Elm
Fast growing, graceful, symmetrical branching; adaptable to extremes in pH, moisture, heat and wind; highly Dutch Elm disease resistant. (60-70')
Dolgo Flowering Crab
This tree is a fabulous ornamental with large, pure white flowers and has the added attraction of producing brilliant crimson fruits ideal for jelly making; extremely hardy; excellent pollinator for other apple and crabapple trees. (20-25')
Klehm's Bechtel Flowering Crab
Beautiful, fragrant, large pink double blossoms are loved by bees; blooms later than most flowering crab; minimal fruit. (20')
Gladiator Flowering Crab
Bright pink flowers followed by small reddish-purple fruit on a stately, upright crown; leaves glossy bronze-purple; ideal for space-challenged sites, including under power lines and as a small, boulevard tree; high disease resistance; seedling selection of Royalty; hardy to -50. (15-20')
Radiant Flowering Crab
Single, deep pink flowers and bright red, persistent, small fruit; leaves lustrous reddish, changing to green. (20')
Royal Raindrops Flowering Crab
Fragrant magenta flowers in mid spring; cut-leaf purple foliage; persistent red fruit in winter. (15-20')
Spring Snow Flowering Crab
This is the ideal tree for somebody who wants a profusion of flowers but no fruit; fragrant flowers are white and foliage is bright green; outstanding for its tidy, rounded shape. (25-30')
Hackberry
Very hardy fast growing tree; tolerant of drought and wind; unusual corky bark. (50-75') Tree available on special request, please contact us for details.
Crimson Cloud Hawthorn
Thornless variety with bright red flowers in spring; great tree for a smaller yard. (10-15')
Russian Hawthorn
Small, beautiful, drought tolerant tree excellent for xeriscaping and wildlife habitat; white flowers mature into bright red fruit; gnarled and irregular branching habit and ridged bark. (15')
Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn
Small, rounded, charming tree with white spring flowers and red fall berries; distinctive horizontal branching; thornless; year-round interest. (15-20')
Honeylocust
Graceful form with delicate leaves; spreading, open crown makes this tree, like all Honeylocusts, ideal for filtered sunlight, where light shade is desired; fast growing; thornless and mostly seedless. Imperial (35') and Northern Acclaim (45').
Sunburst Honeylocust
Medium sized tree with chartreuse green to golden yellow foliage in the summer; Thornless and seedless; Airy leaves provide dappled shade (35')
Dwarf Korean Lilac
Profuse, fragrant, lilac flowers cover this amazing small tree; beautiful accent plant – a real show stopper! (5-6')
Japanese Tree Lilac
Large creamy white blooms in June; glossy foliage; a fabulous specimen plant and Blake Nursery favorite; very hardy and trouble-free; single and multi-stem forms. (20-25')
American Linden
Rapid growing, large and stately shade tree; fragrant yellow flowers; very hardy. (60-80')
Greenspire Linden
Very tidy Little-Leaf Linden with perfectly straight trunk; spicy, fragrant flowers; makes ideal street tree, as pruning is seldom necessary. (40-50')
Redmond Linden
We're rather partial toward this distinctive cultivar - for years we've admired it thriving in Montana; tidy, pyramidal growth makes it an ideal street tree; attractive foliage turns bright yellow in fall; reddish stems appealing in winter; very hardy. (35-45')
Purple Robe Locust
Rounded shaped tree with long lasting vibrant purple pea-like flowers in late spring; drought tolerant and prefers sites with full sun; bronze green new foliage; cold hardy (40-50')
Amur Maackia
Smaller tree with rounded habit; tall spikes of fragrant white flowers in early summer; great tree for attracting pollinators; copper colored exfoliating bark as the tree matures; drought tolerant (20-30')
Amur Maple
Very hardy small tree; graceful, spreading branches; disease-free and drought-tolerant; excellent choice for xeriscape landscaping; fragrant flowers; seeds attract birds; brilliant red fall foliage; available in single or multi-stem form. (15-20') See Shrubs for compact varieties.
Autumn Blaze Maple
Silver and Red Maple hybrid; attractive oval shape with upright branching, striking red fall color, and rapid growth rate; adaptable to many soil types; one of best and hardiest maples for our area. (50-60')
Celebration Maple
Upright with strong uniform branching; better adaptability to higher pH soils that Autumn Blaze, but not as brilliant red in the fall. (40')
Norway, Emerald Queen Maple
Straight-trunked, spreading shade tree; rapid growth; does very well in our area - many beautiful specimens in Big Timber and Livingston; glossy green in summer turn yellow in fall. (50-60')
Norway, Helena Maple
This hardy maple was found growing in Helena, MT, a climate not known as being friendly to most maple varieties; yellow-orange fall foliage. (45-50')
Sienna Glen Maple
Attractive shade tree with pleasing form requires little pruning; rapid growth; excellent winter hardiness - less susceptible to frost cracking, sun scald and dieback; burgundy fall leaves. (60')
Tatarian Maple
High on our list of longstanding favorites because of extreme hardiness, manageable size, and attractiveness; white flowers followed by unusual coral samaras (winged fruit); striking, informal tree with abundant character; tolerant of various soil types; available in single or multi-stem form. (25')
European Mountain Ash
Attractive throughout the year with reddish bark, clusters of white flowers in spring and orange-red berries in autumn; if you like having birds around, you should certainly consider planting one or more; very hardy. (30')
Oakleaf Mountain Ash
Started from Wyoming collected seed; uniform shape; blossoms and fruit like other Mountain Ash; leaves lobed like English Oak. (30')
Showy Mountain Ash
Same delightful features as European Mountain Ash but smaller and even hardier; one of our favorite trees. (25')
Bur Oak
Wonderful shade tree with amber to crimson autumn color; acorns with mossy fringe, thus nicknamed "Mossycup" Oak; likes lots of sun; not particular about soil; native to eastern Montana; extremely hardy, drought resistant, and long lived; needs lots of space, plant this tree for the long haul. (70')
Northern Red Oak
Large shade tree with glossy, dark green foliage; numerous acorns in summer; leaves turn deep red in fall; faster growing than Bur Oak. (60-80')
Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry
Unusual and spectacular small tree with white spring flowers and brilliant red fall foliage; fruit attracts birds, and excellent for jam; available in single and multi-stem form; Blake Nursery favorite. (20-25')
Black Walnut
Magnificent shade tree with heaps of character---including distinctive nuts, bark and leaves; prefers deeper, moist soils found in the bottomlands along rivers and creeks; wood prized by cabinetmakers. (50-75')
Golden Willow
Graceful spreading habit; fast growing; excellent for screening; needs moist site; bark attractive and colorful in winter; very hardy. (50')