Trees for Alkaline Soil

Botanical Name

Common Name

Size

Comments

Acer saccharinum

Silver Maple

45-75’

Fast growing, brittle wood; yellow fall color; most conditions.

Aesculus glabra

Buckeye

20-40’

Attractive palmately compound leaves; yellow/orange/red fall color.

Berberis thunbergii

Barberry

2-5’

Spreads 2-5 ft.; colorful foliage in summer and fall.

Celtis occidentalis

Hackberry

40-60’

Large shade tree for tough sites.

Cotinus coggygria

Smokebush

6-15’

Produces showy smoky-silver to pink panicles July - Sept.

Cotoneaster lucidus

Cotoneaster

8-10’

Small pink flowers; black fruit; excellent for hedge and xeriscape.

Fraxinus pennsylvanica

Green Ash

40-60’

Vigorous growth habit.

Gleditsia triacanthos inermis

Honeylocust

30-60’

Thornless varieties are best; rapid grower; provides filtered shade.

Hydrangea arborescens

Hills of snow hydrangea

3-5’

Spreads 3-5 ft.; mop-head blooms of pink in alkaline soil.

Hydrangea paniculata

Panicle hydrangea

6-8’

Showy white to pinkish blooms in summer.

Juniperus horizontalis

Creeping juniper

1-2’

Excellent groundcover; tough and dependable on poor soils.

Juniperus chinensis

Chinese juniper

2-6’

Gold to green foliage depending on variety; best in full sun.

Ostrya virginiana

Ironwood

25-40’

Interesting hoplike fruits in fall and brown leaves add winter interest.

Pinus nigra

Austrian pine

50’

Spreads to 20 ft.; vigorous, dense grower; dark green.

Potentilla fruticosa

Bush cinquefoil

2-3’

Long bloom season; flowers white, pink, gold or yellow.

Prunus virginiana

Chokecherry

20-40’

Native tough smaller tree; white flowers in early spring.

Quercus macrocarpa

Bur oak

40-60’

Easy to grow; drought tolerant; long-lived.

Syringa vulgaris

Lilac

8-15’

Reliable, fragrant spring flowers.

Viburnum spp.

Viburnum

4-18’

Many excellent varieties; white flowers; colorful fall berries