Talking Trees with Davey Tree

Best Spring Flowering Trees - Western U.S.

April 14, 2022 Season 2 Episode 14
Talking Trees with Davey Tree
Best Spring Flowering Trees - Western U.S.
Show Notes Transcript

Sean Hoes from Davey's South Denver office shares his favorite spring flowering trees for Colorado's climate, as well some planting tips for newly planted trees. 

In this episode we cover:

  • What flowering trees grow in Colorado? (0:45)
  • Chanticleer pear (1:24)
  • Denver's climate (2:45)
  • Northern catalpa (4:18)
  • Snow crabapple  (5:50)
  • Spring in Denver (7:23)
  • What Sean loves about his job (8:01)
  • Redbud (9:15)
  • Coming out of winter (10:31)
  • Golden rain tree (12:00)
  • Ornamental plum (14:19)
  • When spring plantings happen in Denver (15:13)
  • Watering a newly planted tree (16:35)
  • Hawthorn (17:51)
  • Fun part of Sean's job (19:15)

To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.

To learn more about when flowering trees bloom, read our blog, When Do Flowering Trees Bloom in Spring, Including Fruit Trees.
To continue reading about flowering trees, check out our other blogs on flowering trees.

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
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LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company

Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!

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Doug Oster: Welcome to the Davey Tree Expert Company's Podcast, Talking Trees. I'm your host, Doug Oster. Each week our expert arborists share advice on seasonal tree care, how to make your trees thrive, arborists favorite trees, and much, much more. Tune in every Thursday to learn more because here at The Talking Trees podcast, we know trees are the answer. I'm joined this week for part one of our best spring flowering trees. We're looking at the western US, basically Colorado. Sean Hoes is assistant district manager at a South Denver Davey tree expert in Colorado. How you doing, Sean?

Sean Hoes: I am doing very well today. It's nice to be here and nice to talk with you.

Doug: Let's talk right off the bat about what flowering trees grow in Colorado.

Sean: Actually grow, none or native actually. We've pretty much had to plant any kind of flowering tree that we would want, we would have to actually put it here, bringing it over from the east, the north, the south, bringing them over, making them work. We're in a high plains desert climate. A lot of the things are smaller trees that we've had to make them work. We have some evergreens that are mostly what native stuff is, there are some other trees, but no trees are actually flowering per se that we found here. We had to put them here.

Doug: What's the first one on your list that you love?

Sean: Looks wise, to me, probably get a little thing from other people, but I like the pears, especially the Chanticleer pears. They got nice, really, really, really showy white flowers. As soon as they start blooming, to me everyone can see them everywhere. Especially, they're all over. People plant them because they got the nice pretty flowers and everything. The flowers don't smell great though. [chuckles] That's what puts them off for a lot of people.

Doug: For that type of pear tree, how is the structure of it? Because we talk a lot about, or at least I've talked to arborists before about certain pear trees and they're down on like Bradford pears, just because out here on the east anyway, they're prone to cracking.

Sean: Yes. The ones that we have here, the Chanticleer pear and anything like that, they don't get as thick. Their included bark is usually what happens with Bradford peas like you mentioned. I started off in Dallas and we had Bradford peas, like you said, they would all the time split apart because the bark got too big. The structure of the Chanticleer pears, they go pretty straight up and they don't usually get super thick, so they're not pushing on each other too much. You're not as prone to breaking as some of the other Eastern species.

Doug: How would you explain the climate where you're at as far as how fast things are growing? Is it a fast-growing area, or what would you say?

Sean: I would definitely not say that. We're very dry climate. We don't get a lot of fast growth. We get a couple of inches to a foot depending on the species, the stuff we get. That's nice, but pretty much we're so dry that there's so much irrigation that needs to be done to keep trees watered, to keep them healthy. That's one of the reasons that we don't have a lot of the flowering is, just we don't have the right water to try to get the flowering species to go, as well as we have the freeze potentials that happen because we do get snow all the time, every once in a while.

We'll go from the nice really warm days in summer, and then go into the winter with the snow and everything. We get it all, but with just not a lot of moisture, is the main thing

Doug: In your part of Colorado, when is the latest you could possibly see snow?

Sean: Latest?

Doug: Yes.

Sean: Everyone always calls it the Mother's Day snow. We haven't had snow since maybe early March. I'll say we had so much snow in February. It was like every four or five days we had multiple inches of snow. We haven't had since, like I said, March. We're hoping we're out of the snow, but like I said, we usually expect one, late April, early May. We usually get one more and it's usually how it works out.

Doug: All right. Next tree on your list.

Sean: Northern Catalpa.

Doug: Oh wow. Cool.

Sean: I would say we don't have a ton of them here because like I said, got to get planted here. I love the big heart-shape leaves and then the big white flowers. Pretty much when those are flowering, everyone-- That's one tree that people really want. If you're just talking about flowers, they'll go with those and it makes sense because it just looks really nice.

Doug: Gosh. Growing up in Ohio, we had one right in the backyard. For that period of time, it was a very unusual tree. The big giant seed heads or seed pods on them too. Am I thinking right? Is this the right tree?

Sean: Yes, that's exactly. Yes.

Doug: Okay. That's a cool tree.

Sean: Oh yes. The seed pods is one thing that turns some people off, because they think they got to pick them up or whatever. That's just part of the tree. No tree's going to have every good bit of everything. Yes, you might have some fruit that you have to pick up every once in a while, but you get the nice flowers and the nice big leaves. To me, that's worth it if you ask me. [chuckles]

Doug: Sean, I think you're the first arborist that brought up Catalpa. That's pretty cool, and second on the list. This is exciting. How big does it get there in Colorado?

Sean: Probably not what you're seeing in Ohio. They can get pretty big. I'll say averagely we're seeing them the 30 to 40 feet, but they can definitely get much bigger.

Doug: That's about the size of the one that I grew up with.

Sean: All right.

Doug: Similar. All right. What's next on the list? This is fun.

Sean: Pretty much any type of crab tree, especially the snow crab, snow crab apples, everything. They got their big showy white flowers with the snow crab. Then you go to any other crab apple kind of stuff, you'll get the pink flowers. I will say, you see those everywhere here. That's something that, they're not a big tree, they get between 15 and 30 feet at the most. They're right about that 20 feet round.

To me, you see those everywhere, like I said. They got the nice flowers everyone's looking for. If you get the crab apples, you'll actually get the actual crab apple fruit that you'll have to pick up. That's kind of annoying. There's also apple trees that can grow here, not as many of them, but if you want the flowers, snow crab makes sense to me.

Doug: We've talked a lot about crab apples, especially when we're talking to arborists in the east. Do you have the same problems we have out here? We have got apple scab really bad here, but I'm wondering in your climate, do you battle it?

Sean: I wouldn't say we battle it. It happens every once in a while. The apple scab, it goes between the junipers and everything, which does happen. We go with fire blight, so we have to fight a lot more here.

Doug: Oh, okay.

Sean: Which I'm sure there is out east. The fire blight, it's definitely something that we have to make sure that-- Which is nice for winter pruning to making sure that we can prune trees in winter, making sure that we're keeping the fire blight as minimal as possible. That's main thing that we're fighting with apples.

Doug: When does your spring kick in big time or has it already?

Sean: I wouldn't say kicked in big time. Trees are just showing their leaves right now. I say like, just showing. We have especially talk about flowering trees, maples, which they don't really flower like everyone thinks they are. The bud swells that people think of, but they're actually the flowers of the tree. Those are showing really heavy right now. I'll say, just drove around, past couple of days and you can see the apples and the crab apples and everything. They're just showing the green leaves are just coming through. It's all just starting out.

Doug: Tell me a little bit about what you get out of your job working with trees and working with people.

Sean: I've always been an outdoors person. Since middle school I was in Boy Scouts and everything. Did the whole thing. Went to school in College East Texas, The Stephen F. Austin State University, on the lumberjacks, Axe 'em Jacks. Did that, got my degree in bachelor's in forestry. Started out Davey, Dallas. Was there for a couple years, had a great time. Started groundsmen, climbing trees, became a foreman. Switched out to Denver a couple years ago. Was doing same thing here. Doing PHC, moving up from there into SSC, Sales and Service Coordinator. Did the sales arborist whole thing like selling tree work, and now I'm the assistant district manager helping round the place. It's going really well. I love working outdoors. I love looking at trees. It's a weird thing to love, but I do do love trees.

Doug: Well, it's great to see another Boy Scout. I think that gives you a great foundation especially-

Sean: Definitely.

Doug: -for loving the outdoors and leadership, I think. What else do you want to talk about tree-wise?

Sean: We go with some trees that are less common, but people do plant them for the flowers. There's a red bud, which they don't get super tall here at all. They're usually much, much smaller. Again, the heart-shaped leaf, like the Catalpa, but you get the nice pink flowers and everything. To me, when those are flowering, they look great. Problem is if we get that Mother's Day freeze, those flowers can be gone almost immediately. That's one of the reasons, like I said, that we don't have a bunch of them is because we get that April or May freeze, the flowers, the buds, they're gone, and that's it.

Doug: On a red bud, how often would you say that happens where they freeze out, where they're only there for a short time?

Sean: I would say most of the time.

Doug: Well, that's the way it goes sometimes here in the east, and we've talked about this over the last couple weeks as we've got into our spring, magnolias for us are like that. It's just like we're seeing them burst out right now, and we're crossing our fingers because we could get the same thing. We could get that late spring freeze. Talk a little bit about coming out of winter and when you have a tough winter, just the rebirth and we're seeing the red buds and the crab apples and everything bloom. There's just nothing like it.

Sean: Yes, definitely. When things start flowering, and let's say if we have the perfect winter that it doesn't come late and everything. When we have the flowers like the species that we have, it's beautiful. All the colors we have get a little bit-- The green coming through and the leaves with the white and pink flowers coming through with different things. It all just looks great and I love the color.

A lot of stuff that people add here, more people worry about the fall color because that's more likely to happen. People plant different species going for the red colors going into fall, but the spring looks great when we get the nice hugely white flowers. Some pink flowers here and there, but it all looks really great honestly.

Doug: I'm still excited just that you talked about a Catalpa tree. I can't get that out of my head. Growing up with a Catalpa tree is so unusual and such a cool tree. Again we're always looking for something a little bit different to put into the landscape. A Catalpa could go a lot of different places in a lot of different regions, so you keep going on that list. I want to see how far you're going to go here. A lot of trees we've talked about already.

Sean: Good. Golden rain tree, if you've heard of that one.

Doug: I've heard of it, but you're going to have to school me on that one. Give me all the details on that one.

Sean: The reason called golden rain tree it's got these yellow flowers that are speckling off of it, so it looks like it's golden rain as it's coming down the flower. It's on a big stem with the flowers coming down. It looks really cool and got the normal light green leaves and everything, but the flower it's called golden rain. It literally looks like yellow flowers raining down right over you, and looks very, very cool honestly.

Doug: Sean, that's the second tree now that you've come up with. I've been doing this podcast for a while. That's the second tree that I think you're the first one to bring up. How big's that thing get and when do you get those blooms? That sounds amazing.

Sean: Usually they go sometime late spring. I'm going to call them midday maybe, and they'll stay there through summer some of them. The flowers will stay on there, but for the most part, you get the flowers come out, they look great. Whenever I see one, I make sure to always let the person know it's something we don't see too often. It's great to see. When I get someone that says they want flower tree, that's one of my first trees I offer. "Hey, do you want a nice yellow flower?" because it's something different. Like I said, we usually see white and pink. It's a different color which definitely adds to it.

Doug: Tell me a little bit about sighting that one. Where is the best spot for it? Man, that sounds cool.

Sean: Want a little bit of shade, a little bit of sun. Like I said, we're super dry, so making sure it's getting plenty of irrigation. If you get it in too much sun, it could just get soaked right out of it as the water just gets pulled right out. Making sure it's partial of both is a good way to put it. I wouldn't say next to a house, but a way that the shade of the house can help keep it there. They don't usually spread out heavily, so they're more straight up. It's not something you have to worry about like it's going to be over your house or anything like a bigger tree. They get, I'd say decent size. 20, maybe 30 feet and that's the average of most of our trees anyways.

Doug: Oh man, you're on a roll brother.

Sean: Good.

Doug: Are we still continuing? Are there still more trees on that list of yours?

Sean: I got a few more.

Doug: Geez.

Doug: Again, none of these are native. We're just planting them here. There's ornamental plums. They got some pinky flowers that go on, but what's nice is after the flowers go you got the purple leaves. It's at least a different color in the landscape overall. That's what I like to think of all four seasons of how things work especially with how we have the winter. If we have that late freeze, we have no flowers, well then we have no color. I have to think about every season, when I'm picking-- People ask me what kind of species I think, "Well, what are you looking for? You looking for color? Are you looking for color in the fall, summer, spring? What are you looking for?"

That's the kind of thing I think of at least, and so that adds to it.

Doug: When does your spring tree planting start in earnest or has it?

Sean: Very, very soon. It's usually late April into May and through May. If you start planting into June, you're taking some risk of some of them dying. Just the heat immediately with the planting shock, but I would say late April into May. Usually, people say May 1st through 15th is a good thing, but for the fact that we have the late winters some people don't even turn the irrigation on till about mid-May. We try to work with that when we're doing plantings.

Doug: For spring planting in your climate, how important is watering through the season?

Sean: Beyond important.

Doug: Wow.

Sean: I always tell everyone that the first year is the most important with keeping it watered. Anytime you can get a sprinkler on it. Even if your irrigation's running, if you could get a sprinkler just to add a little more water, that would always be helpful. That first year is super, super important. Especially as we go through the summer and then we get into the winter. If you can water in the winter is always preferred because even when we get snow, it's so dry that it's not even going to like soak down and give the tree anything.

Hand watering is a thing we try to recommend, and it's not always the best thing to do, but it's what you got to do.

Doug: Can you give me an idea on how much water I should be putting on a tree? On a newly planted tree. I know it has to depend on the sun and the site and the size of the tree, but how do I know if I'm putting enough water on it?

Sean: Like you said, it all would depend on the species, the placement, yadda yadda, all those things, but the main thing would be the amount of gallons. We always talk about overall with trees with the amount of diameter of the tree, about 10 gallons per inch of the tree. You put new planted tree usually roughly around two inches. Doing about 20 gallons a week would be the minimum I would say, especially with a new planted tree which that can be a lot more as the tree gets bigger and everything, but making sure it's getting plenty and plenty of water.

It's one of those things that people ask me how much I give them amount of numbers, and then I usually just say as much as you can because even in summer we get little to no rain. It's pretty dry all the time. Just if you can get water to it, it would be preferred multiple, multiple gallons would be my answer.

Doug: Did you just yada yada me through our tree 

Sean: I'm so sorry.

Doug: [laughs] Anything else on the list, Sean?

Sean: It would be little ones that are here like a hawthorn tree. Cox bur hawthorn and Russian hawthorns they get the white and sometimes pink flowers. They don't usually get super big, so it's one of those things if someone says they want a flowering tree just right next to their patio, that's something I would recommend because it gives a little bit of shade for them, but also the flowers would be more at their head height so they can just see them right there.

It's a little tree that I recommend to people because like I said, they don't get super tall. It's a way that they just stay right there, get the flowers, and then you'll have some fruit that might get some birds that'll come by, and that usually adds a little more to that as well.

Doug: I don't know much about hawthorns yet. I hear arborists talk about them often. Is it a tough tree?

Sean: Oh yes. They're actually pretty drought tolerant, which is something that really helps with us because we don't get much moisture at all. Getting the drought-tolerant species really does help. The only thing to worry about them is they're called hawthorn for a reason. There's definitely thorns on them. You even go to the nursery and they'll say that they're thornless and then that turns out to be wrong. It happens all the time, but for the most part they're nice, pretty hearty trees for here, and I think they work really well.

Doug: Sean, before I let you go, and that was a great list of trees and boy some unique stuff in there, really cool. Tell me a little bit about the thing that you get the most out of from your job. What's the funnest thing?

Sean: The most fun would honestly just being outdoors talking to people about their trees. I do really enjoy teaching people about their trees. Anytime I go to someone's house I just ask like, "Do you know what kind of tree you have?" That's what I always ask because if they don't know, I'm like, "Oh, I can totally go into any detail that they want depending on what they're really interested in." I definitely like to teach people what I've learned over my multiple years with the tree business overall. It's just, like I said, I really, really like trees. [laughs]

Doug: Oh, that's so great. Give me the name of that golden tree again. I'm looking that [crosstalk]

Sean: Golden rain tree.

Doug: Golden rain tree?

Sean: Yes.

Doug: All right. I'm going to look that one up. I think that's something I'm going to have to find a spot for if it's hardy in my area and I think it is.

Sean: I would bet so.

Doug: All right, thanks again for your time and what a wonderful, unique, great list of trees, Sean. Thanks.

Sean: Thank you for having me. Thank you.

Doug: What a great start to our two-part series. Next week we'll dig deep into the best flowering trees for the eastern part of the country. Tune in every Thursday to the Talking Trees podcast from the Davey Tree Expert Company. I'm your host, Doug Oster. I'd love it if you would subscribe to the podcast. Where else are you going to have this kind of fun? Right? [chuckles] As always, we like to remind you on the Talking Trees podcast, trees are the answer.

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