Branch Out with These Unique Trees for a More Diverse Landscape

Craig Stone, assistant district manager at Davey's South Pittsburgh office, talks about unique trees that can increase landscape diversity, along with key characteristics homeowners should consider when selecting the right tree for their yard. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Silverbell trees (0:55)
• Diversity in our landscape (1:53)
• Client responses to unique species recommendations (2:25)
  • Characteristics for homeowners to consider (3:18)
• Magnolias (5:32)
  • Where should you plant a magnolia tree? (9:01)
  • Can Southern magnolias survive in Pittsburgh's climate? (10:21)
• Stewartia trees (11:20)
• Dogwood trees (12:14)
  • Where should you plant a dogwood tree? (14:03)
• Sentimental value of trees (14:36)
• How did Craig become an arborist? (15:38)
• Black gum trees (16:49)

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

To learn more about unique tree species, read our Tree Selection Guide blogs. 

Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company 

Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. 

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

Transcript

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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 excited to welcome Craig Stone to the program. He's an assistant district manager from the South Pittsburgh office of the Davey Tree Expert Company. Craig and I have worked together on several projects and have talked to each other on my radio show. Today, we're talking all about unique trees to plant for diversity. How are you doing, Craig?

Craig Stone: Doing well.

Doug: This all came up because we had talked on the radio show about something called silverbells, right? It's a tree I'd never heard of. Fill us in.

Craig: The Latin name is Halesia, I believe, is how you pronounce that. It's a very unique tree. A lot of people probably have seen it before, just haven't realized exactly what it is. A lot of times, we're getting into these trees that want to be a little more fit to the property, the right tree, the right place. This tree achieves that. It's objective with not overwhelming the property, awesome, beautiful flowers. It's just a great tree that is very unique.

Doug: How big does it get?

Craig: I'd say on average, probably 30 feet. Most are a little bit smaller than I've seen and worked with. I do know that in their native area, a little more southern, I think in the sandier soils, they can get a little larger, maybe 40 feet at max. On average, I'd say 30 feet could be what you could expect.

Doug: Let's just talk a little bit about diversity in our landscape.

Craig: Diversity is everything. Diversity is natural in the landscape. We try to mimic that as much as we can, getting into plantings and educating homeowners on the benefits with diversity. If you have a disease or an insect that affects the type of tree and you have a monoculture of that same species, you know exactly what's going to fall in place.

Doug: When you do offer something unique, what is the response in general from the clients?

Craig: Usually very intrigued. Google is my best friend on this. Pull out a Google search, quick image, and let them know, "Here's some characteristics," and then we can actually get into the best location on the property. Is it a replacement tree? Is it in addition to the current landscaping? Different things like that. Then we start to get in more to that design and layout, and then what the homeowner can expect over the next 15, 20 years in the landscape.

Doug: Of course, as you said, you've got to see the site and you've got to match the tree to the site. That's what we do here on the podcast.

Craig: [laughs] Yes. The right tree in the right place is everything. Oftentimes, that is not what happens, and that's why I think I get invited out to the property to begin with.

Doug: When you're thinking about unique trees and diversity, what else is on your list?

Craig: My list remains rather large. I try to just ask questions. Normally, I ask clients, "Give me some characteristics that you want this tree to have," whether it be size. I'm still very intrigued with 20 feet. To most people, it's pretty much the same, but sometimes homeowners will say, "It's about 20 feet," and it's over their 3 or 4-story house. Obviously, not 20 feet. I do try to reference fixed points on a home when dealing with certain homeowners that maybe are leading me to think that they're not 100% sure what 20 feet or 30 feet may look like.

It's awesome to come up with a game plan, diversify some things, and know that the homeowner is getting exactly what they want. They've listed out a handful of characteristics, I've provided three or four options, and then we just process of elimination through it.

Doug: Oh, I think that's interesting about the height thing because people don't know what 20 or 30 feet is, and they just will throw out a number. Then you'll be saying, "Well, actually, that tree gets 70 feet tall."

[laughter]

Craig: I had to learn the hard way one time. I just, again, learned from my mistakes. That was something that I took, I guess, for granted, and I learned the hard way.

Doug: When you do find the right tree, right place, what are some trees that you love to recommend that might be a little bit off the beaten path?

Craig: The silverbell is one. That was just one that I remember coming into the industry, a few clients had when I was working under other arborists, and asking other arborists, "What is this tree? I've never seen it before." Then falling in love with, obviously, some of the magnolias are beautiful trees. The downfall is their blossoms may last two weeks out of the year because they're early flowering.

Doug: Let's talk about magnolias a little bit because I've got one of the older ones, the older that was here when I moved in almost 30 years ago. It's a stunning tree when I can get blooms off it because the buds swell and then, boom, we get a frost and I don't get flowers that year at all. I'm sure there's all sorts of new varieties that bloom a little later. I've seen some yellow ones. Again, I think with a magnolia, you correct me if I'm wrong, there's lots of different shapes, sizes, colors, and that sort of thing.

Craig: Absolutely. There's all different kinds of cultivars. We live in that day and age now where there's a constant ongoing new cultivars, new species coming out with pros and cons to each. Like you were getting into, the pubescent bud would start to swell and harden. Oftentimes, what I see affects the magnolias, whether it's the frost, is your local tree service or maybe landscaper is doing a fall cleanup on the property and is pruning back the magnolia tree in the fall, not realizing that flower bud is sitting on there ready to blossom the next spring. When I have a homeowner say that that's not flowered for their whole lifetime living in this house, we quickly identify what the issue is, and it's aha moment.

Doug: Let me tell you a little story about that. My local community center is right behind my house. When I was up there walking one fall, that's when they did their pruning. They've got a shrubby magnolia and just cut all the buds off. I was beside myself because I'm like, "Oh." In an effort, they had planted these there, and now they're growing over the windows. This is that right tree or right shrub, right place thing where they're constantly doing this pruning, unfortunately, at the wrong time, but plants are always going to try and reach their genetic height and width. That's why we need guys like you, Craig, coming on property to tell us if it's going to be 30 feet tall, 70 feet tall, or 10 feet tall.

Craig: Certainly, yes. Again, the right tree, the right place, and just trying to help educate homeowners. Whether it's we're doing the work or sometimes working with other companies or the homeowner itself that still likes to do these things, we're just a reference point. I love to be that. I want to earn each person's or each client's respect and trust. They're not calling Davey Tree necessarily. They're calling Craig and getting that answer as to what I need to do, when I need to do it, "You know what? Why don't you guys come out here and just help me out because I'm running short of time?"

Doug: Let's go back to the magnolias. I know that they're affected by scale. Depending on the season, the scale can be devastating, right?

Craig: Yes. Most of the time, I think homeowners don't notice the scale. They notice the honeydew coming out of the tree, what's the sticky stuff all over, the sooty mold showing up on the leaves, or certain things that initiates the phone call, "Something's going on with my tree." Yes, that is a common insect problem that does affect typically the magnolia family.

Doug: Where do you like to plant a magnolia? What does it like? Because mine is in a weird spot. It's in the forest. Seriously, for the first two years I lived here, we really didn't even notice it. Then that third year, I'm like, "What is that tree in the forest? It's blooming with those pink flowers. What a weird spot for it." Where do you like to plant them?

Craig: It varies. You had referenced the yellow magnolia earlier. That's one that is very unique. Doing some more research because again, when I first came into the industry, I think that I had studied a little bit, but never really truly saw one on a property, those particularly like wet soils. Do better with wet soils more so than any other magnolia. I'd say 90% of your magnolias that I'm seeing are planted right up against the house, right on a corner, which is okay.

Again, wanting the homeowner to realize that this potential tree, whether it's a salsa star, multi-stem, single-stem, the different characteristics that these trees will have, and reaching the edibility that may be beneficial to the property or conflicting to the property.

Doug: Here in our area, we are about Zone 6. Are there now southern magnolias that could survive in our climate? You see some unicorns out there in our area, but in general, the southern magnolia is not going to survive in our winters.

Craig: I always have discussion with a semi-evergreen or southern magnolia as proceed with caution. Certainly, I have a handful of clients all throughout Pittsburgh that have them that we prune them. We're shaping them. Some of them are just very natural. They do relatively well as long as we don't have those polar vortexes or things that come in and wreak some havoc. That's, again, another touch point. There are some things we can do to help mitigate some of that additional stress that may occur.

Doug: I want to throw one out that I like, and I want your opinion on it. Stewartia.

Craig: I like the trees. I like the fact that it's not a very overwhelming tree on a property. It is a tree that we do get requests for from time to time. We don't plant a lot of them. I've had a couple of pull saws into those trees a couple of times, working with those trees. I don't have a whole lot of experience with the Stewartia tree.

Doug: The fact that it's not planted a lot is one of the reasons I like having it in my garden. I get nice exfoliating bark and pretty flowers in June. It's definitely a different tree. How about for you? What else are you thinking about that you like to plant if we find the right place?

Craig: I've always enjoyed dogwoods. That was something my grandfather liked, and I just carried that down. We'd go through the woods looking at dogwood trees. He was a big, avid hunter, and pointing out things. That has that sentimental value.

Doug: The native dogwood, or do you like the kousa also?

Craig: I'm more of a native. The kousa provides a handful of benefits, but with anything, there's pros and cons. The kousa dogwood's going to have a different flower, different typically branch structure. The fruit may be a little less desirable than that of the native dogwood on some. Again, depending on what the homeowner's objective is, it may be something that's better suited for the area.

Doug: Someone told me once, she ran a nursery, and I said, "What is the best time to actually move a dogwood?" She said, "Never."

Craig: They're going to be a little more temperamental. Again, the sizing would be something that I would reference. Moving a tree, transplanting a tree, I always start with the hesitation of the tree should have sentimental value before we start exploring this because there is a large expense and a very, very, very high mortality rate with that.

Doug: Something like dogwood, again, correct me if I'm wrong, I think is shallow-rooted. When we do have a period of no rain, they really look sad, but because they're a native, they're pretty tough. They come back. Oftentimes, I think I see them sighted in the wrong spot. Where do you like to plant dogwoods?

Craig: Again, I'll start with, normally I ask the homeowner, "Give me an idea," and then I get a feel for, "Okay, right here, right there. This is on the southern side of the house, no shade, full sun. It's got to be a great spot." I have to break the news to them that that's not going to be conducive for a successful planting with that dogwood. It'll live, but aesthetically, I think you're going to have some issues with the tree.

Doug: You brought up sentimental value. I want to talk a little bit about that because you and I know it, people that love their trees know it, but not everybody understands the connection that people have with these trees and what they could mean to them. That has to be considered in whatever job you're doing on a tree.

Craig: For sure. A lot of our team here at Davey, and most of the guys that I've ever worked with and experienced, that's how they've gotten into the industry. There was something that happened with them at some point in time that they connected with plants, trees typically, and that has allowed them to further a career path and continue to maintain that passion for what we may not reap the benefits of right away, but maybe the future generation, things like that. It just all ties together with a passion that drives us each and every single day.

Doug: The time that you and I've worked together, though, I've never asked you how you got into this and why it's right for you.

Craig: Generations ago, my grandfather owned a sawmill. He was in the sawmill industry back in Southern Ohio, Laurelville area. That would have been my great-great-grandfather. My grandfather did some carpentry, was a woodsman guy. My dad followed in his footsteps. Sawdust was in my blood. I started school doing some landscaping, different things, learning what I wanted to do. A local tree service outside of Columbus needed a climber. I'm like, "I don't know what a climber is necessarily, but I've climbed trees when I was little, so it can't be too hard, and they're going to pay me. It sounds like a perfect gig."

I definitely thought about quitting many times with the other company, but stuck with it. Lo and behold, started with Davey Tree in 2011, blink my eyes, and here we are in 2025.

Doug: [laughs] That's awesome. Before I let you go, give me one more tree that you like to plant when you find the right spot.

Craig: The last tree I would probably go with that always sparks conversation is the black gum. Often misidentified as a sweetgum. Most people think, "Oh, the sweetgum and the fruit." No. The tupelo is what a lot of clients maybe think an oak tree, but that fall color, the branch structure, it's just a gorgeous tree.

Doug: Oh, you arborists and your black gums. I almost said sweetgum. We don't want to [crosstalk]--

Craig: No. That's the big no-no there. The tupelo is a slow-growing tree, but it's just an excellent branch structure, great tree. It's going to be there for many, many, many years. We find a lot of value in some of those trees when we get across them.

Doug: You've got to talk about the fall color.

Craig: It's gorgeous, breathtaking. It'll stand alone with its size, structure, and that color. It's very unique. I've never met anybody that hasn't enjoyed that color.

Doug: Craig, it was great to have you on the podcast. As I said, we've worked together on so many other things. Your first podcast, and I'm sure it's not going to be your last. As always, I appreciate your time and the information. Thanks for being on the show.

Craig: Thank you for having me. You guys take care. Have a great day. I look forward to many more.

Doug: All right. Thanks, Craig.

Craig: Take care.

Doug: Tune in every Thursday to the Talking Trees podcast from the Davey Tree Expert Company. I'm your host, Doug Oster. As always, I want you to do me this favor. Subscribe to the podcast so you'll never miss a show. What should we be covering? Send us an email to podcasts@davey.com. That's P-O-D-C-A-S-T-S-@-D-A-V-E-Y.com, or you can just click the link at the end of our show notes to text us a fan mail message. Your ideas could be on a future show. We'd love to hear from you. As always, we'd like to remind you on the Talking Trees podcast, trees are the answer.

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