Shade and Smaller-Scale Landscape Trees

Deciduous Trees Shade and smaller-scale landscape trees are planted throughout the arboretum. Mature bur oaks (Quercus macrophylla) along the South and West borders serve as a reminder that oak savannahs were an important part of the native landscape of eastern Iowa. Before the arboretum was founded, the Bickelhaupts planted ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), thornless honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis) and Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioica) in the landscape around their home. When the property became an arboretum in 1970, the Bickelhaupts grouped plantings of trees according to genus for the convenience of study and comparison. Major collections include maple (Acer), birch (Betula), hickory (Carya), beech (Fagus), ash, (Fraxinus), honeylocust (Gleditsia), magnolia (Magnolia), ornamental crabapple (Malus), oak (Quercus), linden (Tilia) and elm (Ulmus). Trees adapted to lowland habitats are located along Rock Creek. These include alders (Alnus), pecan (Carya illinoinensis), black tupelo (Nyssa), swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), baldcypress (Taxodium) and willows (Salix). Trees with a narrow, upright crown are located in the Chadwick Columnar Trees collection. The best deciduous trees for the upper Midwest are showcased in the collections of the Bickelhaupt Arboretum to promote diversity in landscape plantings. To see some photographs of our shade trees and small-scale landscape trees, click HERE.