Why medium size trees are best for eastern Idaho landscapes

Medium-sized trees will fit well in most residential landscapes. Unless you have a large house and a large yard (over 20,000 square feet), medium-sized trees should be the target for your large landscape plants. Don’t plant too close to structures as broken branches may cause damage.

In this group, we will consider trees that typically grow 30 – 50 feet in height. There are many, but I will list ten medium-sized trees for you to consider in your landscape. I have gone through the literature to determine that they should do well in eastern Idaho.

If you find other trees in the right size that you want to consider, look for plants that will tolerate our cold winters and alkaline soil.

• Trees should be able to do well in a USDA hardiness zone 4 or colder. Zone 5 trees will do okay in protected Eastern Idaho locations, until we get a really cold winter. Then you will be disappointed.
• Be sure they will also tolerate alkaline soil. Our mountainous regions may have slightly acidic soils, but the native valley soils usually have a pH range of 7.5 – 8.5.

There is not enough space to discuss the different cultivars. Keep in mind that many of these species have wide size, shape, leaf color and flower variation in available cultivars, so do some research.

Look for trees that will help set your landscape apart from the rest.