We've got the toughest trees for tricky situations!
What makes a tree tough enough for a tricky area?
The tree that you select for a tricky spot needs to have at least one of these qualities:
✅ Urban tolerance: tolerates confined planting spaces & urban pollution
✅ Storm-resistance: strong branching to withstand unpredictable Chicagoland weather
✅ Disease-resistance
✅ Pest-resistance
✅ Adaptable to various soil conditions: clay, poor drainage, etc.
Some properties have a tricky spot that could have most of its problems solved simply by planting a tree.
Do you have a tricky spot that needs a tree but you're not sure what will grow best there? Think of a narrow parkway, the one random area of your yard that allows your neighbors to peer directly into your house, or an odd spot near a business, such as a parking lot island. Not to worry! The trees on this list are bred to be tough enough for the trickiest of site conditions. Each of these trees has proven their worth time and time again, demonstrating exceptional adaptability, disease resistance, heat and drought tolerance, and more!
There are a slew of trees that can work well in tricky spots. We see many used over and over as go-to solutions for privacy, areas with slightly saturated soils, and the need for shade. Those top contenders include Autumn Blaze® Maple, Heritage® River Birch, and Emerald Green Arborvitae, among others. All of which come highly recommended by the iTrees.com staff and our customers! These trees are 100% worth looking into for your tree needs.
For a little bit of a deeper dive, we've included a few other trees that you may not have stumbled upon just yet.
So, let's dive in!
10 Tough Trees for Tricky Areas →
Coming in at numero uno is none other than Autumn Blaze® Maple. Yes, it's mentioned above, making an unsurprising cameo as a commonly selected tree. Well, it's unavoidable. It makes this list, too! This tree is by far our most popular choice, and for good reason. It works hard to reduce energy costs while providing cooling shade and upping property value. This beautiful tree, known for its brilliant fall colors, reliable shade, and low-maintenance characteristics, can grow just about anywhere you put it. It's a rapid grower once established, and tolerates everything from heat, drought, and slightly saturated soils to other Chicagoland growing conditions. There's a reason this tree has been consistently ranked #1 by iTrees.com customers!
Columnar Oaks sure do come in handy, especially for planting in tight spaces. Oaks are known for their majestic, commanding presence. Columnar Oaks are a much narrower version of the traditional oak, offering the same whimsy and presence but on a much narrower scale. Streetspire® Oak is a cold-hardy, tightly branched tree, featuring dark green, mildew-resistant leaves that turn a comforting warm rusty-red in fall.
Regal Prince® Oak is one of our go-to recommendations for homeowners who need a tree planted in a tight area. This tree grows to be about 45 feet tall and 18-25 feet wide. Its branches grow tightly upward and can easily be pruned and manicured as needed, as it grows and matures. This tree's dark green glossy leaves turn a soft yellow in the fall. They are noted for being clean and mildew-resistant. This tree is super useful along fence lines, providing good, solid screening. It's safe to say the main benefit of this tree is its columnar form, which is perfect for tight spots!
4. Espresso™ Kentucky Coffee Tree
Espresso™ Kentucky Coffee Tree is a podless variety, making it lower-maintenance. Also, as expected, it's bred to be a tough urban-adapted shade tree. Its canopy is covered in oval dark green leaves with tinges of "blue". As the tree matures, it takes on a more open, elm-like shape, giving it a lovely tropical feel. This tree is as cool as it seems, providing great filtered shade, and it can grow just dandy in heat, drought, and alkaline soils.
5. Ivory Silk® Japanese Tree Lilac
We don't often think of flowering trees as being tough, but this one sure is. Ivory Silk® Lilac has some pretty impressive stats. This high-performing ornamental shade tree is suitable for growing in tricky areas. It readily handles urban stress, air pollution, and various soil conditions. Also, its smaller mature height means it can squeeze right in under those looming overhead utility lines. The benefits don't end there; this exotic beauty will add flair to your landscape, showing off in late spring with large plumes of frothy white flowers!
6. Exclamation!® London Planetree
We can't recommend this tree enough for challenging growing areas. We might get a little *too* excited telling you about the benefits and beauty this tree will provide. For one, you won't have to stress about whether or not it will survive where you plant it, as it establishes quickly. It is a powerhouse of a tree, adding many benefits wherever it gets planted. You will enjoy its large size that provides dense shade once mature. It gets its charm from its large green leaves with a velvety underside that turn yellow-gold in fall, and the tree's interesting exfoliating bark. Exclamation!® London Planetree is adaptable to various soil conditions, including alkaline and clay soils, and tolerates road salt and saturated soils.
Swamp White Oak is a tough and beautiful Illinois native tree. This adaptable oak thrives in both wet soils and poorly drained compacted sites. Not only that, despite its name, it's known for tolerating drought! As it matures, its branches form a rounded canopy covered with thick dark green leaves. As autumn approaches, its leaves change from dark green to a range of buttery yellow to rusty reds. It's a favorite among wildlife and will add movement, texture, and shade to wherever it's planted.
Take Swamp White Oak and amp it up a few notches! American Dream® is a strong, faster-growing oak variety that exceeds expectations in all categories. It can thrive in both drought and poorly drained clay soils. This tough tree has a good reputation for resistance to mildew and anthracnose. American Dream® Oak provides substantial shade with its striking uniform, pyramidal canopy and adds beauty throughout the seasons, too. Its dark green leaves turn a soft yellow in the fall. This tree is a top choice by urban planners, landscape designers, and homeowners alike!
State Street™ Maple has an interesting, rough corky bark that lichen loves to grow on. As this tree matures, its canopy takes on a classic oval/round shape and will provide fantastic shade. Thick satin green leaves turn a vibrant yellow in fall, lighting up landscapes every autumn! One of the best things about this tree, aside from its vigorous growth rate, is its outstanding tolerance to drought, cold Chicago winters, and alkaline soils. In addition, its leaves are clean and pest-free!
This dependable tree is a customer favorite! It is capable of thriving in compacted soils, enduring drought, and our cold Northern Illinois winters. It is pedestrian-friendly, thornless, and mostly podless. One of homeowners' favorite things about this tree is its small leaf size. Each autumn, as the tree's green leaves turn a stunning yellow-gold, you can kick back with no worries. As your neighbors begin to rake their fallen leaves, you will not have to worry about that at all! The small leaves on Skyline® Honeylocust mean less fall cleanup, which is a huge benefit when you take into consideration the time and effort it takes to rake and bag up leaves each year. Plus, the smaller leaves provide dappled shade, allowing the grass to grow beneath.
Final thoughts,
Selecting the right tree is an important decision. We're here to help. Don't hesitate to reach out to us with questions.
For further reading, head to our knowledge base where you'll find helpful Expert Advice articles on tree selection, placement, and more!
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