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Aspen alternatives #878953

Asked July 26, 2024, 5:51 PM EDT

What would be a better public landscaping option than aspen trees? This is for a roundabout center island in Gypsum, Colorado, Elevation 6,400.

Eagle County Colorado

Expert Response

Hi Jim,

Here are few suggestions for smaller trees that should do well in a roundabout center island in Gypsum:

The hawthorns produce berries but they are not liked by most wildlife (some birds will eat them but that's about it). They are persist on the tree so they are not messy like crabapples.

Green hawthorn (Crataegus viridis)
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/crataegus-viridis/

Thornless cockspur hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli inermis)
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/crataegus-crus-galli-var-inermis/

Russian hawthorn (Crataegus ambigua)
https://www.waterwiseplants.org/find-a-plant/russian-hawthorn/

Japanese lilac tree (Syringa reticulata)
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/syringa-reticulata/

Bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum)
https://cwelwnp.usu.edu/westernnativeplants/plantlist_view.php?id=13&name=acergrandidentatum

Non-fruiting varieties of crabapple trees would also do well.

Thank you for using AskExtension!
- Denyse
Denyse Schrenker  Replied July 31, 2024, 7:38 PM EDT

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