Select an oak variety and find acorns? - Ask Extension
1. I live in Vergennes, on Vergennes clay, on a city lot. I want to plant an oak and would prefer a dwarf chestnut oak as it will be smaller. It woul...
Knowledgebase
Select an oak variety and find acorns? #923706
Asked January 16, 2026, 5:32 PM EST
1. I live in Vergennes, on Vergennes clay, on a city lot. I want to plant an oak and would prefer a dwarf chestnut oak as it will be smaller. It would be on the south side, in the side yard. Is this the right oak for here?
2. Once I pick my variety, I want to try to grow it from an acorn. I’m new to Vermont and don’t know who to ask to obtain acorns. I don’t know of any growing near me.
Addison County Vermont
Expert Response
Welcome to Vermont, Karen!
Thank you for reaching out to our University of Vermont Master Gardener's Helpline for science-based information to help with your oak tree plan.
I live just north of you in Shelburne -- so we garden in similar climate zones relatively close to Lake Champlain.
First: Good for you for wanting to plant an oak tree! Oak trees are ecologically mighty for our planet!
Have you been inspired by Doug Tallamy by any chance? He's a University of Delaware Entomology & Ecology professor who encourages us all to nurture oak trees, along with other native plants. The Washington Post cited him as "....the godfather of the native-plant movement" and he wrote The Nature of Oaks along with several other award-winning books. I'm currently reading his 2025 book, How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard where he has an entire chapter dedicated to Oaks. :-)
Still: raising a single small oak tree in clay soil .... on a "city" yard setting ... in northern Vermont ... poses some challenges.
Here are some initial obstacles that you might overcome:
I did a little research tonight. We have a University of Vermont "Landscape Plants for Vermont" publication that lists a dozen oak trees that do well in our climate -- though I'm afraid most are bigger than you might be seeking.
I believe I'm also allowed to tell you about "Branch Out Burlington" -- a non-profit organization here in Burlington that grows trees suitable for our climate and "urban" (Vermont urban :-) street locations. They take orders in the fall....for pick-up in South Burlington in the spring -- so it's too late to order for this year. But they focus on offering trees that do well on "urban" lots and I noticed that this fall they offered an interesting tall, but thin oak tree -- perhaps one that might allow you to plant more than one if you pursued that particular species. Here's a link to Branch Out Burlington's web site -- just scroll down through the trees they offered this last fall to see the "Kindred Spirit Oak."
https://www.branchoutburlington.org/annual-tree-sale
We aren't allowed to recommend commercial businesses, but I could help you try to whittle down the oak varieties that might fit your situation so that you could seek out local sources.
In welcoming you as a new Vermont gardener: I can also suggest employing tools like Front Porch Forum to reach out to neighbors if you want to try to find acorns. I suspect the odds of finding dwarf varieties is slim....but you could certainly ask!
Would you like me to send you info about different oak tree varieties that might survive in Vergennes or might your garden visions be evolving now?
Respond if you'd like some oak tree recommendations -- even though they will be for trees that are likely to grow larger than a dwarf chestnut tree.
Not sure where you've moved from, but I hope you enjoy the full four seasons we experience here in Vermont! As much as I love gardening during the summer, I also love this seasonal break to reflect & plan for the NEXT season. :-)
- Robilee
Thank you for reaching out to our University of Vermont Master Gardener's Helpline for science-based information to help with your oak tree plan.
I live just north of you in Shelburne -- so we garden in similar climate zones relatively close to Lake Champlain.
First: Good for you for wanting to plant an oak tree! Oak trees are ecologically mighty for our planet!
Have you been inspired by Doug Tallamy by any chance? He's a University of Delaware Entomology & Ecology professor who encourages us all to nurture oak trees, along with other native plants. The Washington Post cited him as "....the godfather of the native-plant movement" and he wrote The Nature of Oaks along with several other award-winning books. I'm currently reading his 2025 book, How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard where he has an entire chapter dedicated to Oaks. :-)
Still: raising a single small oak tree in clay soil .... on a "city" yard setting ... in northern Vermont ... poses some challenges.
Here are some initial obstacles that you might overcome:
- Vergennes is currently rated by the USDA as climate zone 5a (temperatures below minus 15-20 will kill plants). That eliminates (for growing through our winters) some dwarf oak trees. (Though I can offer info about some you MIGHT take a chance on.....if you can get the acorns or seedling trees.)
- Oak trees grow best in well-drained soil (sandy, rocky -- but not clay...); still some varieties are more tolerant of less-than-ideal conditions
- Even though oak trees are "monoecious" (they bear both male & female flowers on the same plant) -- you probably won't get any acorns -- if that's part of your plan -- with just one tree. Alas: the male stamens usually mature before the female pistils....so you want to have more than one tree of the same oak species within close range (no more than 100' at the very most....I go with 50' max myself and then hope that variations in sun & micro-climates will allow cross-fertilization).
- Growing an oak tree from an acorn can be a fun & satisfying project....but acorns have short germination periods so you need to "catch" the healthy acorns at the right time -- not as easy as ordering seeds that have several years' viability. White oak tree species' acorns germinate within days of falling from the tree in the fall (you can't just pick the acorns...they need to mature on the tree & then drop) and red oak species needs to be overwintered for a cold spell dormancy.....but then they need to sprout in the spring. This means that if you want to grow an oak tree as soon as possible: you need to wait until next fall to collect "ripe" and healthy acorns and then plant them with guidelines to protect them until they can sprout and be transplanted. Here are two good fact sheets about growing oak trees from acorns:
- Oak trees hybridize readily (like apple trees). This means that you can't be sure that a tree you spend years growing from an acorn will actually grow into a clone of its parent. To be SURE you are growing what you want, you might choose to buy a young tree from a tree farm/garden center that you can trust.
I did a little research tonight. We have a University of Vermont "Landscape Plants for Vermont" publication that lists a dozen oak trees that do well in our climate -- though I'm afraid most are bigger than you might be seeking.
I believe I'm also allowed to tell you about "Branch Out Burlington" -- a non-profit organization here in Burlington that grows trees suitable for our climate and "urban" (Vermont urban :-) street locations. They take orders in the fall....for pick-up in South Burlington in the spring -- so it's too late to order for this year. But they focus on offering trees that do well on "urban" lots and I noticed that this fall they offered an interesting tall, but thin oak tree -- perhaps one that might allow you to plant more than one if you pursued that particular species. Here's a link to Branch Out Burlington's web site -- just scroll down through the trees they offered this last fall to see the "Kindred Spirit Oak."
https://www.branchoutburlington.org/annual-tree-sale
We aren't allowed to recommend commercial businesses, but I could help you try to whittle down the oak varieties that might fit your situation so that you could seek out local sources.
In welcoming you as a new Vermont gardener: I can also suggest employing tools like Front Porch Forum to reach out to neighbors if you want to try to find acorns. I suspect the odds of finding dwarf varieties is slim....but you could certainly ask!
Would you like me to send you info about different oak tree varieties that might survive in Vergennes or might your garden visions be evolving now?
Respond if you'd like some oak tree recommendations -- even though they will be for trees that are likely to grow larger than a dwarf chestnut tree.
Not sure where you've moved from, but I hope you enjoy the full four seasons we experience here in Vermont! As much as I love gardening during the summer, I also love this seasonal break to reflect & plan for the NEXT season. :-)
- Robilee
Hi Robilee —
Thanks for all this info!
As a matter of fact, I was inspired by Doug Tallamy’s lecture recently online! That’s where I heard of the dwarf oaks — I didn’t know about them. And that’s where I heard about growing an oak from an acorn. It sounds like fun and like a way to get a strong root system on the tree (unlike a nursery tree that had its taproot and all the rest cut short for travel).
I took a class at Gardeners Supply in 2023 with Jacob Polsburg-Hill (he’s as great speaker), who also talked about the amazing benefits of oaks. I asked him about my situation and he recommended a Swamp White Oak, but when I looked them up, they get big, 50-60 feet tall and wide according to one website. May husband is very paranoid about big trees falling on the house. We are climate refugees from Oregon who left there after the September 8, 2000 fire that was extremely destructive. Visions of twenty-first century urban wildfire still haunt our thoughts. (I grew up in Pacific Palisades, the neighborhood in California that was obliterated last year). I may be able to persuade my husband to take a chance with a large tree, but I hope I don’t have to. I just looked at the swamp white oak again and it is a beautiful tree. I’m imagining two now, close together (75% of the tree width). I also looked at Branch Out Burlington and saw the kindred spirit oak. I don’t like the columnar shape of the tree and it reminds me of the cypresses in California that go up like matches in a fire.
I would be interested in anything you can recommend for my yard. I live in a development that was built in 2000 on land that was once a dairy farm, a few blocks from downtown Vergennes. I have not tested the soil. Our house has a basement with a sump pump that evacuates frequently. My husband has rigged it up with a backup and a second backup in case the first backup dies. We’re on a gentle hill that runs south to north and there is obviously a lot of ground water around here. We’re not at the bottom of the hill, but those who are had their basements flood several years ago (before 2000).
Our yard is mostly grass except where I put in a small pollinator garden a couple of years ago and a hedge row of native shrubs along the wastewater ditch. I like the pollinator garden so much that my plan is to plant mostly natives, productive plants and flowers and maybe pretty grasses. Originally I wanted to put in a swale on the south side of the house to try to slow and use some of the groundwater instead of sending it to the sewer or ditch. But that would be an expensive job for heavy equipment and lots of sand to amend the soil, as I understand it. My new plan is just to eat into the grass with small groups of plants here and there over the years so the grass just reduces down to a couple of mowable paths. We’re both retired and our energy is beginning to wane. The south side yard where I imagine putting an oak or two is about 18 feet wide. The neighbor to the south is just growing grass up to his house. Or, trees could be planted in the front yard which has more space.
Any ideas you have for me will be appreciated.
Best,
Karen
On Jan 17, 2026, at 11:34 PM, Ask Extension wrote:
So helpful, Karen! THANK YOU for the additional information and explanations!
I want to take time to do some deeper research for you. My main worry is your clay soil with the risk of roots sitting in ground water. (My lot is similar: clay soil close to the lake where the glaciers stripped off the topsoil...every spring we have waterlogged sections of our woods and yard....But we, too, are on a hill and there are drier micro-areas that are higher than the run-off areas). Does the gentle slope you sit on offer a place where you could plant two dwarf oak trees in the sun and count on decent drainage for them?
As an aside: for your native plants "expansion" project: have you considered building "up" above the run-off areas? That's what I've done: built up layers of soil & mulch for planting. I find it's actually easier to do this than try to eat into the grass (weeds, water-logged soil in the spring...). Some folks call this the "lasagna" approach to building new beds....you can build these a small section at a time and the nice thing is: your garden bed starts out with good soil that has drainage. :-)
We have a bit of time since you would like to grow your oak trees from acorns. Fall is the time to find healthy acorns and then you need to overwinter them. Depends upon whether they are white or red oak acorns, but either way: they'll need protection to avoid becoming winter snacks to hungry wildlife. So if you want to pursue growing oaks from acorns: we can take a little time to research the best solution so that you can start networking to find the right acorns (or if you're really lucky: seedlings) next fall.
At this juncture: our UVM Landscape Plants for Vermont guide would point us to Quercus muehlenbergii -- the Chinkapin Oak (Chinkapin means "chestnut" -- but there are a couple of different chestnut oaks out there). The Q. muehlenbergii is a little bit smaller than the Swamp White Oak (about 10' shorter and less in width -- on average). It takes a long time, again: on average, before it bears acorns, but it does have the more rounded shape that you might appreciate. Here's some info about this tree from the Missouri Botanical Garden (I like their info -- they have similar climate zones):
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a903
I fear you won't have room for two of these....or that your husband may be concerned about the height potential. If not feasible: I can do some more research, but I want you to be aware that you might not have the space and soil for two oak trees that could thrive in your yard.
Still: I'm happy to do some more research into dwarf oak trees -- hoping to find a solution that can tolerate our climate zone and your clay soil.
Kindly let me know if you think you have a good spot for two oak trees that will receive full sunlight and also enjoy good drainage.
All the best,
- Robilee
I want to take time to do some deeper research for you. My main worry is your clay soil with the risk of roots sitting in ground water. (My lot is similar: clay soil close to the lake where the glaciers stripped off the topsoil...every spring we have waterlogged sections of our woods and yard....But we, too, are on a hill and there are drier micro-areas that are higher than the run-off areas). Does the gentle slope you sit on offer a place where you could plant two dwarf oak trees in the sun and count on decent drainage for them?
As an aside: for your native plants "expansion" project: have you considered building "up" above the run-off areas? That's what I've done: built up layers of soil & mulch for planting. I find it's actually easier to do this than try to eat into the grass (weeds, water-logged soil in the spring...). Some folks call this the "lasagna" approach to building new beds....you can build these a small section at a time and the nice thing is: your garden bed starts out with good soil that has drainage. :-)
We have a bit of time since you would like to grow your oak trees from acorns. Fall is the time to find healthy acorns and then you need to overwinter them. Depends upon whether they are white or red oak acorns, but either way: they'll need protection to avoid becoming winter snacks to hungry wildlife. So if you want to pursue growing oaks from acorns: we can take a little time to research the best solution so that you can start networking to find the right acorns (or if you're really lucky: seedlings) next fall.
At this juncture: our UVM Landscape Plants for Vermont guide would point us to Quercus muehlenbergii -- the Chinkapin Oak (Chinkapin means "chestnut" -- but there are a couple of different chestnut oaks out there). The Q. muehlenbergii is a little bit smaller than the Swamp White Oak (about 10' shorter and less in width -- on average). It takes a long time, again: on average, before it bears acorns, but it does have the more rounded shape that you might appreciate. Here's some info about this tree from the Missouri Botanical Garden (I like their info -- they have similar climate zones):
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a903
I fear you won't have room for two of these....or that your husband may be concerned about the height potential. If not feasible: I can do some more research, but I want you to be aware that you might not have the space and soil for two oak trees that could thrive in your yard.
Still: I'm happy to do some more research into dwarf oak trees -- hoping to find a solution that can tolerate our climate zone and your clay soil.
Kindly let me know if you think you have a good spot for two oak trees that will receive full sunlight and also enjoy good drainage.
All the best,
- Robilee
Hi Robilee —
Sigh. I’m thinking perhaps my oak tree is not to be on my lot. In answer to your question, the only place in the yard that gets full sun all day is the front yard. The problem with the front yard is that there are many pipes (water, natural gas, sewer, the neighbor’s sewer, the neighbor’s cable the neighbor’s water, our internet, and the electric line) underground so that a big tree with roots that go deep and wide could turn into a broken pipe problem. We didn’t build the house so we have learned about some of these pipes but there is guesswork involved for locating most of them. Also, after a rain in summer, there are several soggy spots on our front lawn.
The southern side yard gets sun, but not all day, and the backyard is the same.
I looked up Q. muehlenbergii and it says it likes well drained soil or loam and can stand drought. My clay soil is not well drained, so I’m hesitant to try it.
I’m thinking now that maybe I should do what I did in my last house — plant several smallish productive trees and shrubs. I have lots of shrubs already but no trees except one serviceberry that the city planted near the street.
Or, would it be better in the long run if I do a big excavation project on a swale near and parallel to the south property line? Perhaps if done right, we would be able to reduce the number of soggy spots, and have room there for lots of new shrubs and low trees. I have done the lasagna gardening in my last house. It didn’t work out too well because I was fighting bermuda grass and I lost the fight. But it should work here.
Or, looking further ahead, my office looks out on a ditch that carries ground water to a holding pond and then into the river. The neighbor to the west has 3 ash trees that offer shade in the summer along the ditch. But the city got a grant to cut down all the parking strip ash trees on our street (there were lots) as a preventative measure against emerald ash borers, as if you wait to cut down the tree until it is infected, it is unsafe for the guys to work with it. I don’t know when or how, but these ditch ash trees will be gone too sometime soon. One thought: could 2 oak trees replace the ash trees along the ditch? The area next to the ditch where the trees are does not get soggy. But I don’t know the effect of them living a couple of feet from a small creek…the ash trees are doing well and the neighbor has several weeping willows that look happy.
Let me know your thoughts.
Karen
On Jan 19, 2026, at 8:27 PM, Ask Extension wrote:
Hi Karen! Thanks for your thoughtful & informative response.
First, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Dig Safe number 811 just in case (being somewhat new to Vermont) you aren't aware that it's wise to call 811 and have Dig Safe come and outline what's buried in your yard.
Even when you know where utilities are buried, there are a few other considerations when you select a tree for an area with pipes (especially water) underground. Willows are notorious for breaking into water pipes -- they are best planted far from water lines. It's also helpful to know that walnut trees (especially black walnuts) produce a chemical compound called juglone as a defense mechanism: it wards off quite a few species of plants (but not all), so if you plant a walnut tree (my mistake: I planted two Heartnut trees that are a walnut derivative), you need to research any plants you hope to grow nearby. It doesn't sound like you're on the path to either of these species, but you mentioned the neighbor's willows, so I thought I'd share this info.
I did some more research on Quercus prinoides (Dwarf Chinkapin Oak -- but I found the common name is risky to use....applied to a couple of species) after checking the Homegrown National Park site that Doug Tallamy helped spearhead. Have you, perchance, already consulted this site?
https://homegrownnationalpark.org/keystone-plants/
Use the menu on the left to find recommended keystone native trees, shrubs and plants. If you search on your zip code and "Trees" you can find Quercus prinoides. Comparing this with some university extension resources, I was pleased to find that Q. prinoides IS likely to grow true to its dwarf status if grown from acorns (not true of all oaks). It can also handle shade. But it does want dry sandy soil and I worry that might be your planting's downfall. But if you can take the time to experiment -- and you know your lot better than I can envision -- you could go down the path of growing two Q. prinoides from acorns .... perhaps where the ash trees are going to be removed near the ditch? (Hard for me to tell how moist the soil is there...).
My initial thought was that you might have a hard time finding dwarf oak acorns near here .... but I see that the Homegrown National Park site offers a "Native Plant Resource Directory" with an interactive map. You might explore some of these resources to see if they know where you could obtain Q. prinoides acorns.
Native Plant Resource Directory: https://homegrownnationalpark.org/directory/
(Enlarge the map for our area to find local native plant sources.)
If you do decide to try growing acorns: my initial response included some resources with tips about how to do this. Be sure to check those fact sheets out because timing's important (the acorns are only fertile for brief periods of time), they need to be over-wintered properly and you'll want to protect them from predators.
It's hard to comment on your swale idea -- you are able to judge the landscape and the extent of such a project much better than I can. But on the surface, it certainly sounds feasible.
There are other native plant resources on the Homegrown National Park site (just click on the logo in the upper-left-hand corner of most screens) that might give you some good ideas for alternatives. If you like the Serviceberry the town planted: that's a good native plant and having two within 50' or so of each other would help produce more berries (and flowers). The Eastern Redbud is another nice small native tree. Have you considered elderberries? There are quite a few native species and the birds love the berries. I planted three about 3-4 years ago. They are now about 10' high and this year they were positively loaded with berries. I managed to sample a few before the birds enjoyed their feast. One of the nice things about elderberries is that they like moist soil.
I hope you find some answers -- or at least a path towards finding the answers you seek -- among all of this information. I admire your thoughtful approach and desire to support our ecosystem with native plants.
Appreciatively,
- Robilee
First, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Dig Safe number 811 just in case (being somewhat new to Vermont) you aren't aware that it's wise to call 811 and have Dig Safe come and outline what's buried in your yard.
Even when you know where utilities are buried, there are a few other considerations when you select a tree for an area with pipes (especially water) underground. Willows are notorious for breaking into water pipes -- they are best planted far from water lines. It's also helpful to know that walnut trees (especially black walnuts) produce a chemical compound called juglone as a defense mechanism: it wards off quite a few species of plants (but not all), so if you plant a walnut tree (my mistake: I planted two Heartnut trees that are a walnut derivative), you need to research any plants you hope to grow nearby. It doesn't sound like you're on the path to either of these species, but you mentioned the neighbor's willows, so I thought I'd share this info.
I did some more research on Quercus prinoides (Dwarf Chinkapin Oak -- but I found the common name is risky to use....applied to a couple of species) after checking the Homegrown National Park site that Doug Tallamy helped spearhead. Have you, perchance, already consulted this site?
https://homegrownnationalpark.org/keystone-plants/
Use the menu on the left to find recommended keystone native trees, shrubs and plants. If you search on your zip code and "Trees" you can find Quercus prinoides. Comparing this with some university extension resources, I was pleased to find that Q. prinoides IS likely to grow true to its dwarf status if grown from acorns (not true of all oaks). It can also handle shade. But it does want dry sandy soil and I worry that might be your planting's downfall. But if you can take the time to experiment -- and you know your lot better than I can envision -- you could go down the path of growing two Q. prinoides from acorns .... perhaps where the ash trees are going to be removed near the ditch? (Hard for me to tell how moist the soil is there...).
My initial thought was that you might have a hard time finding dwarf oak acorns near here .... but I see that the Homegrown National Park site offers a "Native Plant Resource Directory" with an interactive map. You might explore some of these resources to see if they know where you could obtain Q. prinoides acorns.
Native Plant Resource Directory: https://homegrownnationalpark.org/directory/
(Enlarge the map for our area to find local native plant sources.)
If you do decide to try growing acorns: my initial response included some resources with tips about how to do this. Be sure to check those fact sheets out because timing's important (the acorns are only fertile for brief periods of time), they need to be over-wintered properly and you'll want to protect them from predators.
It's hard to comment on your swale idea -- you are able to judge the landscape and the extent of such a project much better than I can. But on the surface, it certainly sounds feasible.
There are other native plant resources on the Homegrown National Park site (just click on the logo in the upper-left-hand corner of most screens) that might give you some good ideas for alternatives. If you like the Serviceberry the town planted: that's a good native plant and having two within 50' or so of each other would help produce more berries (and flowers). The Eastern Redbud is another nice small native tree. Have you considered elderberries? There are quite a few native species and the birds love the berries. I planted three about 3-4 years ago. They are now about 10' high and this year they were positively loaded with berries. I managed to sample a few before the birds enjoyed their feast. One of the nice things about elderberries is that they like moist soil.
I hope you find some answers -- or at least a path towards finding the answers you seek -- among all of this information. I admire your thoughtful approach and desire to support our ecosystem with native plants.
Appreciatively,
- Robilee
Hi again Karen!
After sending you that last response on Monday, our UVM Extension Master Gardener Program Support coordinator pointed out some additional resources that might help you. I am happy to pass these along!
The University of Minnesota Master Gardeners put together this excellent guide to selecting plants for difficult locations:
https://www.uvm.edu/d10-files/documents/2024-10/Best_Plants_for_30_Tough_Sites_UMN.pdf
I really appreciate the University of Minnesota's Extension services -- we are fortunate to share similar climate zones so most of what they recommend can grow here in Vermont. Note that page 10 lists recommended perennials and shrubs for clay soil and page 12 recommends trees for compacted soil (often found on town/city lots). Most of the trees suggested are probably too tall for your front yard, but might be candidates for replacing the ash trees. Pages 31-32 offers suggestions for small trees and shrubs in shady locations.
For a more local listing of native plants, you could explore this "Native Plants List for New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont from PlantNative:
https://plantnative.org/rpl-nen.htm
If you scroll down to the bottom of that page, you'll find a key that will help (e.g.: Soil Moisture: W= Wet; A=Average and D=Dry.
These links can also be found, along with many other refences, on our UVM Master Gardener "Gardening Resources" website under the "Native Plants" toggle:
https://www.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener/gardening-resources
You can find other helpful gardening information for Vermont on our web site -- such as how to order a soil test from UVM's Extension Service (there's a charge, but knowing if your soil is alkaline or acidic can make a world of difference in finding plants that will thrive in your yard). Just in case you didn't submit your question originally on our web site, here's a link to our home page:
https://www.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener/extension-master-gardener-program
You can also learn how to enroll in our Vermont Master Gardener program. I can tell from your thoughtful questions and responses that you might make a good addition to our ranks! :-)
Finally, there's a broken link in the Gardening Resources Native Plants section that offers a very tempting "Vermont Native Plant Sources" title. We're checking to see if that material is still on-line in hopes of repairing the link.
I'm so glad you asked during this cold and snow-laden season. It's an ideal time to research and plan to find the right trees/shrubs/perennials.
- Robilee
After sending you that last response on Monday, our UVM Extension Master Gardener Program Support coordinator pointed out some additional resources that might help you. I am happy to pass these along!
The University of Minnesota Master Gardeners put together this excellent guide to selecting plants for difficult locations:
https://www.uvm.edu/d10-files/documents/2024-10/Best_Plants_for_30_Tough_Sites_UMN.pdf
I really appreciate the University of Minnesota's Extension services -- we are fortunate to share similar climate zones so most of what they recommend can grow here in Vermont. Note that page 10 lists recommended perennials and shrubs for clay soil and page 12 recommends trees for compacted soil (often found on town/city lots). Most of the trees suggested are probably too tall for your front yard, but might be candidates for replacing the ash trees. Pages 31-32 offers suggestions for small trees and shrubs in shady locations.
For a more local listing of native plants, you could explore this "Native Plants List for New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont from PlantNative:
https://plantnative.org/rpl-nen.htm
If you scroll down to the bottom of that page, you'll find a key that will help (e.g.: Soil Moisture: W= Wet; A=Average and D=Dry.
These links can also be found, along with many other refences, on our UVM Master Gardener "Gardening Resources" website under the "Native Plants" toggle:
https://www.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener/gardening-resources
You can find other helpful gardening information for Vermont on our web site -- such as how to order a soil test from UVM's Extension Service (there's a charge, but knowing if your soil is alkaline or acidic can make a world of difference in finding plants that will thrive in your yard). Just in case you didn't submit your question originally on our web site, here's a link to our home page:
https://www.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener/extension-master-gardener-program
You can also learn how to enroll in our Vermont Master Gardener program. I can tell from your thoughtful questions and responses that you might make a good addition to our ranks! :-)
Finally, there's a broken link in the Gardening Resources Native Plants section that offers a very tempting "Vermont Native Plant Sources" title. We're checking to see if that material is still on-line in hopes of repairing the link.
I'm so glad you asked during this cold and snow-laden season. It's an ideal time to research and plan to find the right trees/shrubs/perennials.
- Robilee
