A Tree Grows in Tarrytown
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by Rohit Sareen (TEAC member)
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now” (Chinese proverb).
There are so many good reasons to plant trees. If you are reading the TEAC newsletter, you probably already know most of them. Trees play a huge role in maintaining biodiversity, providing oxygen and sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere, filtering air pollution, and providing fruits and medicinal compounds; they also have many other beneficial effects for humans and animals. Trees mitigate the urban heat island effect and reduce the energy consumption of nearby buildings. Whether a majestic pin oak or a small serviceberry tree, there is a tree for everyone. Although fall is considered a good time to plant trees, early spring is just as good—especially if you were too busy planning Halloween events in the fall, as every good citizen of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow is.
Ecologically speaking, native oaks are the most beneficial trees (based on research by Doug Tallamy). When an oak is not possible, please plant anything but Japanese maples: they have very little ecological value and are now found to be invasive in our urban woods. Here are my top five small, native flowering trees to plant in our area (USDA hardiness zone 7a.)
Number 5 – Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
The Pagoda dogwood, or alternate-leaf dogwood, is a small tree in the dogwood family. It’s a good native alternative to the non-native Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) or the common flowering dogwood (Cornus Florida), which is native but more prone to anthracnose. The common name, Pagoda dogwood, refers to the horizontal tiered 
arrangement of the branches that makes the tree look like a pagoda.
The alternate-leaf dogwood is an excellent small tree that provides four season interest. Fragrant creamy-white flowers bloom from May to June. Bluish-black fruits appear in July and August. The stems are green to reddish-purple. The dark green leaves transition to red in the autumn. Butterflies, birds, and small mammals are attracted to this shrub for its nectar and fruits.
Number 4 – American fringetree (Chioanthus virginicus)
A small tree in the olive family known for its fragrant, frothy white flowers that appear in late spring. I can attest to the fragrance: my neighbor down the road has one and I always stop to smell the flowers while walking the d
ogs. The genus name comes from the Greek chion meaning “snow” and anthos meaning “flower.” The showy blue-black fruits, maturing in late summer, provide a food source for birds and wildlife. Native to the East Cost, the tree is traditionally found in the Southeast up to PA and NJ. But as in my neighbor’s case, it grows just fine in Tarrytown.
Fringetree likes moist soils and is fairly intolerant to prolonged dry conditions.
Number 3 – Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Witch hazel is a deciduous shrub or small multi-stemmed tree native to Eastern North America. The genus name is compounded from the Greek words hama, meaning “at the same time,” and melon, meaning “fruit” and refers to the fact that the plant can have both flowers and fruits at the same time, a somewhat unusual feature.
It can be planted in full sun to partial shade, though the best flowering will occur in full sun. The leaves of this woody ornamental shrub or tree turn an attractive yellow in the fall. It blooms from late fall to late winter, bearing yellow flowers with ribbon-like petals that brighten winter landscapes. The flowers remain on the branches long after the leaves have dropped.
American Witch Hazel is an important host plant for numerous small moths, including the Witch Hazel dagger moth (Arconicta hamamelis).
Number 2 – Eastern serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)
The Eastern serviceberry is an understory tree that prefers part shade. It can grow either like a multi-stemmed shrub or in a more tree-like form, with a single trunk. n spring, showy, fragrant flowers bloom in clusters. These are followed by purple, 
berry-like drupes that are attractive to wildlife and edible for humans. In fall, the leaves turn striking shades of red and orange.
It likes moist, acidic soils and can be found along lakes, streams and ponds. Shadbush is another common name for this plant, so called because its bloom time coincides with the seasonal run of shad fish in our local streams. According to the Native Roots Farm Foundation, the tree holds deep significance in Native American lore, particularly for the Lenape by whom it was regarded as a key temporal marker, an ecological clock, signaling the return of spring and the time to harvest fish. What a wonderful way to connect with the history and geography of this great area of the world we live in.
Number 1, and my favorite small tree – Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
How can you not love those bright-pink blossoms in the spring? The flowers are unique in that they come out directly from the branches. The tree blooms in early 
spring, before the leaves appear. Clusters of rose pink to light purple flowers mature and attract many pollinators, including butterflies, and bees. The tree is quite adaptable and can survive in full sun or partial shade. It also has great wildlife value as a larval host plant.
The genus name comes from the Greek word kerkis meaning "weaver's shuttle," in reference to the resemblance of each seed pod to a weaver's shuttle. Some cultivars have chartreuse or red leaves but personally, I stick to the straight species—why mess with something that’s already perfect? I found it so beautiful that my friend Melinda planted a redbud in memory of her dad on her front lawn. What a great idea!
