tree cultivars

The times are a changin’, and so is the climate. Tree planting, then, must also change if urban forests are to adapt to the uncertainties of our future weather. Are you still specifying your favorite trees from years ago? Then maybe it’s time to revisit your current selections with an eye toward optimum resiliency. Developing such climate-resilient trees is a top priority of the plant development program at J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., a wholesale tree grower in Boring, OR. As a leading developer and introducer of new and improved cultivars of shade and flowering trees, J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. must always look to the future in our efforts to select trees that will survive and thrive in challenging, changing environments. Successes over the past 50 years of plant development have included the introduction or co-introduction of more than 100 improved tree cultivars, most of which remain in the trade today. (The best known of these is Red Sunset® Maple, introduced in 1966 and still a top choice among red maples.) Growing Trends—Literally As J. Frank Schmidt prepares to celebrate 75 years in the tree business and plans for the future, our top goals for developing trees for modern landscapes include selecting varieties for heat, drought, and cold tolerance; low water requirements, low maintenance needs, and adaptability to varied soils and growing conditions. We are also always on the lookout for trees that are naturally pest and disease resistant in order to decrease, or hopefully eliminate, the ...