“There is always music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.” - Minnie Aumonier
Why plant trees? Trees provide privacy, prop up hammocks, protect rivers and streams and house wildlife; not to mention the undeniable beauty of their spring flowers and glowing fall colors.
Trees are versatile as well, with so many sizes and shapes available. Grow a dwarf Japanese maple in a container, shade the house with a majestic Ginkgo, and feature a weeping Crabapple for spring flowers and tiny apples that feed birds in winter.
Every fall, our Maples show us why we planted them!
True, many have already given us a glimpse of things to come with bright new leaves in spring, and those large enough have provided us shady respite during the heat of summer.
Choosing the right tree is a big deal. In the right place, trees are shade and beauty, but in the wrong place they are headaches, sore backs and empty pocketbooks.
Follow a few simple guidelines to help you choose trees that accent your life.
Do you want to grow your own fruits or nuts? Portland’s mild climate allows for many kinds of fruit and nut trees to be grown.
Apples, Figs, Plums and Hazelnuts are just a few of the trees Portland Nursery offers every spring.
Dig a hole at least twice the width of the root-ball and the same depth. Thoroughly break up the soil that was removed from the ground and score the sides of the hole if your soil has a heavy clay component. Drainage issues can be helped by mixing pumice thoroughly into planting soil - mixing compost with existing soil was advised for years, but scientific research supports ending this practice.
Portlanders are lucky to live in a city with so much green space. Our combination of rivers, parks and mild climate allows Portland to host a vast array of birds and wildlife.
Birds are attracted to areas where the three basic needs of Cover, Food and Water are met.
We carry a wide variety of trees year-round. These represent only a fraction of what you will find and are some of our favorites. Note: Viewing a Native Plant will take you into our Native Plant section.
