5 Best Low-Maintenance Trees for Your Marietta Yard

What if you could plant trees that take care of themselves, need little to no maintenance, and stay beautiful all year long?

Large deciduous trees can drop an overwhelming amount of leaves and leave you with hundreds of twigs, limbs, and branches to prune. By planting smaller evergreen trees, you’ll save time and energy that you can spend on other activities.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered 5 of the best low-maintenance evergreen tree species to plant in your Marietta yard.

Marietta Georgia and the USDA Hardiness Zone Map

The city of Marietta, Ga is situated in zone 7b on the USDA Hardiness Zone Map. The city boasts a wide variety of deciduous and evergreen tree species comprising its incredibly robust canopy.

The following species were selected based on their ease of care, hardiness to zone 7b, and their flexibility of use in landscaping.

American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)

This tall, pyramid-shaped elegant species is a common choice for windbreaks, accents for entryways, hedges, or single specimens. The American arborvitae requiring almost no care can reach heights of 20 to 30 feet with a spread of 10 to 15 feet.

Thriving in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 7, this species grows at a rate of 12 to 24 inches per year and adapts well to most well-drained soil types including loamy, sandy, and clay.

Leyland Cypress (Cupressus × leylandii)

This hybrid of Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) and Alaskan cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) is a valued landscape tree as well as being one of the most sought after Christmas trees in the southeastern states. The Leyland cypress is a fast-growing pyramid shaped species that can reach heights of more than 60 feet with a spread of 15 to 25 feet.

Thriving in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 through 10, this species can grow more than 24 inches per year until reaching maturity and adapts perfectly to well-drained, moist, rich, alkaline, acidic, loamy, sandy, and clay soils.

Fully mature Leyland cypress trees typically grow a shallow root system and when planted in unsheltered conditions may topple in severe weather conditions.

Green Velvet Boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Velvet’)

This broadleaf evergreen hybrid has the hardiness of Korean boxwood with the English boxwood’s deep green foliage. Commonly used as a low hedge, border, specimen, or accent, the green velvet boxwood is a slow growing, oval or round-shaped species that reaches 4 feet in height and width at maturity. This species is common in topiaries as it can be easily sheared into any form.

Well-adapted to USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9, this species grows at a rate of under 12 inches per year and can thrive in a wide range of soil types but is intolerant of wet soil conditions.

The green velvet boxwood requires a location with full sun or partial shade and protection from strong wind, heavy snowfall, and winter sun.

Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica)

With ground-sweeping branches, this graceful species grows exceptionally well on landscapes with water features. The weeping willow is a fast-growing low-maintenance species requiring occasional pruning and reaching upwards of 40 feet in height and a 35-foot spread.

This iconic species thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 through 8, the weeping willow is capable of growing at an annual rate of 2 feet and adapts to well-drained, moist, rich, alkaline, acidic, loamy, sandy, and clay soils.

While this species grows extremely well near water, it is drought tolerant and can be planted in most mid-sized and large landscapes.

Norway Spruce (Picea abies)

An ideal windbreaker, the Norway spruce is the fastest growing of the spruces. This species requires little to no maintenance and is capable of reaching heights of over 60 feet with a 25-foot spread at maturity.

The Norway spruce thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 7 and can grow at an incredible rate of up to 2 feet per year. This species prefers full sun and is well-adapted to acidic, loamy, sandy, well-drained, and clay soils. With some drought tolerance, the Norway spruce can survive extended dry seasons with little to no harm.

While the Norway spruce grows in a compact pyramidal shape, it can take on an unkempt appearance as it ages.

Low-Maintenance Evergreen Trees

Spend less time maintaining your yard and more time enjoying its beauty by planting low-maintenance trees.

In this article, you discovered the growing traits and characteristics for the American arborvitae, Leyland cypress, green velvet boxwood, weeping willow, and Norway spruce species.

If you want to spend less time raking leaves, pruning trees, and managing soil pH levels, plant trees that take care of themselves and require minimal care.

Sources:
https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/
https://www.arborday.org
http://extension.uga.edu

The post 5 Best Low-Maintenance Trees for Your Marietta Yard appeared first on http://www.toddsmariettatreeservices.com.