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Do Japanese Maple grow here?
Try these instead...
By Chris Leinster - May 26, 2025
Japanese Maple are among the most graceful, elegant small trees to adorn any landscape. Their heavily serrated leaves evoke a tropical feel, with leaf color ranging from bright green to deep burgundy. Their many varieties can take various forms, from shrubby umbrella shaped weeping forms to upright vase shaped overarching canopies. Obviously at home in a Japanese garden, they have a place in any yard whether providing a focal point for a water feature or welcoming guests in an entryway.
Unfortunately, Colorado is far removed from their island homeland, where the trees are bathed in tropical breezes and humid fog. Colorado soil is devoid of organic nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. Our dry air and intense sunlight a mile up in the air suck the moisture right out of their delicate leaves. Wild temperature swings and hard freezes are often the death knell for these tender garden elements.
You might find success in protected sites in shady areas of downtown Denver with good soil in sheltered neighborhoods. I have tried and failed three times to nurture Japanese Maple to establishment in the Denver Highlands. While they can grow here in some microclimates, they are not a viable tree for most of the Front Range. Fortunately, there are a few plants that can substitute for Japanese Maple where a conversation piece or an unusual highlight is desired.
Cutleaf Sumac is an often overlooked plant with shaggy, serrated leaves and explosive red-orange-yellow fall color. They thrive in our arid environment even in poor soil, and actually prefer it on the dry side once established. Usually available only as small container shrubs, it may take a few years to develop into a glorious multi-stemmed large shrub or small tree, but they grow very quickly and can be selectively pruned to achieve almost any desired form. Admittedly, they present as an anemic twiggy plant in the garden centers, I think because they like it dry but need to be watered every day to keep them alive in the containers. With a little patience and selective pruning and care, your friends will be amazed by the wildly extraordinary plant you cultivated for your garden masterpiece. But beware, Sumac are thicket forming and can self-sow, so some maintenance may be required to keep them in check.
Elderberry are native to Colorado and hybridized forms may rival Japanese Maple for their leaf form and color! Consider Black Lace Elder, with burgundy, almost purple finely serrated leaves. They look more like plants you would find in Florida or Hawaii, but they’re right at home in the Colorado High Country. In Portland, these plants will grow over the roof line, but expect more like five to ten feet in our less than desirable growing conditions. Again only available as container shrubs, give them a couple of years to provide that “wow” factor, but savor every moment of anticipation as they evolve. These too can be shaped and trained into small trees, and actually will respond well to a good haircut in late winter, reviving them and causing a flourish of new bright green growth above a deep purple base. Bonus points, they produce lacy white flowers in June for a pop of late spring interest!
If you’re looking for a larger tree in your landscape, but want something that maybe reminds you of your vacation in Tahiti, check out Golden Raintree. Perfectly suitable for our harsh climate, Golden Raintree is a fast grower reaching about 30’ tall. Their serrated bipinnately compound leaves will have you thinking you’re in an Asian jungle. Perhaps best in the multi-stemmed form, they’re perfect for shading your deck or patio. Panicles of bright yellow flowers shower the tree in mid-summer, hence the name! Summer flowers, and especially yellow flowers, are rare. These trees will stop traffic if planted in the front yard! But the show’s not over, flowers are followed by puffy, papery seed pods, often compared to Chinese lanterns, and not considered messy by any means. Perfect for uplighting as the light can penetrate well up into the overarching canopy, dump your Japanese Maple and plant Golden Raintree!
Just because a tree is sold here doesn’t mean it will grow here. If money isn’t an issue and you have a high risk tolerance, then by all means give Japanese Maple a shot. Heck, I recently noticed one doing quite well in the Back Country in Highlands Ranch, where they have no business succeeding. Granted it was against a north facing wall in a raised planter with good soil in a protected spot, but I’d say they got lucky. You can achieve that Japanese Maple look with the above recommendations, and compliment with Fernbush, Fine Line Buckthorn, and Scarlet Yucca to complete the effect.
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Unfortunately, Colorado is far removed from their island homeland, where the trees are bathed in tropical breezes and humid fog. Colorado soil is devoid of organic nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. Our dry air and intense sunlight a mile up in the air suck the moisture right out of their delicate leaves. Wild temperature swings and hard freezes are often the death knell for these tender garden elements.
You might find success in protected sites in shady areas of downtown Denver with good soil in sheltered neighborhoods. I have tried and failed three times to nurture Japanese Maple to establishment in the Denver Highlands. While they can grow here in some microclimates, they are not a viable tree for most of the Front Range. Fortunately, there are a few plants that can substitute for Japanese Maple where a conversation piece or an unusual highlight is desired.
Cutleaf Sumac is an often overlooked plant with shaggy, serrated leaves and explosive red-orange-yellow fall color. They thrive in our arid environment even in poor soil, and actually prefer it on the dry side once established. Usually available only as small container shrubs, it may take a few years to develop into a glorious multi-stemmed large shrub or small tree, but they grow very quickly and can be selectively pruned to achieve almost any desired form. Admittedly, they present as an anemic twiggy plant in the garden centers, I think because they like it dry but need to be watered every day to keep them alive in the containers. With a little patience and selective pruning and care, your friends will be amazed by the wildly extraordinary plant you cultivated for your garden masterpiece. But beware, Sumac are thicket forming and can self-sow, so some maintenance may be required to keep them in check.
Elderberry are native to Colorado and hybridized forms may rival Japanese Maple for their leaf form and color! Consider Black Lace Elder, with burgundy, almost purple finely serrated leaves. They look more like plants you would find in Florida or Hawaii, but they’re right at home in the Colorado High Country. In Portland, these plants will grow over the roof line, but expect more like five to ten feet in our less than desirable growing conditions. Again only available as container shrubs, give them a couple of years to provide that “wow” factor, but savor every moment of anticipation as they evolve. These too can be shaped and trained into small trees, and actually will respond well to a good haircut in late winter, reviving them and causing a flourish of new bright green growth above a deep purple base. Bonus points, they produce lacy white flowers in June for a pop of late spring interest!
If you’re looking for a larger tree in your landscape, but want something that maybe reminds you of your vacation in Tahiti, check out Golden Raintree. Perfectly suitable for our harsh climate, Golden Raintree is a fast grower reaching about 30’ tall. Their serrated bipinnately compound leaves will have you thinking you’re in an Asian jungle. Perhaps best in the multi-stemmed form, they’re perfect for shading your deck or patio. Panicles of bright yellow flowers shower the tree in mid-summer, hence the name! Summer flowers, and especially yellow flowers, are rare. These trees will stop traffic if planted in the front yard! But the show’s not over, flowers are followed by puffy, papery seed pods, often compared to Chinese lanterns, and not considered messy by any means. Perfect for uplighting as the light can penetrate well up into the overarching canopy, dump your Japanese Maple and plant Golden Raintree!
Just because a tree is sold here doesn’t mean it will grow here. If money isn’t an issue and you have a high risk tolerance, then by all means give Japanese Maple a shot. Heck, I recently noticed one doing quite well in the Back Country in Highlands Ranch, where they have no business succeeding. Granted it was against a north facing wall in a raised planter with good soil in a protected spot, but I’d say they got lucky. You can achieve that Japanese Maple look with the above recommendations, and compliment with Fernbush, Fine Line Buckthorn, and Scarlet Yucca to complete the effect.
April snows bring May, er, flower shows?
Late season snow strikes again!
By Chris Leinster - April 18, 2025
How do you make it snow on April 18th? Untie all your trees and shrubs and fire up your irrigation system on April 13th! Yep, spent last night re-wrapping my trees and draining my system. Oh well, Colorado, right?
Actually, the snow is a blessing and couldn’t have come at a better time. Nature knows grasses, trees, and shrubs are “waking up” from their winter slumber, and desperately in need of water. Temperatures shouldn’t be severe enough to do any serious damage, although heavy snow loads could be problematic.
Colorado isn’t always so kind, and some years see less early Spring precipitation. For this reason, Winter watering is essential to help your living landscape plants thrive. Roots actually start to stretch before any top growth is essential. Water begins to flow up the trunks to nourish swelling buds and crispy evergreen needles. It is very stressful on the trees if the ground is bone dry, so drag out the hoses and water if we’ve gone a week or two without any rain or snow. Just be sure to disconnect your hose from the tap to prevent any overnight freeze damage.
Warm temperatures create heavy, wet snow. As it collects on tree and shrub branches the weight can bend or break loose limbs. Gently wrap multi-stem trees and shrubs with garden tie, twine, strap, or even bungee cords in the Fall. This will help support the trees and prevent breakage. Don’t cinch the bundles tightly, just loosely wrap so the limbs have some support under heavy snows. Get out and gently shake the snow off tender plants as best you can as well.
Hopefully your trees retain some flowers and the leaves can withstand the dip in temperature. Some years bring much greater late freezes, and these can damage the leaves of early bloomers. Fret not, evolution and nature has gifted trees with “latent” buds. These are leaf buds held in reserve for just such an occasion. Hormones are triggered upon the sudden loss of leaves, and most trees should recover beautifully within a few weeks.
You can safely remove trunk wrap once the leaves emerge on your trees. The wrap does not keep the trees warm, it protects the trunks from sunburn, just like a long sleeved shirt. At this altitude, intense sunrays can penetrate the soft tissue of young trees. Continue to do this every year until the trees develop a corky protective bark.
Good luck and get out to bag some late season skiing! And now is a great time to plant!
Read More...
Actually, the snow is a blessing and couldn’t have come at a better time. Nature knows grasses, trees, and shrubs are “waking up” from their winter slumber, and desperately in need of water. Temperatures shouldn’t be severe enough to do any serious damage, although heavy snow loads could be problematic.
Colorado isn’t always so kind, and some years see less early Spring precipitation. For this reason, Winter watering is essential to help your living landscape plants thrive. Roots actually start to stretch before any top growth is essential. Water begins to flow up the trunks to nourish swelling buds and crispy evergreen needles. It is very stressful on the trees if the ground is bone dry, so drag out the hoses and water if we’ve gone a week or two without any rain or snow. Just be sure to disconnect your hose from the tap to prevent any overnight freeze damage.
Warm temperatures create heavy, wet snow. As it collects on tree and shrub branches the weight can bend or break loose limbs. Gently wrap multi-stem trees and shrubs with garden tie, twine, strap, or even bungee cords in the Fall. This will help support the trees and prevent breakage. Don’t cinch the bundles tightly, just loosely wrap so the limbs have some support under heavy snows. Get out and gently shake the snow off tender plants as best you can as well.
Hopefully your trees retain some flowers and the leaves can withstand the dip in temperature. Some years bring much greater late freezes, and these can damage the leaves of early bloomers. Fret not, evolution and nature has gifted trees with “latent” buds. These are leaf buds held in reserve for just such an occasion. Hormones are triggered upon the sudden loss of leaves, and most trees should recover beautifully within a few weeks.
You can safely remove trunk wrap once the leaves emerge on your trees. The wrap does not keep the trees warm, it protects the trunks from sunburn, just like a long sleeved shirt. At this altitude, intense sunrays can penetrate the soft tissue of young trees. Continue to do this every year until the trees develop a corky protective bark.
Good luck and get out to bag some late season skiing! And now is a great time to plant!
Spring has Sprung!
Early season current availability...
By Chris Leinster - February 28, 2025
Spring has sprung and trees are starting to trickle into our local vendors! Large caliper trees are difficult to source but for a limited time I have 3-1/2” caliper Flashfire Maple for $2,350 delivered and installed. These are in the ‘Caddo’ series of Maple, a hybridized version of a native stand of Maple found growing in a hot, dry, alkaline soil canyon in Kansas. They are proving to be the most appropriate trees for our harsh Colorado climate and consistently display the best Fall color and exceptional hardiness. 2-1/2” caliper also arrived for $1,575. I don’t feature these on my website only because they are a newer introduction and I haven’t found a mature example to photograph, but they are similar to the ‘Fall Fiesta’ Maple, also suitable for our climate.
http://happytrees.co/products/7277/Fall-Fiesta-Maple
Spruce trees are in and I have a healthy selection from 6-10’. Spruce are seed propagated and therefore they display a variety of characteristics, from very blue to deep green and many shades in between. They can also be full and bushy or layered with a more open habit. Please specify a preference when ordering.
http://happytrees.co/products/7251/Colorado-Blue-Spruce
Spring Snow Crabapple are among our most popular ornamental flowering trees. They feature an explosion of profuse white flowers in early Spring. When the petals drop, they carpet the grass in a blanket of white, hence the name. They are a truly fruitless variety of Crabapple, and make a welcome addition to any landscape. 2” caliper $1,160 delivered and installed. Also consider the multiple stemmed form. These have a wonderful branching structure that adds contrast and excitement to your landscape! 8’ tall only $1,375!
http://happytrees.co/products/7255/Spring-Snow-Crabapple
Prefer pink flowers? One of my favorite trees is the Royal Raindrops Crabapple. They have fuchsia flowers in Spring and a burgundy leaf all summer. The leaf shape is unique as well, more like an Amur Maple than a traditional Crabapple, making them a great conversation piece. Their upright habit makes them a perfect selection for smaller yards. They produce small fruits, about the size of a blueberry, but don’t worry, they persist on the tree and shrivel up like raisins, feeding the birds and squirrels all winter long. This is not your Grandmother’s Crabapple with obnoxious apples that you would throw at your sister! Totally appropriate over a patio or pathway.
http://happytrees.co/products/7256/Royal-Raindrops-Crabapple
Need a smaller evergreen tree? A fresh batch of native Pinion Pine just arrived! These are collected off private ranch land or BLM land by permit. They have variable characteristics from tall and skinny to fat and bushy, even multiple trunked! Perfect for screening your hot tub so you can soak in your birthday suit, or to screen your neighbors spa.
http://happytrees.co/products/7258/Pinion-Pine
Want to add a truly exotic element to your Japanese Garden or a focal point for your patio? Golden Raintree beings a flash of mid-Summer color with Yellow flowers. Yes, Yellow flowers!!! The leaves evoke a tropical feel, and papery seed pods develop later in the season, often compared to Chinese lanterns. 3” caliper $2,275 delivered and installed. Get ‘em while they’re hot!
http://happytrees.co/products/7266/Golden-Raintree
This is just a small offering of what is currently available, and trees have only just begun to arrive. The flood gates will open up in the coming weeks when trees begin showing up in caravans of semi-tractor trailers. Now is the perfect time to plant, so long as the weather cooperates. Trees are still in their winter dormancy and will “wake up” in your yard without any transplant shock or summer stress. Pictures are available on my Google business page…
https://www.google.com/search?q=Happy+Trees&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAA_-NgU1I1qLAwN0s2N01KSrZITUtLS02yMqgwTTNPTkw2NzA3NzIzN0tKXcTK7ZFYUFCpEFKUmloMADK8m7Q3AAAA&hl=en&mat=CQivzVZCe56uElYBmzl_pfEZwSJ7MPXHuEGlSLNk0DDkZ4ng2f32WtbOPV9hoHKMlb2imLQlcTeghaImnNe-O_nLyRtoN7oLPNaoep6CRrY2wvVzr2zRIlRZsG0Cak3BZw&authuser=0
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http://happytrees.co/products/7277/Fall-Fiesta-Maple
Spruce trees are in and I have a healthy selection from 6-10’. Spruce are seed propagated and therefore they display a variety of characteristics, from very blue to deep green and many shades in between. They can also be full and bushy or layered with a more open habit. Please specify a preference when ordering.
http://happytrees.co/products/7251/Colorado-Blue-Spruce
Spring Snow Crabapple are among our most popular ornamental flowering trees. They feature an explosion of profuse white flowers in early Spring. When the petals drop, they carpet the grass in a blanket of white, hence the name. They are a truly fruitless variety of Crabapple, and make a welcome addition to any landscape. 2” caliper $1,160 delivered and installed. Also consider the multiple stemmed form. These have a wonderful branching structure that adds contrast and excitement to your landscape! 8’ tall only $1,375!
http://happytrees.co/products/7255/Spring-Snow-Crabapple
Prefer pink flowers? One of my favorite trees is the Royal Raindrops Crabapple. They have fuchsia flowers in Spring and a burgundy leaf all summer. The leaf shape is unique as well, more like an Amur Maple than a traditional Crabapple, making them a great conversation piece. Their upright habit makes them a perfect selection for smaller yards. They produce small fruits, about the size of a blueberry, but don’t worry, they persist on the tree and shrivel up like raisins, feeding the birds and squirrels all winter long. This is not your Grandmother’s Crabapple with obnoxious apples that you would throw at your sister! Totally appropriate over a patio or pathway.
http://happytrees.co/products/7256/Royal-Raindrops-Crabapple
Need a smaller evergreen tree? A fresh batch of native Pinion Pine just arrived! These are collected off private ranch land or BLM land by permit. They have variable characteristics from tall and skinny to fat and bushy, even multiple trunked! Perfect for screening your hot tub so you can soak in your birthday suit, or to screen your neighbors spa.
http://happytrees.co/products/7258/Pinion-Pine
Want to add a truly exotic element to your Japanese Garden or a focal point for your patio? Golden Raintree beings a flash of mid-Summer color with Yellow flowers. Yes, Yellow flowers!!! The leaves evoke a tropical feel, and papery seed pods develop later in the season, often compared to Chinese lanterns. 3” caliper $2,275 delivered and installed. Get ‘em while they’re hot!
http://happytrees.co/products/7266/Golden-Raintree
This is just a small offering of what is currently available, and trees have only just begun to arrive. The flood gates will open up in the coming weeks when trees begin showing up in caravans of semi-tractor trailers. Now is the perfect time to plant, so long as the weather cooperates. Trees are still in their winter dormancy and will “wake up” in your yard without any transplant shock or summer stress. Pictures are available on my Google business page…
https://www.google.com/search?q=Happy+Trees&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAA_-NgU1I1qLAwN0s2N01KSrZITUtLS02yMqgwTTNPTkw2NzA3NzIzN0tKXcTK7ZFYUFCpEFKUmloMADK8m7Q3AAAA&hl=en&mat=CQivzVZCe56uElYBmzl_pfEZwSJ7MPXHuEGlSLNk0DDkZ4ng2f32WtbOPV9hoHKMlb2imLQlcTeghaImnNe-O_nLyRtoN7oLPNaoep6CRrY2wvVzr2zRIlRZsG0Cak3BZw&authuser=0
Fast, Clean, and Green!
The most popular Shade Trees for Colorado...
By Chris Leinster - February 11, 2025
The three most popular shade trees for Colorado are Maple, Linden, and Honeylocust. They are all fast growing, hardy for our climate, and relatively clean, meaning they don’t drop obnoxious fruit or seeds. Having said that, all trees drop something, so you’ll need to determine your tolerance for debris versus shade, privacy, and ornamental beauty.
Maple are probably the most popular trees in the state. There are dozens of varieties that perform quite well along the Front Range. Recent introductions include the ‘Caddo’ series, hybridized versions of a native stand of Maple found growing in a hot, dry, alkaline canyon in Kansas. Most varieties will drop samaras, the helicopter seeds that flutter to the ground. A small price to pay for the shade and explosive Fall color they display.
http://happytrees.co/Maple-Trees
Linden have flowers that aren’t particularly showy, but offer a two-tone lime green effect against a deep green leaf. They have gold fall color. They drop a small hard seed, about the size of a peppercorn, which goes entirely unnoticed in the lawn or garden bed, but may be a nuisance over a deck or patio.
http://happytrees.co/products/7223/Greenspire-Linden
Honeylocust are perhaps the fastest growing of all our shade trees. The leaves are so small they shrivel up and blow away, so you don’t even need to rake in the Fall! They are more of a filter tree, and will cool off the yard while allowing plenty of light to penetrate through the canopy. This also makes them excellent for uplighting at night! They shed pollen in the Spring though. Your patio furniture and windshields will be coated in yellow dust for a week or two, but still not a big deal for the benefits they offer.
http://happytrees.co/products/7253/Skyline-Honeylocust
Seedless cultivars of Kentucky Coffeetree should also be included among the best shade trees. These have an unusual canopy that would be considered coarse in Winter but almost tropical in Summer. ‘Espresso’ is a seedless male clone, ‘Decaf’ has more abundant, more graceful branching, but a little smaller in stature.
http://happytrees.co/products/8513/Kentucky-Coffeetree
I almost forgot Elm. Drive through almost any neighborhood in Denver and you’ll find mighty Elm forming a complete canopy over most city streets. Incredibly hardy and drought tolerant. The elm encircling “The Oval” at Colorado State University are among the most cherished trees in the state!
http://happytrees.co/products/11518/Elm
You don’t have a bad choice to make here. It all depends on your personal taste and preferences. Give me a call if you need further clarification or more information. Thank you for your consideration of Happy Trees and have a great day!
Read More...
Maple are probably the most popular trees in the state. There are dozens of varieties that perform quite well along the Front Range. Recent introductions include the ‘Caddo’ series, hybridized versions of a native stand of Maple found growing in a hot, dry, alkaline canyon in Kansas. Most varieties will drop samaras, the helicopter seeds that flutter to the ground. A small price to pay for the shade and explosive Fall color they display.
http://happytrees.co/Maple-Trees
Linden have flowers that aren’t particularly showy, but offer a two-tone lime green effect against a deep green leaf. They have gold fall color. They drop a small hard seed, about the size of a peppercorn, which goes entirely unnoticed in the lawn or garden bed, but may be a nuisance over a deck or patio.
http://happytrees.co/products/7223/Greenspire-Linden
Honeylocust are perhaps the fastest growing of all our shade trees. The leaves are so small they shrivel up and blow away, so you don’t even need to rake in the Fall! They are more of a filter tree, and will cool off the yard while allowing plenty of light to penetrate through the canopy. This also makes them excellent for uplighting at night! They shed pollen in the Spring though. Your patio furniture and windshields will be coated in yellow dust for a week or two, but still not a big deal for the benefits they offer.
http://happytrees.co/products/7253/Skyline-Honeylocust
Seedless cultivars of Kentucky Coffeetree should also be included among the best shade trees. These have an unusual canopy that would be considered coarse in Winter but almost tropical in Summer. ‘Espresso’ is a seedless male clone, ‘Decaf’ has more abundant, more graceful branching, but a little smaller in stature.
http://happytrees.co/products/8513/Kentucky-Coffeetree
I almost forgot Elm. Drive through almost any neighborhood in Denver and you’ll find mighty Elm forming a complete canopy over most city streets. Incredibly hardy and drought tolerant. The elm encircling “The Oval” at Colorado State University are among the most cherished trees in the state!
http://happytrees.co/products/11518/Elm
You don’t have a bad choice to make here. It all depends on your personal taste and preferences. Give me a call if you need further clarification or more information. Thank you for your consideration of Happy Trees and have a great day!
State of the Green Industry
2025 Prices now Online!
By Chris Leinster - February 3, 2025
Happy New Year! Crazy things are shaking up the Green Industry. We just attended the ProGreen Expo at the Colorado Convention Center. This is the B2B annual conference for nursery and landscape professionals. Prices are updated for 2025 at HappyTrees.co, and as always, the listed price includes the tree, delivery, planting, and everything the trees need to get off to a Happy start!
The national tree shortage continues. Homes are being built faster than the growers are planting. Gratefully, prices for smaller caliper trees remain flat or show only modest increases. Larger caliper trees are in short supply, and 2025 prices reflect this scarcity. Growers are harvesting trees as soon as they reach the minimum salability size, forgoing higher prices for larger trees in the future, as who knows if there will be a market as administrations change.
Pricing among my suppliers is showing greater disparity than I’m used to seeing. I use an average cost to post my prices online. I’ve been reluctant to discount trees in the past, as my costs have been fairly uniform and my prices reflected a fair markup. This year I may be able to find some savings, so it never hurts to ask for a bargain.
The buzz around the convention center was rather electric. My friends in the industry are all highly optimistic that markets will pick up and prices will go down. We certainly live in interesting times, and it will be interesting to see where we go from here! Small businesses have been anchored by high taxes, record labor rates, runaway inflation, and an insurmountable regulatory environment. We may be seeing a reprieve, but nobody can look too far into the future with any clarity.
Arbor Valley Nursery has been our primary supplier for almost a decade. The owner, Matt Edmundson, has expanded operations and now has multiple nurseries along the I-25 corridor spanning from Sante Fe New Mexico up to Cheyenne Wyoming. This is a truly remarkable achievement, as very few nurseries expand beyond their flagship stores.
During an industry lecture, Matt confided that he has four sons, none of whom express interest in taking over the family business. Matt says he’s not sure he wants them to. Things simply aren’t as simple as they were when his grandfather started the company. Everywhere he turns there’s another government bureaucracy breathing down his neck hampering his efforts. From pesticides and fertilizers, soil conservation, labor, OSHA, emissions standards, not to mention exorbitant taxes, somedays it doesn’t seem worth the effort to get out of bed in the morning.
These same pressures apply to growers as well. Sadly, many of them are going by the wayside. Since the housing crash of 2008, the market has remained volatile. Remember, farmers plant trees prognosticating what the demand will be 8-15 years from now. Many figure its wiser to rip out the ornamental crops which take years to realize a profit, and plant food crops instead so they can get paid this Fall. Farmland has gotten so expensive that many nursery owners have simply sold the land and retired on a beach somewhere. Who knows if trees will even be for sale in the coming decades?
Meanwhile, a monster lurks among us. Site One, a nationwide mega-corporation mostly concentrated in irrigation and farming supplies like pesticides and fertilizers, is making a move toward the wholesale nursery market. They’ve been steadily buying up businesses around the country, and have acquired Harmony Gardens in Colorado. This could mean cheaper trees in the short run, but they may also knock off the competition and monopolize the industry. Site One also recently acquired Pioneer Sand and Gravel, a massive regional supplier of stone and other landscape products throughout the Intermountain West. Time will tell how this affects landscapers around the region.
Benjamin Franklin famously said “in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes”. Truer words were never spoken, but we’re cautiously optimistic about the economy for the coming year. The last time Trump was in office, diesel fuel was down to two dollars per gallon, labor rates were 40% lower than we now have, and nobody was telling us we needed to electrify our farm equipment. No matter where you are on the political spectrum, lower costs mean lower prices for the consumer, leading to higher sales, and Happier outcomes for all.
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The national tree shortage continues. Homes are being built faster than the growers are planting. Gratefully, prices for smaller caliper trees remain flat or show only modest increases. Larger caliper trees are in short supply, and 2025 prices reflect this scarcity. Growers are harvesting trees as soon as they reach the minimum salability size, forgoing higher prices for larger trees in the future, as who knows if there will be a market as administrations change.
Pricing among my suppliers is showing greater disparity than I’m used to seeing. I use an average cost to post my prices online. I’ve been reluctant to discount trees in the past, as my costs have been fairly uniform and my prices reflected a fair markup. This year I may be able to find some savings, so it never hurts to ask for a bargain.
The buzz around the convention center was rather electric. My friends in the industry are all highly optimistic that markets will pick up and prices will go down. We certainly live in interesting times, and it will be interesting to see where we go from here! Small businesses have been anchored by high taxes, record labor rates, runaway inflation, and an insurmountable regulatory environment. We may be seeing a reprieve, but nobody can look too far into the future with any clarity.
Arbor Valley Nursery has been our primary supplier for almost a decade. The owner, Matt Edmundson, has expanded operations and now has multiple nurseries along the I-25 corridor spanning from Sante Fe New Mexico up to Cheyenne Wyoming. This is a truly remarkable achievement, as very few nurseries expand beyond their flagship stores.
During an industry lecture, Matt confided that he has four sons, none of whom express interest in taking over the family business. Matt says he’s not sure he wants them to. Things simply aren’t as simple as they were when his grandfather started the company. Everywhere he turns there’s another government bureaucracy breathing down his neck hampering his efforts. From pesticides and fertilizers, soil conservation, labor, OSHA, emissions standards, not to mention exorbitant taxes, somedays it doesn’t seem worth the effort to get out of bed in the morning.
These same pressures apply to growers as well. Sadly, many of them are going by the wayside. Since the housing crash of 2008, the market has remained volatile. Remember, farmers plant trees prognosticating what the demand will be 8-15 years from now. Many figure its wiser to rip out the ornamental crops which take years to realize a profit, and plant food crops instead so they can get paid this Fall. Farmland has gotten so expensive that many nursery owners have simply sold the land and retired on a beach somewhere. Who knows if trees will even be for sale in the coming decades?
Meanwhile, a monster lurks among us. Site One, a nationwide mega-corporation mostly concentrated in irrigation and farming supplies like pesticides and fertilizers, is making a move toward the wholesale nursery market. They’ve been steadily buying up businesses around the country, and have acquired Harmony Gardens in Colorado. This could mean cheaper trees in the short run, but they may also knock off the competition and monopolize the industry. Site One also recently acquired Pioneer Sand and Gravel, a massive regional supplier of stone and other landscape products throughout the Intermountain West. Time will tell how this affects landscapers around the region.
Benjamin Franklin famously said “in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes”. Truer words were never spoken, but we’re cautiously optimistic about the economy for the coming year. The last time Trump was in office, diesel fuel was down to two dollars per gallon, labor rates were 40% lower than we now have, and nobody was telling us we needed to electrify our farm equipment. No matter where you are on the political spectrum, lower costs mean lower prices for the consumer, leading to higher sales, and Happier outcomes for all.
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