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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.
Read More...
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.
Winter Freeze Warning!
Water NOW to protect plants from prolonged deep freeze...
By Chris Leinster - January 16, 2025
Thursday, January 16th, 2025. Temperatures will be pleasant today and tomorrow, but that all changes late afternoon Friday. A Polar Plunge is expected to descend upon Colorado, bringing several days of single digit highs with overnight temperatures well below Zero degrees! These types of wild temperature swings are rather common along Colorado’s Front Range, which is one of the reasons trees don’t naturally grow here. You can help protect your trees and shrubs by dragging out the hoses and watering your plants before the cold weather sets in.
Dramatic dips in temperature can be detrimental to plants in our high-altitude environment. Remember, most trees aren’t native to the high chaparral, and they prefer more temperate climates with higher humidity. If the soil is bone dry, as is likely after several days without precipitation, frozen ground is stressful on your plants. Watering now will get some moisture in the soil that can help protect the roots during the upcoming Arctic Blast.
If your trees are in a shady spot, the ground may already be frozen and there still may be snow on the ground. If so, you don’t need to water, but it wouldn’t hurt. In sunny spots, little to no moisture may be present from the last round of snow, so watering right away is highly advisable. This is true not only for newly planted trees and shrubs, but also for mature trees and plants, particularly evergreens.
Your deciduous trees should already be wrapped for winter. This doesn’t do anything to keep them warm, which is a common misconception. We wrap the trees to keep the sun off the tender bark of young trees. Otherwise, desiccating sun along with cold temperatures can dry out the bark, causing a sun burn much like we hairless monkeys experience. For more information check out the following blog… http://happytrees.co/blog/22314/Happy-Trees-Pro-Winter-Preparation-Tips-
Trees are living beings that need care and protection to survive in Colorado’s harsh climate. Please protect your investment and winter water today!
Read More...
Dramatic dips in temperature can be detrimental to plants in our high-altitude environment. Remember, most trees aren’t native to the high chaparral, and they prefer more temperate climates with higher humidity. If the soil is bone dry, as is likely after several days without precipitation, frozen ground is stressful on your plants. Watering now will get some moisture in the soil that can help protect the roots during the upcoming Arctic Blast.
If your trees are in a shady spot, the ground may already be frozen and there still may be snow on the ground. If so, you don’t need to water, but it wouldn’t hurt. In sunny spots, little to no moisture may be present from the last round of snow, so watering right away is highly advisable. This is true not only for newly planted trees and shrubs, but also for mature trees and plants, particularly evergreens.
Your deciduous trees should already be wrapped for winter. This doesn’t do anything to keep them warm, which is a common misconception. We wrap the trees to keep the sun off the tender bark of young trees. Otherwise, desiccating sun along with cold temperatures can dry out the bark, causing a sun burn much like we hairless monkeys experience. For more information check out the following blog… http://happytrees.co/blog/22314/Happy-Trees-Pro-Winter-Preparation-Tips-
Trees are living beings that need care and protection to survive in Colorado’s harsh climate. Please protect your investment and winter water today!
Fall is for Planting!
Act now, our season is almost over...
By Chris Leinster - September 19, 2024
Hot air balloons lingered in the sky in the early morning hours above rural Longmont as I headed up to load the day’s trees for planting. I noticed farmers hard at work harvesting corn, pumpkins, and other assorted crops as I traveled along highway 287. The pumpkin patches were stacking hay bales and cutting corn mazes readying for the trick-or-treaters soon to swarm small farms for the autumn celebrations. Fall is upon us, and Fall is for planting trees!
It’s a great time to plant. Temperatures are cooler, we’re receiving more precipitation, and stocks are being replenished with Fall dug trees. Trees still have time to root in before the ground freezes, where they will then overwinter and “wake up” in the Spring with vigorous new growth.
Trees are getting harder to come by, and some of the nurseries are fairly depleted from high demand over the Summer. Happy Trees shops from wholesale nurseries up and down the Front Range, so we can usually source the best available trees from Colorado’s most reputable nurseries.
Pine and Spruce, which have been difficult to find all Summer, are finally starting to arrive. Container grown Pear, Hackberry, and Linden are plentiful, and looking fantastic! If you’re looking for a tree to plant this Fall, Happy Trees can find, deliver, and plant the best trees available.
Snow is already teasing Colorado’s highest peaks, and the Aspen are beginning to turn color at the highest elevations. Happy Trees plants successfully through October, and then will shutter our doors until trees begin arriving next Spring. Now is the time to call if you’re ready to decorate your yard with trees that will grace your yard for generations to come.
Read More...
It’s a great time to plant. Temperatures are cooler, we’re receiving more precipitation, and stocks are being replenished with Fall dug trees. Trees still have time to root in before the ground freezes, where they will then overwinter and “wake up” in the Spring with vigorous new growth.
Trees are getting harder to come by, and some of the nurseries are fairly depleted from high demand over the Summer. Happy Trees shops from wholesale nurseries up and down the Front Range, so we can usually source the best available trees from Colorado’s most reputable nurseries.
Pine and Spruce, which have been difficult to find all Summer, are finally starting to arrive. Container grown Pear, Hackberry, and Linden are plentiful, and looking fantastic! If you’re looking for a tree to plant this Fall, Happy Trees can find, deliver, and plant the best trees available.
Snow is already teasing Colorado’s highest peaks, and the Aspen are beginning to turn color at the highest elevations. Happy Trees plants successfully through October, and then will shutter our doors until trees begin arriving next Spring. Now is the time to call if you’re ready to decorate your yard with trees that will grace your yard for generations to come.
Native trees for the residential landscape
The Mighty Pinion Pine!
By Chris Leinster - August 22, 2024
Colorado is tough on trees. So tough, in fact, that very few trees are native to Colorado. If you look at any undeveloped land (getting tougher to find) along the Front Range, you’ll notice that there are no trees naturally growing on the High Chaparral. Long hot Summers, high altitude, low humidity, poor soil, wild temperature swings, extreme cold snaps, and heavy snow loads all contribute to an environment that makes it nearly impossible for trees to take hold.
One exception to consider is the mighty Pinion Pine. Sometimes known as Pinyon Pine, these rugged survivors are found in native stands throughout Colorado and the Intermountain West. Their range extends from Canada down into Mexico. More impressively, they’re found westward, thriving in the scorched deserts of Utah! The cover photo was taken in Arches National Park. Pinyon Pine is the official state tree of New Mexico. You’ll see fine examples clinging to the cliffs and enjoying the music at Red Rocks Ampitheater!
Pinion grow slowly, just a couple of inches per year, although with irrigation their growth can be accelerated a bit. The trees you find in the desert can be hundreds of years old! Native trees are often in various states of decay displaying twisted and gnarled dead and bare branches. This does not detract from their intrinsic beauty, however, as the exfoliating bark and bleached wood provide character and contrast to the surviving branches’ vibrant green needles striving to survive in the relentless desert heat. In fact, Pinion Pine might be one of a few trees that may look just as good dead as they do alive, as their skeletons can remain standing for many decades, a fitting tribute to their immense struggle for survival.
The Happy Trees Pinion Pine we plant for you shouldn’t suffer that fate for generations to come though. Just like all newly planted trees, they will need regular watering until they’re established, being extra careful to not over-water. Once the trees are established you can plug the emitters and it will thrive on natural precipitation only, although keep watering if you desire more growth.
Pinion Pine are mostly collected trees dug off of private ranch land, land slated for development, or off of Bureau of Land Management land by permit. They are genetically variable, meaning that they each have unique appearances and expressions. They can be tall and slender, fat and bushy, somewhere in-between, or even multiple trunked! With so many traits and forms, there’s a Pinion Pine appropriate for any landscape! They’re perfect for anchoring the corner of the home, where their slow growth won’t swallow up the house in the coming years. Consider Pinion for the corner of the yard, to screen utility boxes, or to provide privacy for a hot tub.
One final fun fact is that Pinion Pine produce edible pine nuts! They’re great for snacking, can be milled for baking, or they add a crunchy snap to a garden salad. You can collect your own, but probably better to buy some if you spot them in mountain town tourist shops.
Read More...
One exception to consider is the mighty Pinion Pine. Sometimes known as Pinyon Pine, these rugged survivors are found in native stands throughout Colorado and the Intermountain West. Their range extends from Canada down into Mexico. More impressively, they’re found westward, thriving in the scorched deserts of Utah! The cover photo was taken in Arches National Park. Pinyon Pine is the official state tree of New Mexico. You’ll see fine examples clinging to the cliffs and enjoying the music at Red Rocks Ampitheater!
Pinion grow slowly, just a couple of inches per year, although with irrigation their growth can be accelerated a bit. The trees you find in the desert can be hundreds of years old! Native trees are often in various states of decay displaying twisted and gnarled dead and bare branches. This does not detract from their intrinsic beauty, however, as the exfoliating bark and bleached wood provide character and contrast to the surviving branches’ vibrant green needles striving to survive in the relentless desert heat. In fact, Pinion Pine might be one of a few trees that may look just as good dead as they do alive, as their skeletons can remain standing for many decades, a fitting tribute to their immense struggle for survival.
The Happy Trees Pinion Pine we plant for you shouldn’t suffer that fate for generations to come though. Just like all newly planted trees, they will need regular watering until they’re established, being extra careful to not over-water. Once the trees are established you can plug the emitters and it will thrive on natural precipitation only, although keep watering if you desire more growth.
Pinion Pine are mostly collected trees dug off of private ranch land, land slated for development, or off of Bureau of Land Management land by permit. They are genetically variable, meaning that they each have unique appearances and expressions. They can be tall and slender, fat and bushy, somewhere in-between, or even multiple trunked! With so many traits and forms, there’s a Pinion Pine appropriate for any landscape! They’re perfect for anchoring the corner of the home, where their slow growth won’t swallow up the house in the coming years. Consider Pinion for the corner of the yard, to screen utility boxes, or to provide privacy for a hot tub.
One final fun fact is that Pinion Pine produce edible pine nuts! They’re great for snacking, can be milled for baking, or they add a crunchy snap to a garden salad. You can collect your own, but probably better to buy some if you spot them in mountain town tourist shops.
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