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Landscapes for Green Liviing. Richard Durham Department of Horticulture University of Kentucky. Green Living Landscapes. Landscapes for Energy Conservation Shading Windbreaks Water Wize Landscaping Zoned planting (xeriscaping) Water harvesting Plant selection. Energy Conservation.
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Landscapes for Green Liviing Richard Durham Department of Horticulture University of Kentucky
Green Living Landscapes • Landscapes for Energy Conservation • Shading • Windbreaks • Water Wize Landscaping • Zoned planting (xeriscaping) • Water harvesting • Plant selection
Energy Conservation US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Regional Climate Effects Kentucky is in transition area between Temperate Region and Hot-Arid Region • Maximize warming effects of the sun in winter • Maximize shade during the summer • Deflect winter winds away from buildings • Channel summer breezes toward the home
Shading with Landscape Plants • Solar heat is absorbed through windows and roofs • Shading and evapotranspiration can reduce surrounding air temperature by 9F • Temperatures directly under trees may be up to 25F less than nearby paved surfaces • Shading building can reduce cooling costs by up to 50%
Shading with Landscape Plants • Consider shading ground and pavement around the home with trees, shrubs, and groundcovers • Allow space between landscape plantings and structures • Natural breezes keep soil and siding dry • Humidity issues (mildew/rots) are minimized • May buffer winds in winter
Shading with Landscape Plants • Choose deciduous plants that shade during summer but allow solar radiation during winter • Slow-growing, strong wooded species • Avoid trashy fruit near home/pavements • Consider scale • Small/medium trees for one-story home • Medium/large trees for two-story home
Acer rubrum – Red Maple • 40-60 ft high • Variable spread (1/2 to 1X height) • Smooth attractive bark • Tremendous fall color • Avoid grafted plants • Fast growing University of Kentucky Missouri Botanic Garden
Acer saccharum – Sugar Maple • 60-75 ft high • 40-50 ft spread • Good fall color • Dark, attractive bark • Prefers well drained, slightly acid soils Michigan State University Kansas State University
Cercidiphyllum japonicum – Katsuratree • Medium tree 40-60 ft tall, 25-60 ft spread • Low maintenance • Good fall color (yellow to bronze) • Spring bloom (not showy) • Full sun, will tolerate light shade Wikipedia Missouri Botanical Garden
Ginkgo biloba - Ginkgo • Large tree >50 feet, 20-30+ feet spread • Slow growth • Tolerates restricted root zone • Adaptable to soil pH • Choose male cultivars New York Botanical Garden Wikipedia
Gymnocladus dioicus – Kentucky Coffeetree • Large tree 60-90 feet tall, 40-50 feet spread • Large (2 X 3 ft) bipinnate leaves • Tolerant of urban soils • Few pest but somewhat trashy • Yellow fall color • Fruit/petioles messy Photos: University of Kentucky
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Rotundiloba’ – Fruitless Sweetgum • Large tree 60-70 feet tall, 40-50 feet spread • Prefers deep, slightly acid soils (surface roots in clay or compacted soils) • Spiky gumballs present on fertile cultivars - trashy • Spectacular fall color: orange, purple, red, yellow. Photos: Missouri Botanical Garden & University of Kentucky
Nyssa sylvatica - Blackgum • Medium tree 30-50 feet tall, 20-30 feet spread • Tolerates wide extremes of soil moisture • Needs acid soils • Tolerates shade but best fall color in full sun • Few disease or insect problems but prone to suckering • Small black fruit attract birds Photos: University of Kentucky
Quercus macrocarpa – Bur Oak • Large tree 70-80 feet tall with nearly equal spread • Easily recognized pasture tree in the Bluegrass • Too large for most homes but very adaptable to urban conditions – large leaves may be trashy • Large bur-capped acorns • Requires full sun • Fall color: bronze/brown, not spectacular Photos: University of Kentucky
Ulmus parvifolia – Chinese Elm • Medium to large tree 40-50 feet but up to 70 feet tall, equal spread • Attractive exfoliating bark • Fine textured foliage, dark glossy green • Not picky with regard to soil pH, moisture • Other elms – Ulmus americana hybrids (resistant to Dutch Elm disease) – look for patriotic names (‘Valley Forge’) Photos: Mississippi State University
Small to Medium Trees Less than 40 feet tall
Acer buergerianum – Trident Maple • Small tree 20-25 feet tall, similar spread • Trident is from the shape of the shiny, bright green leaves • Very good fall color but late • Scaly bark • Prefers moist, slightly acid soils • Few pest problems Photos: University of Connecticut
Acer griseum – Paperbark Maple • Up to 30 feet tall and 15-20 feet spread • Soft blue-green trifoliate leaves • Reddish brown exfoliating bark • Moist, well-drained, slightly acid soils • Full sun to partial shade • Great fall color Photos: University of Connecticut
Amelanchier – Serviceberry • Downy serviceberry to 30 feet tall, 15-20 feet spread, Shadblow serviceberry to 20 feet tall, equal spread, more shrubby • Well drained, slightly acidic soils • Full sun to part shade • Fruit ripens in early summer – wildlife • Good fall color Downy Shadblow Photos: University of Kentucky
Asimina triloba - Papaw • Small tree 15-20 feet tall and spread • Large coarse leaves, always drooping (not disease or drought effect) • Large flowers in early spring • Fruit produced in clusters and ripen in mid autumn • Young trees prefer shade, older trees tolerate more sun • Prone to suckering • Yellow fall color • Few pests or problems • Named cultivars have been selected for better fruit
Cladrastis kentukea - Yellowwood • Medium tree 30-50 feet tall with equal spread • Pendant white flowers produced in mid May, flat 4” pods follow • Heavy flowering/fruiting tends to occur in alternate years • Leaves pinnately compound, yellow in fall • Prefers well-drained, loamy soils, not picky about pH • Full sun or shade, but best flowers in full sun
Magnolia – Little Girl Hybrids • Large shrubs to small trees 10-20 feet high and spread • Deciduous • Full sun to partial shade • Not picky about soil type but must be well drained, slightly acid is best • Flower early to mid Spring • Cultivars include ‘Ann,’ ‘Susan,’ ‘Ricki,’ ‘Betty,’ etc. Wikipedia University of Illinois
Malus - Crabapple • Small tree to 25 feet tall with equal spread • Flower color white, pink, maroon • Leaf color dark green to maroon • Fruit color cream, red, maroon, yellow, orange • Select disease resistant cultivars (fire blight, apple scab) • Japanese beetles • Messy fruit
Oxydenrum arboreum - Sourwood • Reaches 25-30 tall with 20 feet spread • Hanging clusters of flowers produced in June and become brown fruit that persist until through fall • Prefers slightly acid to neutral soils and tolerates urban situations • No serious pest problems • Exceptional fall color University of Kentucky
Landscape Windbreaks • Windbreaks lower the wind chill near the home by reducing wind speed, also for snow catchment • Windbreaks are effective up to a distance 20-30X their height • Most landscape windbreaks are planted at a distance of 2-6X their height from the home
Landscape Windbreaks • Windbreaks usually planted on the N or NW side of the home • Consider prevailing summer breezes and avoid blockage in hot-humid areas • Windbreaks may be of marginal benefit in Kentucky • Windbreaks may result in 10% energy savings for urban sites and up to 40% for framsteads
Energy Conservation US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Bare-trunked trees alone may channel winds toward surface www.sustland.umn.edu
Use multiple rows for effective windbreaks • Build height toward structure to be protected • Can use a combination of deciduous and evergreen trees/shrubs • May also provide animal habitat
Abies concolor – Concolor or White Fir • Evergreen, 50 feet tall and 25 feet spread • Curving needles 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches long, bluish gray to green • Prefers moist, well drained soils • Popular Christmas tree Photos: Washington State Univ.
Abies nordmanniana – Nordmann Fir • Evergreen, 40-60 feet tall, 15-20 feet spread • Needles 1 to 1 ½ inches long, dark green • Prefers moist, well-drained acidic soils • Easy to grow Photos: University of Connecticut
Ilex opaca – American Holly • Evergreen, 40-50 feet tall and 20-40 feet spread, can be sheared • Leaves have spiny toothed margins – privacy screen • Glossy green leaves • Bright red berries in winter (need female with male trees close by) • Named cultivars have superior fruit characteristics (even yellow) • Need acidic, well-drained, moist soils • Berry production best in full sun Photos: University of Kentucky
Picea - Spruce • Evergreen, 50-60 feet tall, 20-30 feet spread • Medium to fine texture • Prefer moist, well drained soils with good organic matter • Pollution tolerant, few pests • Foliage drupes and becomes dull with age • Oriental (P. orientalis) and Serbian (P. omorika) are probably best for landscape use • Norway (P. abies) and Colorado (P. pungens) good for windbreaks Photos: University of Connecticut
Pinus bungeana – Lacebark Pine • Evergreen 30-50 feet tall and 20-35 feet spread • Noteworthy scaly bark with age • Prefers well drained, moist soils • No serious pest problems but branches may be prone to breakage • May be multi-trunked and shrubby Photos: Missouri Botanical Garden
Pinus strobus - White Pine • Evergreen 50-80 feet tall and 20-40 feet spread • Fine, wispy needles • Requires moist, slightly acid, well-drained deep soils • Native but several pest issues and prone to storm damage • Weeping and compact forms available Virginia Tech University of Kentucky
Small to Medium Trees Less than 40 feet tall
Eastern Red Cedar – Juniperus virgiana • Native • 25-30 ft tall • 15-25 ft spread • Long lived • Dense foliage • Drought tolerant cricket.biol.sc.edu
Arborvitae - Thuja • Up to 20 ft tall • 10-20 ft spread • Very dense foliage • Slow growing • Bag worms and mites www.arborday.org
Small to Medium Shrubs • Chinese Juniper, Juniperus chinensis • Mugo Pine, Pinus mugo • Cotoneaster • Stoloniferous dogwoods, Cornus sericea (stolonifera) • Hollies, Ilex • Beautyberry, Callicarpa • Pieris • Clethra • Viburnum • Pyracantha