# The nursery notebook: choosing, planting and caring for trees

> Which native trees feed birds, bees and deer, and how to plant and protect them. Field notes on how trees grow, age and die, with every reference listed.

128 of 128 articles. By Blue Whale Trees, a native tree nursery in the United States. Each article links to its own Markdown page; each tag at the end has a page of its own. Web version: https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/

Everything here is [reviewed and fact-checked](https://bluewhaletrees.com/about/#how-we-write) by the owner, a naturalist with over 20 years of experience.

## Three to read first

- [Ten planting mistakes that quietly kill trees](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/ten-planting-mistakes/index.html.md): Most trees that die in their first decade were doomed on planting day. The ten mistakes we see most, starting with planting too deep, and the fix for each. Published 2026-09-14, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting, Protection & care.
- [Red oaks and white oaks, and where each belongs](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/red-oaks-and-white-oaks/index.html.md): How to tell red oaks from white oaks by the leaf, why the groups differ in acorns, oak wilt and lifespan, and which species fit wet flats, dry ridges or a lawn. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-27; tags: Oaks, What to plant, Planting.
- [How old is that tree, really?](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/how-old-is-that-tree/index.html.md): How to tell how old a tree is without cutting it, why the diameter-times-growth-factor rule misleads, and why forest trees outlive the lifespans quoted online. Published 2026-09-14, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Growth & age, Measuring trees, Oaks.

## Native trees for your region

- [Great Lakes and Midwest](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-great-lakes-and-midwest/index.html.md)
- [Great Plains](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-great-plains/index.html.md)
- [Gulf Coast](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-gulf-coast/index.html.md)
- [Mid-Atlantic](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-mid-atlantic/index.html.md)
- [New England and New York](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-new-england-and-new-york/index.html.md)
- [Ozarks](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-ozarks/index.html.md)
- [Southeast](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-southeast/index.html.md)
- [Southern Appalachians](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-southern-appalachians/index.html.md)

## What did you find?

- [An acorn](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/which-oak-dropped-this-acorn/index.html.md)
- [An oak leaf](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/which-oak-is-this-leaf/index.html.md)
- [A spiky ball, helicopter, pod, nut or cone](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/what-tree-dropped-this/index.html.md)

## Reading for October and November

- [When to plant a tree: fall or spring, how late is too late, and what the frost dates decide](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/when-to-plant-a-tree/index.html.md): Whether to plant trees in fall or spring where you live, how late in the year is too late, and how bare-root, potted and seed stock each keep their own season. Published 2026-10-10, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting.
- [Which oak dropped this acorn? Telling the eastern oaks apart by acorn size, cap and shape](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/which-oak-dropped-this-acorn/index.html.md): How to tell white oak acorns from red oak acorns, which oaks drop the biggest and smallest, what nuts look like acorns, and how many years until an oak bears. Published 2026-10-16, updated 2026-10-23; tags: Oaks, How trees work.
- [Why leaves turn red and yellow in fall, and which native trees give each color](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/why-leaves-turn-red-and-yellow-in-fall/index.html.md): Why fall leaves turn yellow, orange or red, what the red protects, how frost, drought and a warm fall change the show, and which native trees give each color. Published 2026-09-24, updated 2026-10-27; tags: How trees work, What to plant.
- [What tree dropped this? Spiky balls, helicopters, long pods, nuts and cones, and which of them you can plant](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/what-tree-dropped-this/index.html.md): Which eastern trees drop spiky balls, helicopters, long seed pods, nuts and cones, how to tell the look-alikes apart, and which seeds to gather, float and sow. Published 2026-10-11, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Planting.
- [Planting acorns, nuts and seed: collecting, storing and the first year](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/planting-acorns-nuts-and-seed/index.html.md): How to collect sound acorns, nuts and native seed, which sprout at once and which need a cold winter first, where to store and sow them, and the first year. Published 2026-09-22, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting, Oaks.
- [Mast years: why oaks, hickories and beech bear a huge crop one fall and almost none the next](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/mast-years/index.html.md): Why oaks, hickories and beech crop heavily in some years, how red and white oaks keep separate calendars, what mast does to wildlife, and when to collect seed. Published 2026-09-24, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Oaks, How trees work, Forests & habitat.

## All articles, newest first

- [A native food forest: the layers and the species](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/a-native-food-forest/index.html.md): How a food forest stacks native nut trees over fruit trees and berry bushes, how much room and sun each needs, which need a partner, and what to plant first. Published 2026-10-28; tags: What to plant, Planting.
- [A tree dripping sap, sticky drops or white foam: honeydew, slime flux and bleeding wounds](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/a-tree-dripping-sap-or-foam/index.html.md): Why a tree drips or oozes, how to tell insect honeydew from wetwood, rain suds, fermentation or a pruning bleed, what to leave alone, and which signs need help. Published 2026-10-28; tags: Decay & damage, How trees work.
- [A tree dying from the top down: crown dieback in an established tree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/a-tree-dying-from-the-top-down/index.html.md): Why an old tree dies back from its top, from cut or buried roots and dry years to root rot, oak wilt and borers, how long decline takes, and what still helps. Published 2026-10-28; tags: Decay & damage.
- [Borers in a young or stressed tree: the signs, the trees they pick, and what keeps them out](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/borers-in-a-young-or-stressed-tree/index.html.md): What borer damage looks like on a trunk, the borers of the East and the trees each one picks, why stress invites them, and how to protect a young tree. Published 2026-10-28; tags: Protection & care, Decay & damage.
- [Lichen and moss on bark: harmless, and what they say](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/lichen-and-moss-on-bark/index.html.md): Whether the gray-green crust or the moss on a trunk hurts it, why they favor slow or thinning trees, what a sudden crop means, and why scraping helps nothing. Published 2026-10-28; tags: How trees work, Decay & damage.
- [Nativars or straight species: what wildlife gets from each](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/nativars-or-straight-species/index.html.md): How cultivars of native shrubs and trees compare with the wild species for caterpillars, bees and birds, which bred traits cost them, and when one is fine. Published 2026-10-28; tags: Forests & habitat, What to plant.
- [Poison ivy and the native plants that look like it](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/poison-ivy-and-its-native-look-alikes/index.html.md): How to know poison ivy by its leaves, vine and berries, how to tell it from the natives mistaken for it, what it feeds, and how to clear it from a tree safely. Published 2026-10-28; tags: Protection & care, How trees work.
- [Signs a big tree may fall](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/signs-a-big-tree-may-fall/index.html.md): The warning signs of a failing tree, from a new lean and heaving soil to conks, cracks and dead limbs, which trees break most, and what to do after a storm. Published 2026-10-28; tags: Decay & damage, Measuring trees.
- [Suckers at the base of a tree: why natives sucker, and which to keep](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/suckers-at-the-base-of-a-tree/index.html.md): Why trees send up shoots from their roots, which natives grow into thickets by nature, when to keep a colony, and how to cut suckers without harming the tree. Published 2026-10-28; tags: Protection & care, How trees work.
- [Turning lawn into a native tree and shrub planting](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/lawn-to-a-native-planting/index.html.md): How to smother or lift turf without herbicide, when each method works and how long it takes, how to lay out a new bed, and what to plant in sun or shade. Published 2026-10-28; tags: Planting, What to plant.
- [Yellow leaves in summer: iron chlorosis, wet roots, drought and the normal shed](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/yellow-leaves-in-summer/index.html.md): Why a tree's leaves turn yellow in July and August, how the pattern tells chlorosis from drought or soggy roots, which trees are prone, and what to do for each. Published 2026-10-28; tags: Protection & care, Decay & damage.
- [Chinquapin oak vs chestnut oak: leaves, acorns, bark, soil, lifespan and which to plant](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/chinquapin-oak-vs-chestnut-oak/index.html.md): How to tell chinquapin oak from chestnut oak by leaf, acorn and bark, how fast each grows, how long it lives, and which suits limestone or a dry, acid ridge. Published 2026-10-26, updated 2026-10-27; tags: Oaks, What to plant.
- [Why reservoirs and drinking watersheds are surrounded by forest, and what the trees do for the water](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/why-reservoirs-are-surrounded-by-forest/index.html.md): Why cities buy and keep woods around their drinking water, how forest soil, roots and shade protect it, how wide a stream buffer should be, and what to plant. Published 2026-10-24; tags: Forests & habitat, How trees work, What to plant.
- [Caterpillars on a tree: tents, webs and bare branches, and when to leave them](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/caterpillars-on-a-tree/index.html.md): What a silk tent, a web at a branch tip, bags on an evergreen or oaks bare in June mean, why most need nothing, and when and how to step in without spraying. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Protection & care, Forests & habitat.
- [Drought and an established tree: where to water, how much, leaf scorch, and the year after](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/drought-and-an-established-tree/index.html.md): Why a big tree wilts, scorches and drops leaves in a dry summer, where its roots drink, how long to run a hose, what to skip, and what drought costs next year. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Protection & care, How trees work.
- [Pruning and renewing native shrubs: when each kind is cut, and which never need it](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/pruning-and-renewing-native-shrubs/index.html.md): Which native shrubs bloom on old wood and which on new, when to cut each, how to bring back an old, leggy shrub, and which kinds never need pruning at all. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Protection & care.
- [Bur oak vs white oak: leaves, acorns, size, growth, lifespan and which to plant](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/bur-oak-vs-white-oak/index.html.md): How to tell bur oak from white oak by leaf, acorn and bark, how fast each grows, how long it lives, and which suits limestone, prairie wind or a woodland yard. Published 2026-10-21, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Oaks, What to plant.
- [Which oak is this leaf? Telling the eastern oaks apart by lobes, bristles, teeth and the underside](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/which-oak-is-this-leaf/index.html.md): A leaf chart for 45 oaks: how to tell red oak leaves from white oak leaves, which oaks have no lobes or only teeth, and why the hairs beneath settle hard cases. Published 2026-10-21, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Oaks, How trees work.
- [Native trees for the Great Plains: Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, the Dakotas, eastern Colorado and Wyoming](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-great-plains/index.html.md): Which native trees suit the Great Plains from Iowa to the Front Range, when to plant against wind and drought, and which pests and diseases to plan around. Published 2026-10-19, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat, Planting.
- [Native trees for New England and New York: from the coast to the North Woods](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-new-england-and-new-york/index.html.md): Which native trees suit Cape Cod sand, rocky hills, Champlain Valley clay and the cold north, why spring planting is safer up north, and which pests to watch. Published 2026-10-18, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat, Planting.
- [Native trees for the Gulf Coast: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and East Texas](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-gulf-coast/index.html.md): Which native trees suit Gulf Coast salt spray, river swamps, chalk prairie and pine sand, which ones stand hurricanes, and when to plant them in the Deep South. Published 2026-10-18, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat, Planting.
- [Native trees for the Ozarks: Missouri, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-ozarks/index.html.md): Which native trees suit Ozark glades, chert hills and river bottoms, how zones run in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma, when to plant, and the pests to expect. Published 2026-10-18, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat, Planting.
- [Native trees for the Southeast: the Carolinas, Georgia, north Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-southeast/index.html.md): Which native trees suit Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, the Carolinas and north Florida: swampy, sandy, heavy or alkaline soil, and the season to set them out. Published 2026-10-18; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat, Planting.
- [Native trees for the Southern Appalachians: the valleys, the slopes and the high ridges](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-southern-appalachians/index.html.md): Which native trees suit Appalachian limestone valleys, rich coves, dry ridges and high peaks, how height shifts the zones, when to plant, and the pests to know. Published 2026-10-18, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat, Planting.
- [Chinquapin or chestnut: telling the four we grow apart](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/chinquapin-or-chestnut/index.html.md): Chinquapin vs chestnut: how a bur, a nut and the underside of a leaf tell the two chinkapins from the chestnuts, what blight does to each, and which to plant. Published 2026-10-16, updated 2026-10-27; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat.
- [Ice and snow on trees: what to do with a bent, split or broken tree after a storm](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/ice-and-snow-damage-on-trees/index.html.md): How much weight ice puts on a tree, whether a bent or split tree can be saved, which native trees hold up in ice storms, and what to cut or leave for spring. Published 2026-10-16, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Decay & damage, Protection & care.
- [The deepest-rooted native trees: how deep oak, hickory, walnut and pine roots really go](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/deepest-rooted-native-trees/index.html.md): Which native trees root deepest and on what soil, how deep pine and spruce roots go, why a taproot fades, and how to plant a taprooted tree so it stays put. Published 2026-10-16, updated 2026-10-27; tags: How trees work, What to plant.
- [Which oak dropped this acorn? Telling the eastern oaks apart by acorn size, cap and shape](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/which-oak-dropped-this-acorn/index.html.md): How to tell white oak acorns from red oak acorns, which oaks drop the biggest and smallest, what nuts look like acorns, and how many years until an oak bears. Published 2026-10-16, updated 2026-10-23; tags: Oaks, How trees work.
- [Winter burn on evergreens: why needles and leaves brown in late winter, and what to do](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/winter-burn-on-evergreens/index.html.md): What causes winter burn on evergreens, how to tell it from natural winter bronzing, road salt or needle disease, when to prune, and how to prevent it next fall. Published 2026-10-16, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Protection & care, Decay & damage.
- [Native fruit and nut trees to grow and eat: what each bears, when it starts, and which need a partner](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-fruit-and-nut-trees/index.html.md): Which native fruit and nut trees bear soonest, which need two trees or a male, how they fare without sprays, and whether to plant a seedling or a grafted tree. Published 2026-10-12, updated 2026-10-27; tags: What to plant.
- [Native trees and shrubs that fix nitrogen, and the legumes that do not](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-and-shrubs-that-fix-nitrogen/index.html.md): The native shrubs and trees that fix nitrogen, by partner and soil, why honey locust and redbud do not, and how much a fixer gives the fruit trees nearby. Published 2026-10-12, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, How trees work.
- [Trees and shrubs that soak up water: what they can do for a wet yard, and the natives for a rain garden](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/trees-that-soak-up-water/index.html.md): Why no tree can drain a soggy yard, which native trees and shrubs take standing water or seasonal floods, and what to grow in each part of a rain garden. Published 2026-10-12, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Planting.
- [A tree for a birth, a wedding or in memory of someone: the long-lived natives and their size at twenty years](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/a-tree-for-a-birth-a-wedding-or-in-memory/index.html.md): Which native trees to plant for a memorial, a new baby or a wedding, how tall each one grows in twenty years, and how to mark the tree without harming it. Published 2026-10-11, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Growth & age.
- [Can you plant a live Christmas tree after the holidays? Yes, if it has roots and a hole dug in fall](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/can-you-plant-a-live-christmas-tree/index.html.md): Which live Christmas trees survive planting outside, how long one can stay indoors, how to ready the hole in fall, and why a fresh cut tree will not grow. Published 2026-10-11, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting.
- [Invasive or native? Telling tree of heaven, white mulberry, Norway maple, mimosa and Callery pear from the natives they resemble](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/invasive-trees-and-the-natives-they-resemble/index.html.md): How to tell tree of heaven from sumac, white mulberry from red and Norway maple from sugar maple, which invasive seedlings to pull and what native to plant. Published 2026-10-11, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat.
- [What a young tree looks like: first-year seedlings of oak, walnut, hickory, chestnut, maple and redbud, and the weed trees to pull](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/what-a-young-tree-looks-like/index.html.md): How to identify oak, walnut, hickory, maple and redbud seedlings by their first leaves, why nuts keep their seed leaves underground, and which weeds to pull. Published 2026-10-11, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting, How trees work.
- [What tree dropped this? Spiky balls, helicopters, long pods, nuts and cones, and which of them you can plant](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/what-tree-dropped-this/index.html.md): Which eastern trees drop spiky balls, helicopters, long seed pods, nuts and cones, how to tell the look-alikes apart, and which seeds to gather, float and sow. Published 2026-10-11, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Planting.
- [Which native nuts and fruit poison dogs, horses and children, and which are food](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-nuts-and-fruit-poisonous-to-dogs-horses-and-children/index.html.md): Why acorns, buckeyes and moldy black walnuts poison dogs and horses, what the signs look like, who to call, and which wild nuts and berries a child can eat. Published 2026-10-11, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Protection & care, What to plant.
- [Which oak to plant: the fastest, the first to bear, the biggest acorns, and oaks for small yards, wet ground and deer](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/which-oak-to-plant/index.html.md): How fast each oak grows, how soon it fruits and how large its acorns get, plus the oaks that suit a small yard, soggy clay or a planting for deer and turkey. Published 2026-10-11, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Oaks, What to plant.
- [Why acorns fall early, green or small: the early-summer drop, drought, weevils and this year’s crop](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/why-acorns-fall-early/index.html.md): Green acorns on the lawn before fall: the four reasons oaks shed them, the sign each leaves, whether an early crop means a hard winter, and what acorns to sow. Published 2026-10-11, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Oaks, How trees work.
- [Will it come true from seed? Store-bought nuts, grafted fruit, cultivars, and the seedlings they make](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/will-it-come-true-from-seed/index.html.md): Which tree seeds grow true to their parent, whether an apple seed or a store-bought walnut will sprout, how long nuts take to bear, and what to sow instead. Published 2026-10-11, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Planting.
- [A sapling in a pot: how long it can wait, how to pot it up, and how to bring it through winter](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/a-sapling-in-a-pot/index.html.md): How long a tree can stay in a pot before planting, how to pot up a sapling and keep sun off its roots, how to overwinter it, and the signs it waited too long. Published 2026-10-10, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Planting, Protection & care.
- [A tree struck by lightning: what the strike does, which trees it finds, and whether the tree lives](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/a-tree-struck-by-lightning/index.html.md): Why lightning strikes some trees more than others, how to read the scar a strike leaves on the bark, and what to do while you wait to see if the tree survives. Published 2026-10-10, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Decay & damage.
- [Find the root flare: how deep to plant a tree, and how to uncover one planted too deep](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/find-the-root-flare/index.html.md): What a root flare looks like, how to find it on a potted, burlapped or bare-root tree, the signs of a tree planted too deep, and how to dig a buried one out. Published 2026-10-10, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting, Protection & care.
- [Herbicide damage on trees: cupped leaves, weed-and-feed, drift from a neighbor’s lawn, and recovery](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/herbicide-damage-on-trees/index.html.md): What herbicide damage looks like on tree leaves, why weed-and-feed and drift reach a tree, how to tell it from insects or frost, and whether the tree recovers. Published 2026-10-10, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Decay & damage, Protection & care.
- [Is my new tree dying or just in shock? The first year’s signs, the scratch test and what to do](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/is-my-new-tree-dying-or-just-shocked/index.html.md): Why a newly planted tree wilts, yellows or drops its leaves, how the soil check and the scratch test tell shock from a dying tree, and when to stop waiting. Published 2026-10-10, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Protection & care, Planting.
- [Mulch around a tree: how deep, how wide, how far from the trunk, and what rock, fabric and rings do](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/mulch-around-a-tree/index.html.md): Why mulch helps a tree, how deep and how wide to spread it, how far to keep it off the trunk, and what volcanoes, rocks, fabric and rubber do to the roots. Published 2026-10-10, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting, Protection & care.
- [Mushrooms at the base of a tree: the few that mean root rot, and the many that do not](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/mushrooms-at-the-base-of-a-tree/index.html.md): Which mushrooms at the base of a tree mean root rot and which are harmless, how to read a conk on the trunk, and what to do when one grows from the roots. Published 2026-10-10, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Decay & damage.
- [Training a young tree: five years of small cuts for one leader, no narrow forks and a clear trunk](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/training-a-young-tree/index.html.md): When to start pruning a new tree, which leader to keep and how to shorten its rival, why narrow forks split, and how to raise the crown over the years. Published 2026-10-10, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Protection & care, Growth & age.
- [When to plant a tree: fall or spring, how late is too late, and what the frost dates decide](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/when-to-plant-a-tree/index.html.md): Whether to plant trees in fall or spring where you live, how late in the year is too late, and how bare-root, potted and seed stock each keep their own season. Published 2026-10-10, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting.
- [Beech leaf disease: the striped leaves, how far it has spread, and whether to plant beech now](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/beech-leaf-disease/index.html.md): What the dark stripes on beech leaves mean, how far beech leaf disease has spread and what treatment can do for a yard tree, and whether to plant beech now. Published 2026-10-08, updated 2026-10-26; tags: Decay & damage, What to plant.
- [Native trees for the Great Lakes and Midwest: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-great-lakes-and-midwest/index.html.md): Which native trees suit Great Lakes clay, dune sand, prairie and river bottoms, how the lakes shift the zones, when to plant, and which pests change the choice. Published 2026-10-08, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat, Planting.
- [How a tree’s photosynthesis changes through the year, from leaf-out to leaf fall](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/photosynthesis-through-the-year/index.html.md): When trees photosynthesize most, how a new leaf spends stored sugar before it earns any, what drought and short days do, and what evergreens do in winter. Published 2026-10-05, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Growth & age.
- [Native street trees: which ones take pavement, salt and drought, and how to fit one to the strip and the wires](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-street-trees/index.html.md): Which native trees take road salt, drought and compacted soil, how wide a tree lawn must be, what can grow under power lines, and who must approve planting. Published 2026-10-05, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Planting.
- [Organic or synthetic fertilizer: how they differ and what a tree needs](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/organic-or-synthetic-fertilizer/index.html.md): Why a root takes the same nutrients from either bag, how organic and synthetic fertilizers differ in release, salts and soil life, and when a tree needs any. Published 2026-10-01, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Protection & care, How trees work.
- [Burls: what makes the big knobs on a trunk, and do they harm the tree?](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/burls-on-trees/index.html.md): What makes knotty burls grow on oak and maple trunks, why cutting one off hurts more than leaving it, and how to tell a burl from a gall or canker by the bark. Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-10-26; tags: How trees work, Decay & damage.
- [How fast native trees grow: a year’s growth by species, soil and sun](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/how-fast-native-trees-grow/index.html.md): How many feet a year native trees grow, how long a tree takes to reach full size, what soil, sun, weeds and deer do to the rate, and how to read a twig. Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Growth & age, What to plant.
- [Is my bald cypress dead? The conifers that drop every needle in fall, and when brown means trouble](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/is-my-bald-cypress-dead/index.html.md): Why a bald cypress goes brown and bare each fall, what summer browning means, why a Leyland cypress browns, and how to tell if a conifer is really dead. Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-10-21; tags: How trees work, Protection & care.
- [Native hedges, screens and windbreaks: which trees to use and how far apart to set them](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-hedges-screens-and-windbreaks/index.html.md): Natives for a clipped hedge, a year-round screen, a bird hedgerow or a windbreak: the spacing for each, how many rows a windbreak needs and which grow fastest. Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-10-28; tags: What to plant, Planting.
- [Native replacements for burning bush, barberry, privet, Bradford pear, boxwood, butterfly bush and forsythia](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-replacements-for-burning-bush-and-bradford-pear/index.html.md): Which native replaces burning bush, barberry, privet, Bradford pear, boxwood, butterfly bush or forsythia, why each is being replaced, and where sale is banned. Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat.
- [Native shrubs and trees deer usually leave alone, and why the lists disagree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-shrubs-and-trees-deer-leave-alone/index.html.md): Which native shrubs and trees deer usually pass by, why deer-resistant lists contradict each other, and which natives need a cage because deer favor them. Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Protection & care.
- [Native trees and shrubs for dry, sandy soil: the plants of barrens and dunes, and how to grow them](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-and-shrubs-for-dry-sandy-soil/index.html.md): Which native trees and shrubs thrive in dry, sandy soil and full sun, which take salt spray, and how to plant, mulch and water them through the first summer. Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Planting.
- [Native trees and shrubs for heavy clay: which take it wet, which take it dry, and how to plant them](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-and-shrubs-for-heavy-clay/index.html.md): Which native trees and shrubs grow in heavy clay, why floodplain trees cope best, how to test your drainage with a bucket, and how to plant them in clay. Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Planting.
- [Twigs all over the lawn: squirrels, twig girdlers, or a tree shedding its own twigs](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/why-trees-drop-twigs/index.html.md): Why oaks drop small branches in summer and fall, how the cut end shows whether a squirrel, a beetle or the tree itself did it, and what to do with the twigs. Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Decay & damage, Oaks.
- [What to plant under a big tree: native shrubs for shade, and how to plant without hurting the tree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/what-to-plant-under-a-big-tree/index.html.md): Why little grows under maples and beech, how to plant beneath a tree without harming its roots, and which native shrubs still flower in dry or moist shade. Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-10-11; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat.
- [Why a tree flowers but bears no fruit: it may be a male, lack a partner nearby, or be too young](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/why-a-tree-flowers-but-never-fruits/index.html.md): Why a holly has no berries or a persimmon bears nothing, how to tell male flowers from female, how many seedlings to plant, and when frost or shade is to blame. Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, What to plant.
- [Juglone: which plants a black walnut poisons, how far its reach goes, and what to plant beneath it](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/juglone-what-to-plant-under-a-black-walnut/index.html.md): Why a black walnut kills tomatoes and azaleas, how far and how long its juglone reaches, what to do with leaves and hulls, and which natives thrive under it. Published 2026-09-26, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Protection & care.
- [Reading a nursery listing: seedling, sapling, caliper, bare-root and potted, and what a tree’s age tells you](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/reading-a-nursery-listing/index.html.md): What 2-0 and caliper mean on a tree listing, why age and height say less than stem and roots, and how bare-root, potted and burlapped trees differ when you buy. Published 2026-09-26, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting, Growth & age.
- [Sun leaves and shade leaves: why one tree grows two kinds of leaf, and what it means for a seedling moved into shade](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/sun-leaves-and-shade-leaves/index.html.md): Why a tree grows sun leaves and shade leaves, why a young tree scorches after a move into sun or stalls in shade, and learning light tolerance before planting. Published 2026-09-26, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Planting.
- [Winter identification: telling native trees apart by bark, buds and twigs](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/winter-tree-identification/index.html.md): How to identify a tree in winter by bark, buds, twigs and pith, where the opposite-branching shortcut fails, and two tables of winter signs for native trees. Published 2026-09-26, updated 2026-10-27; tags: How trees work, Measuring trees.
- [A year-by-year care calendar for a newly planted tree, from the day it arrives to its fifth spring](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/care-calendar-for-a-new-tree/index.html.md): How much and how long to water a new tree, when guards and wraps go on and come off, when to make the first pruning cut, and how to tell it is growing. Published 2026-09-25, updated 2026-10-27; tags: Planting, Protection & care.
- [Frost cracks and sunscald: why young bark splits in winter, and what a trunk wrap can and cannot do](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/frost-cracks-and-sunscald/index.html.md): Why a young tree’s bark splits or dies on its sunny side in winter, which trees are at risk, what a trunk wrap can and cannot prevent, and how cracks close. Published 2026-09-25, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Decay & damage, Protection & care.
- [Seed source and provenance: why where the parent tree grew decides how yours will do](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/seed-source-and-provenance/index.html.md): How far tree seed can move north or uphill, why seed source changes how a tree grows, what trials and seed zones show, and what to ask a nursery before buying. Published 2026-09-25, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting, How trees work.
- [Tree roots run shallow and wide, not deep: what that means for watering, mulch and the house](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/tree-roots-run-shallow-and-wide/index.html.md): How deep and wide tree roots grow, why the taproot fades, where to water and mulch, what trenches and fill do, and how far from a house to plant a tree. Published 2026-09-25, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Planting.
- [Why a small sapling catches up with a big transplanted tree, and often passes it](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/small-sapling-or-big-transplant/index.html.md): How long a transplanted tree takes to establish per inch of trunk, why a small sapling catches up with a big one, and when a bigger tree is worth the price. Published 2026-09-25, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting, Growth & age.
- [Mast years: why oaks, hickories and beech bear a huge crop one fall and almost none the next](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/mast-years/index.html.md): Why oaks, hickories and beech crop heavily in some years, how red and white oaks keep separate calendars, what mast does to wildlife, and when to collect seed. Published 2026-09-24, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Oaks, How trees work, Forests & habitat.
- [What a hardiness zone tells you about a tree, and what it leaves out](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/what-a-hardiness-zone-tells-you/index.html.md): What a USDA hardiness zone measures, why a tree rated for yours can still fail in summer heat, wet ground or a late frost, and how to choose the spot and seed. Published 2026-09-24, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Planting.
- [Why leaves turn red and yellow in fall, and which native trees give each color](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/why-leaves-turn-red-and-yellow-in-fall/index.html.md): Why fall leaves turn yellow, orange or red, what the red protects, how frost, drought and a warm fall change the show, and which native trees give each color. Published 2026-09-24, updated 2026-10-27; tags: How trees work, What to plant.
- [Why native trees become rare, and ten rare eastern species worth growing](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/why-native-trees-become-rare/index.html.md): Why native trees become rare, from ice-age relicts and scarce soils to blight and lost fire, what G-ranks mean, and ten rare eastern trees and shrubs to grow. Published 2026-09-24, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Forests & habitat, What to plant.
- [Bare-root trees on arrival: the first hour, the first week and the first spring](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/planting-bare-root-trees-on-arrival/index.html.md): Bare-root trees on arrival: checking roots, soaking, heeling in, depth and backfill, cages, watering, and how late a first spring can run before a tree is dead. Published 2026-09-22, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting, Protection & care.
- [Native trees and shrubs for deer and wild turkey: acorns, fruit, cover and a planting plan](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-deer-and-turkey/index.html.md): What deer and wild turkeys eat, how many years each oak, hickory and fruit tree takes to bear, where cover and openings go, and what a food plot cannot do. Published 2026-09-22, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat.
- [Native trees for the Mid-Atlantic: what to plant on the Coastal Plain, the Piedmont and the mountains](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-the-mid-atlantic/index.html.md): Which native trees take Mid-Atlantic stream banks, Piedmont yards, dry sand and mountain coves, how zones and heat set planting time, and the pests to plan for. Published 2026-09-22, updated 2026-10-11; tags: What to plant, Forests & habitat, Planting.
- [Planting acorns, nuts and seed: collecting, storing and the first year](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/planting-acorns-nuts-and-seed/index.html.md): How to collect sound acorns, nuts and native seed, which sprout at once and which need a cold winter first, where to store and sow them, and the first year. Published 2026-09-22, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting, Oaks.
- [Small native trees and large shrubs for a small yard, and how to place them](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/small-native-trees-for-small-yards/index.html.md): Which native trees fit a small yard, how far to set one from the house, the wires and the septic field, and three plants to put where one lawn tree stood. Published 2026-09-22, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Planting.
- [A glossary of the words we use about trees](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/glossary/index.html.md): 263 tree terms in plain words, from abscission layer to tylosis: root flare, included bark, marcescence and mast, most linked to the article that explains it. Published 2026-09-20, updated 2026-10-28; tags: How trees work.
- [How floodplain trees survive high water](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/how-floodplain-trees-survive-high-water/index.html.md): Why standing water kills roots, how bottomland trees get air to theirs, what cypress knees do, why fill kills an upland tree, and what to plant in a wet spot. Published 2026-09-20, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Forests & habitat, What to plant.
- [Photosynthesis without leaves: the green layer under bark](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/photosynthesis-without-leaves/index.html.md): Where the green layer under bark sits, why wet bark shows it, how much of what it fixes is carbon the tree itself has respired, and when it matters most. Published 2026-09-20, updated 2026-10-27; tags: How trees work, Protection & care.
- [Native trees and shrubs for bees: pollen, nectar, nesting and a bloom calendar from willow to witch hazel](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-bees/index.html.md): A bloom calendar of the native trees and shrubs that feed native bees and honey bees, month by month from willow to witch hazel, and the bees tied to one plant. Published 2026-09-17, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Forests & habitat, What to plant.
- [Native trees and shrubs for birds: caterpillars, fruit, mast, nests and winter cover, month by month](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-birds/index.html.md): Which native trees and shrubs feed and shelter birds in every month, why native fruit and native insects beat ornamentals, and how to plant a yard for birds. Published 2026-09-17, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Forests & habitat, What to plant.
- [Native trees and shrubs for butterflies and moths: host plants first, nectar second](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-butterflies-and-moths/index.html.md): Which native trees and shrubs feed the most caterpillars, ranked by genus, which butterflies and moths need a single host, and how to plant and keep them. Published 2026-09-17, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Forests & habitat, What to plant.
- [Native trees and shrubs for wildlife: what deer, squirrels, bears, bats and turtles get from a planting](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-wildlife/index.html.md): Which native trees and shrubs feed and shelter mammals, reptiles and amphibians, which matter most, and how to plant a yard or woodlot so the animals show up. Published 2026-09-17, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Forests & habitat, What to plant.
- [Native trees for insects: the beetles, wasps, cicadas and fireflies that everything else eats](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-trees-for-insects/index.html.md): Which native trees and shrubs feed the most insects, the keystone genera ranked from oaks down, and what dead wood, leaf litter and dark nights do for them. Published 2026-09-17, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Forests & habitat, What to plant.
- [Chinese chestnut: size, growth rate, bark, and how it differs from the American chestnut](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/chinese-chestnut/index.html.md): How big a Chinese chestnut gets and how fast, what its bark, leaves and nuts look like, and the differences from the American chestnut it stands in for. Published 2026-09-16, updated 2026-10-27; tags: What to plant, Growth & age.
- [Epicormic buds: the sprouts that appear after damage or new sunlight](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/epicormic-buds/index.html.md): Trees carry sleeping buds in their bark for decades. A broken top, hard pruning or sudden sun wakes them. What the sprouts mean and what to do with them. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Decay & damage, Protection & care.
- [How trees defend themselves](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/how-trees-defend-themselves/index.html.md): Trees cannot run, so they fight with resin, thorns, tannin, latex, thick bark and stump sprouts. A tour of the defenses, with the debated parts flagged. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Protection & care, Forests & habitat.
- [Invasive vines and shrubs are what is killing your woods](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/invasive-vines-and-shrubs/index.html.md): Vines and shrubs topple canopy trees and stop a forest from regenerating. Free the trees first, then the shrubs, then keep after the seedlings for years. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Forests & habitat, Protection & care, What to plant.
- [Leaf litter, not wood chips, under the canopy](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/leaf-litter-not-wood-chips/index.html.md): Why a floor of fallen leaves feeds a tree and holds water in a drought better than a bed of wood chips, how to make one in a yard, and where chips still belong. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Protection & care, Forests & habitat, How trees work.
- [Marcescence: why young beeches and oaks keep their dead leaves all winter](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/marcescence/index.html.md): The copper-brown leaves rattling on beech saplings and young oaks in January are marcescence. What it is, why it might happen and why it needs no action. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Oaks, Forests & habitat.
- [Multistem or single stem? Sometimes the trunk is hiding the answer](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/multistem-or-single-stem/index.html.md): A trunk that looks like one stem can be two or three that grew together with bark trapped inside. How clumps form, why fused trunks fail, and what to do early. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Decay & damage, Protection & care.
- [Protecting forestland for good: conservation easements and the other tools](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/protecting-forestland-for-good/index.html.md): A conservation easement is the tool most private forest owners end up using. What it does and does not do, the weaker tools, and what to ask a land trust. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Forests & habitat, Protection & care.
- [Protecting young trees from voles, rabbits, deer and squirrels](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/protecting-trees-from-animals/index.html.md): Voles, rabbits, deer and squirrels each leave a signature on a young tree. Each has a fix: hardware cloth, cages, pulled-back mulch and guards removed in time. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Protection & care, Planting.
- [Pruning at the branch collar, and when to make the cut](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/pruning-at-the-branch-collar/index.html.md): Cut just outside the branch collar, never flush and never leaving a stub. How to find the collar, use three cuts instead of one, and pick the right season. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Protection & care, How trees work, Decay & damage.
- [Red oaks and white oaks, and where each belongs](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/red-oaks-and-white-oaks/index.html.md): How to tell red oaks from white oaks by the leaf, why the groups differ in acorns, oak wilt and lifespan, and which species fit wet flats, dry ridges or a lawn. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-27; tags: Oaks, What to plant, Planting.
- [Sapsucker holes and the wasps that follow them](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/sapsucker-holes-and-wasp-damage/index.html.md): Why a sapsucker drills rows of small holes in bark, the wasps and hummingbirds that drink from them, when the damage matters, and how to guard a small tree. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Decay & damage, Protection & care, Forests & habitat.
- [Six trees not to plant near a house, and what to plant instead](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/trees-not-to-plant-near-a-house/index.html.md): White mulberry, lacebark elm, willow, silver maple, tuliptree and Callery pear each have a specific problem near a home. A native alternative for each one. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-28; tags: What to plant, Planting.
- [The habitat around a tree is part of the tree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/habitat-around-a-tree/index.html.md): Leaf litter, stick piles, an exposed root flare and uncompacted soil keep a tree alive for centuries. Nails, straps, fill and parked trucks quietly undo it. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Protection & care, Forests & habitat.
- [Transplanting young trees: timing, water and protection](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/transplanting-young-trees/index.html.md): Move a tree while it is dormant, set the flare high, water deeply for two summers and cage it from day one. Small transplants usually outgrow big ones. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Planting, Protection & care.
- [Wasp galls on oaks](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/wasp-galls-on-oaks/index.html.md): Oak apples, bullet galls, wool sower galls and woody twig knobs are all grown by the tree around a tiny wasp. They look like disease and almost never are. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Oaks, Decay & damage, How trees work.
- [What grows back when a field is left alone](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/old-field-succession/index.html.md): An abandoned field in the East goes from goldenrod to redcedar, sweetgum, tuliptree and black locust in a decade, and to oaks in a century. How to steer it. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-27; tags: Forests & habitat, Growth & age, What to plant.
- [What old growth actually looks like](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/what-old-growth-looks-like/index.html.md): Well under one percent of eastern forest is old growth. The six outward signs of an old tree, where old stands hide, and how to steer a woodlot back toward it. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Forests & habitat, Growth & age, Decay & damage.
- [When oaks leaf out, and why two of them never agree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/when-oaks-leaf-out/index.html.md): The order in which an eastern woodland leafs out, why two oaks ten feet apart can break bud two weeks apart, and how to tell a late oak from a sick one. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Oaks, How trees work, Growth & age.
- [Why the range maps are wrong](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/range-maps-are-wrong/index.html.md): Most native range maps are hand-drawn 1970s outlines, copied ever since. Why they are coarse, the kinds of errors they carry, and what to trust instead. Published 2026-09-15, updated 2026-10-24; tags: What to plant, Planting, Forests & habitat.
- [Fungus on a tree is not a death sentence](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/fungus-is-not-a-death-sentence/index.html.md): Hollow trunks, torn-out limbs and shelf fungi look like the end. Trees can live for decades or centuries in that state, and a few signs say when it matters. Published 2026-09-14, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Decay & damage, How trees work, Forests & habitat.
- [How old is that tree, really?](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/how-old-is-that-tree/index.html.md): How to tell how old a tree is without cutting it, why the diameter-times-growth-factor rule misleads, and why forest trees outlive the lifespans quoted online. Published 2026-09-14, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Growth & age, Measuring trees, Oaks.
- [Ten planting mistakes that quietly kill trees](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/ten-planting-mistakes/index.html.md): Most trees that die in their first decade were doomed on planting day. The ten mistakes we see most, starting with planting too deep, and the fix for each. Published 2026-09-14, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Planting, Protection & care.
- [Why almost every tree height you read is too tall](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/tangent-vs-sine-tree-height/index.html.md): Why the tangent method overstates big hardwoods by ten to thirty feet, how the sine method with a laser fixes it, and how tall eastern trees really get. Published 2026-09-14, updated 2026-10-24; tags: Measuring trees, Growth & age.
- [Why new leaves come out red](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/why-new-leaves-come-out-red/index.html.md): Why spring oak and maple leaves open bronze-red, what the red pigment shields while each leaf is built, how long the color lasts, and the signs of real trouble. Published 2026-09-14, updated 2026-10-24; tags: How trees work, Protection & care.

## Reference tables

- [Open data: the reference tables on this site as files, with a license to reuse them](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/open-data/index.html.md): The fourteen reference tables on this site as CSV and JSON files under one open license: plant facts, growth, lifespans, native range, bloom and more. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-28; tags: What to plant.
- [Every tree and shrub we grow at a glance: size, zones, sun, soil, bloom, fruit and first crop](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/plant-facts/index.html.md): One row for each of the 423 trees and shrubs we grow: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and soil, bloom and fruit months and years to a first crop. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-28; tags: What to plant.
- [How far from the house, the wires and the drain field: planting distances for every species](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/planting-distances/index.html.md): The least distance each of our 423 trees and shrubs needs from a house, overhead wires, a septic field, pavement and a property line, with its spacing, in feet. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Planting.
- [How long native trees and shrubs live: typical and oldest known age, A to Z](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/how-long-native-trees-live/index.html.md): How long each of the 119 native trees and 13 shrubs we grow lives, A to Z: the usual span for its species, the oldest on record and the source of each figure. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-30; tags: Growth & age.
- [State plant rules: the quarantines and bans that name a tree or shrub we grow](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/state-rules/index.html.md): The state quarantine and ban rules that name a tree or shrub we grow, state by state, with the plants each covers, from the National Plant Board’s summaries. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-28; tags: What to plant.
- [The ground each tree and shrub we grow belongs to: habitats, A to Z](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/plant-habitats/index.html.md): The wild habitats each of our 423 trees and shrubs grows in, from floodplain forests to dry uplands, which the companion tool reads to match the plants. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Forests & habitat.
- [The growth factors behind the tree age calculator: years per inch of trunk, by species](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/tree-age-factors/index.html.md): Growth factors for 88 tree species, each the years per inch of trunk diameter at breast height, with its publishing source and whether our estimator uses it. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-26; tags: Growth & age.
- [What each tree and shrub we grow is also called: other names, A to Z](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/other-names/index.html.md): Other common names of the 423 trees and shrubs we grow, regional names and old trade names, with the botanical name, so a tree known by another name is found. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-28; tags: What to plant.
- [When to plant each tree and shrub we grow, and how well it moves](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/planting-windows/index.html.md): Dormant, spring or fall: when to set out each of the 423 natives we sell, by its guide’s word, plus the Morton Arboretum’s rating of how hard each is to move. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Planting.
- [Where each tree and shrub we grow is native: its range by state](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/native-range/index.html.md): The states where each of our 423 trees and shrubs grows wild as a native, by its own page’s rule, and where it was introduced or spread, one row per species. Published 2026-10-22, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Forests & habitat.
- [How fast every tree and shrub we grow gets tall: growth rate, A to Z](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/growth-rates/index.html.md): The growth rate of the 423 trees and shrubs we grow, all native but one, A to Z: slow, medium or fast, the feet each adds a year and its years to 20 feet. Published 2026-10-16, updated 2026-10-28; tags: Growth & age.

## Tags

- [Growth & age](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/growth-and-age/index.html.md): 15 articles
- [Measuring trees](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/measuring-trees/index.html.md): 4 articles
- [Planting](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/planting/index.html.md): 42 articles
- [Protection & care](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/protection-and-care/index.html.md): 37 articles
- [Decay & damage](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/decay-and-damage/index.html.md): 22 articles
- [How trees work](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/how-trees-work/index.html.md): 39 articles
- [Oaks](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/oaks/index.html.md): 14 articles
- [Forests & habitat](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/forests-and-habitat/index.html.md): 37 articles
- [What to plant](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/what-to-plant/index.html.md): 55 articles