Fall is a great time to plant trees in Central Kentucky.  Watering needs lessen as cold weather approaches, and newly planted trees prepare to spend the winter months developing a feeder root system.  While trees do take some time to begin to adjust from transplanting, many will take off quickly with little transplant shock.  Glynn Young’s Landscaping & Nursery Center lists some trees that transplant well with fall planting in Central Kentucky. 

Maples:  Most maples transplant well within the first year.  Red maples are a good choice, as they tend to transplant easily, grow fairly fast, and provide good shade.  Sugar maples are a bit slower to fill out, but within about three years, they begin to grow at a faster rate, and develop a denser branch system, providing good shade.

Magnolia acuminata:  These deciduous magnolias transplant easily and grow at a reasonable rate.  Most varieties have yellow or cream blooms, which is a nice change from traditional white.  Some examples are the Butterflies magnolia, Elizabeth magnolia, Sunburst magnolia and Yellow Bird magnolia.

Tulip Poplar:  Tulip poplar may be a bit thin when purchased due to the minimum cross-branching and an open branch system.  However, it will take off in its second year and grow at a fast rate.  This tree does get large, so give it some room to spread its branches.

Wildfire Black Gum:  Most black gum trees go through transplant shock when dug and tend to grow slow.  However, the Wildfire cultivar seems to transplant as easily as maples and will grow almost as fast.  With a faster growth rate and outstanding color, these make a nice shade tree while maintaining a central leader.

Dawn Redwood:  Although a conifer, the Dawn Redwood behaves much like a hardwood shade tree.  They can be limbed up like a shade tree, and once established, will grow extremely fast.  This tree will be a bit thin the first year, but show little sign of transplant shock and will fill out quickly and will outgrow most other trees.

Sawtooth Oak:  Not often do you find and oak that does well out of the gate.  However, the Sawtooth oak shows minimum transplant shock and will grow close to the same rate as maples.

Kwanzan and Yoshino Flowering Cherry:  These ornamental cherry trees have very little transplant shock with digging or planting.  The Yoshino cherry grows faster than the Kwanzan, but both are beautiful and do very well in Central Kentucky.

Flowering Crabapples:  New crabapple cultivars have been developed that have very small fruit and good disease resistance.  Flowering crabapples show little transplant shock and grow at a good rate.  There are many cultivars to choose from, from medium to smaller size trees.

While all of these trees are excellent for fall planting in Lexington, Kentucky and the surrounding area, there are many other trees that may transplant well and suit your area.  At Glynn Young’s Landscaping & Nursery Center, we have a wide selection of shade and ornamental trees.  Visit us this fall to select a tree for your yard.

For help with your landscape, visit Glynn Young’s Landscaping & Nursery Center.  With over 30 years of experience in the Lexington and Central Kentucky area, this company has the knowledge and experience to help you reach your landscaping dreams.  Call the garden center at (859) 885-6100.  Or if you would like our landscape division to handle the planning and installation of your project, call our design team at (859) 881-8111.  For more information, visit our website.