We’ve been rolling out tree and plant lists for stewards looking to rewild your backyard woods of less than 20 acres. The lists we’re releasing today are for the Northern Superior Uplands, which is region 2 on the map shown here. All of the trees and plants on this list are: 1) native to Minnesota or nearby in the Eastern Deciduous Forest, 2) climate resilient, and 3) beneficial to the little creatures that are the base of the ecosystem.
As we mentioned in the recommendations for the Chippewa Plains and Pine Moraine-Outwash Plains, some of these species may be surprising, especially those classified as having strong migration potential. In other words, some species not native to Minnesota, such as bigleaf magnolia, are expected to thrive in the future climate here in Minnesota. These species may arrive in Minnesota either by natural range expansion due to climate change, or by human-assisted migration as land owners and managers plan for climate change.
We highly recommend that you work with a forester or another natural resource professional to determine if implementing assisted migration strategies is the best option for your land and goals. Climate-smart management strategies can fall anywhere on the spectrum of Resistance, Resilience, or Transition; your goals and desired future conditions will help you to decide if assisted migration (Transition) is the best option for you.
Recommended trees for the Northern Superior Uplands
| Common name | Scientific name | Plant type | Height | Width | Soil requirements | Light requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juneberry (serviceberry) | Amelanchier spp. | Shrub, Tree | 30' | 15' | clay, does well in medium to course texture | part shade, sun |
| Pagoda dogwood | Cornus alternifolia | Shrub, Tree | 18' | 12' | Prefers acidic, Prefers evenly-moist | Full sun, Part sun |
| Chokecherry | Prunus virginiana | Shrub, Tree | 25' | 20' | Adaptable | Full sun |
| Hackberry | Celtis occidentalis | Shrub, Tree | 75' | 60' | Adaptable, Prefers well-drained, Tolerates alkaline, Tolerates dry | Full sun |
| Eastern redbud | Cercis canadensis | Shrub, Tree | 30' | 25' | Prefers evenly-moist, Prefers well-drained, Tolerates alkaline | Full sun, Part sun |
| Honeylocust | Gleditsia triacanthos | Shrub, Tree | 60' | 50' | Adaptable, Prefers evenly-moist, Tolerates alkaline, Tolerates dry, Tolerates sandy soil | Full sun |
| Red maple | Acer rubrum | Tree | 55' | 45' | Prefers acidic, Prefers evenly-moist | Full sun, Part sun |
| Sugar maple | Acer saccharum | Tree | 80' | 60' | Prefers evenly-moist, Prefers well-draine | Full sun, Part sun |
| Yellow birch | Betula alleghaniensis | Tree | 45' | 50' | prefers deep well-drained loam, but tolerates rocky soil or shallow peat | Full sun, Part sun |
| Ironwood (hophornbeam) | Ostrya virginiana | Tree | 65' | 25' | Prefers well-drained, Tolerate alkaline, Tolerates dry | Part sun |
| White pine | Pinus strobus | Tree | 80' | 40' | Prefers evenly-moist | Full sun, Part sun |
| Bur oak | Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 75' | 80' | Adaptable | Full sun |
| Northern red oak | Quercus rubra | Tree | 80' | 50' | Tolerates dry | Full sun, Part sun |
| Basswood | Tilia americana | Tree | 90' | 50' | Adaptable, Prefers evenly-moist, Tolerates dry, Tolerates sandy soil | Full sun |
| Sweet birch | Betula lenta | Tree | 50' | 45' | Prefers acidic, Prefers evenly-moist | Full sun |
| American hornbeam | Carpinus caroliniana | Tree | 20 - 35' | Average to moist soil | Part shade, Shade | |
| Bitternut hickory | Carya cordiformis | Tree | 75' | 30' | Prefers evenly-moist | Full sun, Part sun |
| Shagbark hickory | Carya ovata | Tree | 80' | 35' | dry sandy or rocky soil | Full sun, Part sun |
| Black walnut | Juglans nigra | Tree | 60' | 75' | Prefers evenly-moist | Full sun |
| Sweetgum | Liquidambar styraciflua | Tree | 60 - 100' | 40 - 50' | Well-drained soils | Full sun, Part sun |
| Bigleaf magnolia | Magnolia macrophylla | Tree | 30 - 40' | 20 - 25' | Prefers moist, well-drained, loamy organically rich soils | |
| Sycamore | Platanus occidentalis | Tree | 75-100' | 75-100' | Prefers fertile soils, tolerates clay, sand, loam, alkaline and wet soils | Full sun |
| Cottonwood | Populus deltoides | Tree | 90' | 60' | Adaptable, Tolerates dry, Tolerates sandy soil | Full sun, Part sun |
| White oak | Quercus alba | Tree | 75' | 80' | Prefers well-drained, Tolerates dry | Full sun |
| Swamp white oak | Quercus bicolor | Tree | 60' | 50' | Prefers evenly-moist, Tolerates dry, Tolerates sandy soil | Full sun, Part sun |
| Chinkapin oak | Quercus muehlenbergii | Tree | 30 - 60' | 50 - 60' | Adaptable | Full sun |
| Chestnut oak | Quercus prinus | Tree | 60' | 50' | Adaptable | Full sun |
| Eastern hemlock | Tsuga canadensis | Tree | 40' | 25' | Prefers well-drained | Full sun |
Recommended plants for the Northern Superior Uplands
| Common name | Scientific name | Plant type | Height | Width | Soil requirements | Light requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bunchberry | Cornus canadensis | Herbaceous Plant | 12" | 12" | Prefers acidic, Prefers evenly-moist | |
| Large-leaved aster | Eurybia macrophylla | Herbaceous Plant | 60" | 24" | Adaptable | part shade, shade |
| Canada mayflower | Maianthemum canadense | Herbaceous Plant | 6" | 8" | Prefers acidic, Prefers high organic matter | part shade, shade |
| Mountain rice grass (rough-leaved rice grass) | Oryzopsis asperifolia | Herbaceous Plant | 10 - 26" | alkaline, average to dry rocky soil | part shade, sun | |
| Beaked hazelnut | Corylus cornuta | Shrub | 12' | 9' | Prefers medium textured soil, usually found on moister sites compared to American hazelnut | Full sun |
| Bush honeysuckle | Diervilla lonicera | Shrub | 3' | 4' | Adaptable | Full sun, Part sun |
What’s next?
We will keep rolling out tree and plant lists for your backyard woods throughout the coming months. We’ll also highlight some of the interesting and surprising species that are included in these lists. Sign up here to receive our monthly newsletter to be notified of future posts in the series.