The Okanagan’s hot, sunny, dry climate is classified as semi-arid, with the lowest average annual precipitation in southern Canada. With the effects of climate change, the region experiences considerably hotter summers that cause reduced soil moisture, erosion, plant damage and general water shortage. Drought tolerant trees provide shade, cooling and moisture retention for other plants and for people as well. Find a great variety of Drought Tolerant Shade Trees For Okanagan Gardens at Nicholas Alexander, Vernon’s New Choice of Home and Garden Center!
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Autumn Blaze Maple (Acer x freemanii ‘Jeffsred’)
The Autumn Blaze maple tree is a hybrid comprised of a half red maple and a half silver maple. A combination that has been popular for decades in commercial and residential settings due to gorgeous fall colour, rapid growth and it’s ability to adapt to a wide range of climatic conditions. The Autumn Blaze Maple grows up to 50 feet in height and spreads up to 40 feed in width. It is very cold hardy and drought tolerant once established.
Klondike Cherry (Prunus maackii)
A distinctive flowering tree that is extremely showy with its peeling gold bark colour, strong branching stems and attractive forest green foliage. Dainty shoots of fragrant white flowers hang below the branches in mid spring. This tree can be planted in areas of full sun or in partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions and is tolerant to drought and urban pollution. The Klondike Cherry grows at a medium rate to 25 feet tall with a spread of 15 feet. When under ideal conditions the tree can be expected to live for 40 years or more.
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Ginko (Ginkgo biloba)
Ginkgo biloba, also known as the maidenhair tree, is a species of tree native to China. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. The tree has unique sculptural fan-shaped bright green leaves that are 2-3 inches long and wide. The Ginko can reach 80 feet in height and 40 feet in width. A full sun lover, this plant is easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained, alkaline and acidic soils. Provides attractive yellow fall colour and is generally pest and disease free.
Newport Plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Newport’)
This early blooming ornamental plum welcomes the spring with fragrant pink flowers. It loves full sun, heat exposure and is the most cold hardy of Purple leaf Plum varieties, ‘Newport’ is a mid-sized tree 15 to 20 feet tall and wide featuring deep purple leaves that retain their colour throughout the season. Plant in full sun for the best display of blooms. It is happy even in extremely acid or alkaline soils and even clay.
Greenspire Linden (Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’)
A cold hardy, drought tolerant shade tree with a magnificent strong pyramidal shape throughout its life and fragrant yellow flowers in early summer. Showy, cinnamon coloured bark with small dark green heart shaped leaves turns golden in autumn. The Greenspire grows 40 feet tall and 25 feet wide. It is a very tidy, low-maintenance lawn or street specimen that requires full sunlight and is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations.
Magnolia (Magnolia x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’)
The Loebner Magnolia is a compact, vigorous tree that flowers at an early age with two-toned flowers that measure 4 to 6 inch across. Its strap like petals are white on the inside, purple-pink tint on the outside and create an impressive floral display. This is a mid-sized tree at 10 to 20 feet tall and about as wide and it blooms in early to mid spring. The Magnolia Leobneri is wind, frost and drought resistant. It can grow in full sun and in acid to alkaline, well-drained soil.
Sunburst Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
An attractive, long-lived, hardy hardwood tree with a high tolerance for drought, cold weather, salt, and pollution. Sunburst Honeylocust is well-known for its bright sunny yellow leaves that emerge in the spring and mature to a mid-green colour in the summer. The tree has a rounded, irregularly shaped, pyramidal crown and grows up to 45 feet tall with a spread of 35 feet. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations and is not particular as to soil type or pH.