Don’t Try to Tame Fast-Growing Pioneers

May 30, 2024

Introduction

One of the most common problems that arborists confront is poor tree placement. It’s particularly frustrating because this often means that they become the bearers of bad news. Very often, the tree in question is a pioneer species.

There’s just not a whole lot that can be done to make life easier on these poor, misplaced trees. You can dig them up and put them somewhere else, but this is easier said than accomplished. Transplanting even medium-sized trees is often cost-prohibitive, and transplantation always increases a tree’s stress.

Understanding Pioneer Species

Pioneer species are vital to ecological succession, often the first to colonize disturbed areas. These species thrive in harsh conditions, displaying rapid growth to outcompete other plants. Their ability to grow quickly is a survival mechanism, helping them establish dominance in environments with abundant sunlight and limited competition. Common pioneer species include tulip trees, red cedars, and quaking aspens. These trees are well suited for sunny locations but struggle in shaded areas, often failing to thrive if planted in unsuitable conditions.

Pioneer species play a crucial role in stabilizing ecosystems, improving soil quality, and creating habitats for other plants and wildlife. However, their rapid growth can become problematic in urban settings. Planting these species in locations with inadequate sunlight or space can lead to stressed, unhealthy trees. Homeowners should consider the specific needs of pioneer species and consult with professionals like Arborist Now to ensure appropriate placement and care, maximizing their ecological benefits while minimizing potential issues.

Life Back Home

A Healthy Grove of Pine Trees

Some pioneer species have a little more habitat flexibility than others do, but individual tree species have evolved to life in specific habitats. A variety of biotic (living) or abiotic (nonliving) things can make a site unsuitable for a given species. Plant a lowland species that likes to keep its feet wet on a dry, upland hillside and it is going to struggle. Similarly, if you install a tree that prefers acidic humus in a bed of alkaline clay, it is going to have trouble thriving.

One of the biggest mistakes a homeowner can make is to plant a tree in a location with inappropriate light exposure. That is, planting a shade-tolerant plant in full, blistering sun, or, as it more commonly occurs, planting a shade-intolerant tree in a shaded area. Such trees often die shortly after planting, but those that survive struggle for the rest of their lives.

Life in the Shadows

Paper Birch Trees in Their Natural Habitat

While plenty of species display some degree of flexibility, most trees have evolved to germinate, grow, and live in either bright sunlight or relatively dense shade.

Those that thrive in the dense shade occur in older, closed-canopy forests. They are often called “climax species" because they (and other climax species) form the stable collection of species that will persist until the forest experiences a wildfire or other type of disturbance.

The species that quickly invade disturbed areas and persist around the margins of climax areas are appropriately called “pioneer species." They live life out on the chaotic edge, where the sun is bright, the winds are strong, and the browsers are plentiful. Life is tough out there, but that’s where they’ve evolved to survive.

Life is a Race

Black Locust Trees in Winter

For a variety of reasons, pioneer species have to grow quickly. Ultimately, they must mature and reproduce if the species is to survive. It means that not only must they grow out of the aforementioned browsers’ reach, but they also have to stay out of the ever-advancing shade cast by their neighbor pioneers.

Plants require an abundance of several different resources to grow quickly, including nitrogen and water, but the key thing they need that the impending climax species don’t need is sunlight. Sunlight powers the photosynthetic process, and it is crucial for these fast-growing species.

When deprived of the sun they need, these trees struggle to grow, thrive, and reproduce.

Pioneer Life

A Red Cedar Tree Displays Beautiful Blue Berries

Some of the most noteworthy pioneers are listed below. Avoid planting any of these species in areas lacking at least six hours of full sun. Make a mental note of any of these that may already be growing in your yard in shaded places. Keep an eye on these trees, as they are likely to struggle if they are not already doing so.

• Tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera)
• Red cedars (Juniperus virginiana)
• Loblolly pines (Pinus taeda)
• Virginia pines (Pinus virginiana)
• Sycamores (Platanus spp.)
• Quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides)
• Black locusts (Robinia pseudoacacia)
• Tag alders (Alnus serrulata)
• Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)
• Cottonwoods (Populus spp.)
• Bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva)
• Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica)
• Big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)
• Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)
• Red pine (Pinus resinosa)
• Black cherry (Prunus serotina)