Trees for a Pond

Sweet Crab Apple

• Sweet crab apple, also known as American crab apple (Malus coronaria L.), grows to a height of 20 to 30 feet on a compact trunk with a broad head. The tree bears rose-tipped white flowers during May and June. Grown throughout most of the United States along stream banks and in the open woods, this tree prefers moist soil and partial shade. The crab apple tree attracts birds for nesting, shelter and its yellow-green fruit. The common crab apple produces fruit that is used in preserves and cider in the Ohio Valley.

Peachleaf Willow

• Peachleaf willow (Salix amygdaloides Andersson) is often used to protect riverbanks from erosion. Grown across the northern plains, the tree grows from 35 to 50 feet tall with peach-shaped leaves on sweeping branches that grow from multiple trunks. The tree produces yellow and green flowers from April through May, as well as red fruit. Grown throughout the United States, the peachleaf willow prefers wet soil and does well in all lighting conditions. The tree attracts butterflies, as well as birds that use the tree for nesting material.

River Birch

• River birch (Betula nigra) grows well in a variety of soils, including sand, loam and clay. This tree prefers moist soil and is used for erosion control in swamps and on riverbanks. Growing to an average height of 30 to 50 feet, the river birch has an irregular shape and several trunks. The tree produces ordinary brown and green flowers from February through March. The tree's attraction is in its silver bark that sheds and unveils an attractive cinnamon colored trunk.

Hawthorn Tree

• The hawthorn tree (crataegus aestivalis), also known as May tree, is considered to be a small tree or shrub that grows up to a height 40 feet. It has crooked, spiny branches that produce white flowers from March through June, followed by red fruit in April through July. The tree grows along the coastal plains from Virginia to Florida, as well as in Mississippi in swamps and shallow ponds. The hawthorn prefers partial shade and moist soil. Small mammals and birds are attracted to the fruit of the hawthorn.