Types of Trees for an Elevation of 5,000 Feet

Conifers

• Conifers keep their foliage year-round, making them good choices for screening your high-elevation garden. The white fir (Abies concolor) grows at elevations up to 10,000 feet and is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 7. Mature trees have pyramidal canopies of fragrant, blue-green needles and reach heights of 80 to 130 feet, so make sure you have enough space to accommodate this large conifer. Plant white firs in wind-protected sites with moist soil. For a smaller space, plant a one-seeded juniper (Juniperus monosperma), 35-foot-tall evergreens that are hardy to 7,500 feet and grow in USDA zones 5 to 10. These North American natives have aromatic foliage and tolerate a variety of site conditions, including drought and alkaline soil.

Flowering Trees

• The Japanese lilac (Syringa reticulata) grows to 7,000 feet. This 35-foot-tall deciduous tree blooms in early summer with fragrant clusters of white blossoms. It's hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7 and tolerates drought, clay and alkaline soil. The European mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia) also grows to 35 feet tall. A deciduous tree that thrives at elevations to 8,000 feet, the European mountain ash has dark foliage offset by white spring blossoms and orange-red fruits that attract wildlife. It's hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7 and prefers moist, acidic soil.

Fruiting Trees

• For large sites with up to 7,000 feet elevation, plant the common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). This North American native is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 9 and tolerates a range of site conditions, from full sun to full shade and dry to moist soil.The common hackberry bears edible orange, purple and brown fruits in summer and fall and grows to 65 feet tall. Reaching heights of 40 feet, the "Dolgo" crabapple (Malus x "Dolgo") grows at elevations up to 8,000 feet. Hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8, this deciduous tree prefers moist, loamy or sandy soil. "Dolgo" blooms with pink and white spring flowers, then bears edible red fruits. The "Radiant" crabapple (Malus × "Radiant") grows at elevations to 8,000 feet and is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. This 20-foot-tall tree blooms with red-pink flowers in spring, followed by edible red fruits. Plant the "Radiant" in moist sites in full sun to partial shade.

Shade Trees

• For summer shade, plant deciduous trees such as the white poplar (Populus alba). This 65-foot-tall tree is hardy to 8,500 feet and has lobed leaves that turn gold and copper in fall. Plant the white popular in full sun in USDA zones 4 to 9. The green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) is hardy to 7,500 feet; the "Patmore" cultivar grows to 8,000 feet. This North American native reaches heights of 50 feet and has dense foliage that turns golden in fall. The green ash is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 and grows best in wet or moist, acidic soil.