Spruce up your yard with trees

Spruce up your yard or acreage with these trees and shrubs that will look good all year long.

•White pine — The only common pine in Iowa, the white pine has long narrow cones and soft plumy grass-like needles in bundles of five. Its curved upper branches provide beautiful asymmetry. The white pine will grow 50 to 75 feet tall and likes well-drained, sandy soil. Widely used as Christmas trees.

•White spruce — With dense foliage and a pyramid shape, the white spruce can withstand extremes of heat and cold and grows to be 40 to 60 feet tall. Attracts colorful winter finches.

•Redosier dogwood — This shrub grows from 10 to 15 feet tall and displays vibrant red stems, attractive cream flowers and white berries. It tolerates wet soil well.

•Gray dogwood — Its white flowers, white berries and blue-green foliage provide great winter interest. This shrub tolerates wet soil and will grow 10 to 15 feet tall.

•Ninebark — This shrub keeps things interesting in the winter with its brown shaggy peeling bark and white to slightly pink flowers. It’s drought tolerant and grows 5 to 9 feet tall.

You need to wait until spring to plant the pine and spruce. The shrubs can still be planted yet this year until the ground freezes.