Trees Tolerant of High Soil pH

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Trees Tolerant of High Soil pH*
(pH up to 8.2)
Soil pH is a measure of soil acidity or alkalinity. The
balance between hydroxyl and hydrogen ions
determines pH. Soil pH is important because it affects
the availability of plant nutrients, toxic elements, and
soil microbes. Many woody plants will actually be able
to survive in soils with a wide range of pH, from about
4.5 – 8.2. But for optimal health and growth, most trees
and shrubs do best with a soil pH of 6.0 – 7.0. (The
exception is acid-loving plants which prefer a lower pH
of 4.5 – 6.0.) The trees listed to the right prefer a pH of
6.0 – 7.0, but will still perform admirably under alkaline
soil conditions up to a pH of about 8.2. It is important
to identify alkaline-tolerant trees because many urban
soils are high in pH. Concrete sidewalks and home
foundations contribute to alkaline urban soil conditions.
Be sure to take a soil test to see if these high pHtolerant trees would be appropriate for your property.
Silver Linden – Tilia tomentosa
Chinkapin Oak – Quercus muehlenbergii
Aesculus x carnea
Carpinus betulus
Catalpa speciosa
Celtis occidentalis
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Cercis canadensis
Cladrastis kentukea
Corylus colurna
Cotinus obovatus
Crataegus spp.
Eucommia ulmoides
Ginkgo biloba
Gleditsia triacanthos
Gymnocladus dioicus
Koelreuteria paniculata
Liriodendron tulipifera
Maackia amurensis
Maclura pomifera
Malus spp.
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Ostrya virginiana
Parrotia persica
Platanus x acerifolia
Quercus macrocarpa
Quercus muehlenbergii
Quercus robur
Quercus shumardii
Sorbus alnifolia
Styphnolobium japonicum
Syringa reticulata
Tilia spp.
Ulmus americana
Ulmus parvifolia
Zelkova serrata
Red Horsechestnut
European Hornbeam
Northern Catalpa
Common Hackberry
Katsuratree
Eastern Redbud
Yellowwood
Turkish Filbert
Smoketree
Hawthorn
Hardy Rubber Tree
Ginkgo
Honeylocust
Kentucky Coffeetree
Goldenraintree
Tulip Tree
Amur Maackia
Osage Orange
Crabapple
Dawn Redwood
American
Hophornbeam
Persian Parrotia
London Planetree
Bur Oak
Chinkapin Oak
English Oak
Shumard Oak
Korean Mountainash
Japanese Pagodatree
Japanese Tree Lilac
Linden
American Elm
Chinese Elm
Japanese Zelkova
*Source of species list: Bassuk, N., D.F. Curtis, B.Z. Marranca, and B. Neal. 2009. Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree
Selection for Stress Tolerance. Ithaca: Urban Horticulture Institute, Cornell University.
This fact sheet prepared by: Alexis Alvey, Nursery & Landscape Specialist, 2011
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