Appropriate Architectural Rendering Foliage
Proper selection of plants and trees is an area that gets overlooked is the selection of plants and trees for landscaping. You probably don't want to show a Japanese Cherry tree in Anchorage Alaska, let alone a Palm Tree. So we really should know our trees better, I am as guilty as the next guy, and on top of that the Puget Sound area may have lots of rain, but it is pretty mild in climate, so we can get away with showing and growing quite a bit, this probably isn't the case if you live in Chicago and have harsh winters.
What I have here is what I think is a list of trees appropriate for the Northwest, since I am not a Landscape architect, I could be all wrong, but I thought it would be an interesting article to start the thought process going and to remind the architectural illustrator to do a little research.
Trees for Northwest
Recommended
Ash (Fraxinus)
Birch (Betula)
Cherry (Prunus)
Crabapple (Malus)
Elm (Ulmus)
Hackberry (Celtis)
Hickory (Carya)
Hophornbeam (Ironwood) (Ostrya)
Lilac (Syringa)
Linden (Tilia)
Maple (Acer)
Nannyberry (Viburnum)
Oak (Quercus)
Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus)
Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
Conifer Trees:
Arborvitae (white cedar) (Thuja)
Cedar (Juniperus)
Larch (Larix)
Spruce (Picea)
Limited Use
Alder (Alnus)
Apricot (Prunus)
Ash (Fraxinus)
Aspen (Populus)
Birch (Betula)
Bladdernut (Staphylea)
Cherry (Prunus)
Cottonwood (Populus)
Dogwood (Cornus)
Eastern Wahoo (Euonymus)
Hornbeam (Carpinus)
Linden (Tilia)
Locust (Robinia)
Maple (Acer)
Mountain Ash (Sorbus)
Peashrub (Caragana)
Plum (Prunus)
Popular (Populus)
Russian-olive (Elaeagnus)
Sumac (Rhus)
Walnut (Juglans)
Willow (Salix)
Conifer Trees:
Fir (Abies)
Hemlock (Tsuga)
Pine (Pinus)
Spruce (Picea)
Possible Usage
Alder (Alnus)
Ash (Fraxinus)
Cherry (Prunus)
Coffeetree (Gymnocladus)
Crabapple (Malus)
Elm (Ulmus)
Hawthorn (Crataegus)
Maackia (Maackia)
Maple (Acer)
Mountain Ash (Sorbus)
Pear (Pyrus)
Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
Conifer Trees:
Cedar (Juniperus)
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga)
Fir (Abies)
Pine (Pinus)
Use with Caution
Catalpa (Catalpa)
Corktree (Phellodendron)
Crabapple (Malus)
Elm (Ulmus)
Hawthorn (Crataegus)
Honeylocust (Gleditsia)
Magnolia (Magnolia)
Maple (Acer)
Oak (Quercus)
Plum (Prunus)
Poplar (Populus)
Conifers Trees:
Larch (Larix)
Pine (Pinus)
Spruce (Picea)
Mild Climate (Seattle, Portland and Vancouver B.C.)
Sweetgum (Liquidambar)
Shellbark Hickory (Carya laciniosa)
Japanese Flowering (Yoshino)
English oak (Quercus robur)
Tulip (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
American Elm (Ulmus americana)
Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
Oregon Ash (Fraxinus latifolia)
Little Walnut (Juglans microcarpa)
Western Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)
Crab Apples (Rosaceae)
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Plum (Prunus cerasifera)
Flame Ash Tree (Fraxinus augustifolia `Raywood')
Southern beech (Nothofagus antarctica)
European beech (Fagus sylvatica)
SmokeTree (Cotinus coggygria)
Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)
Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata')
