You might be familiar with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and its plant sales, grant programs, and promotion of green spaces in Nebraska. The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum has changed its name to PlantNebraska. The name change better aligns the organization with its mission – to foster landscapes all around Nebraska.
PlantNebraska has released their 2026 picks for “GreatPlants for the Great Plains”. This program was started in 1998 to highlight and promote underutilized plants that can be a great addition to the landscape. The plants were nominated and voted on by members of the Nebraska Nursery & Landscape Association, an organization that promotes the nursery and landscape industry in Nebraska. This year’s winners are the Northern Pecan (Carya illinoensis), Common Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), and Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum).
The 2026 Tree of the Year is the Northern Pecan (Carya illinoensis). This large tree has a beautiful, round crown that can spread wide. The leaves are compound, meaning they have multiple leaflets instead of one individual leaf. These compound leaves create dappled shade in the summer under the canopy. The leaves will turn yellow-gold in the fall. The tree produces both male and female flowers, which, over the summer, produce the same pecan nuts that are used in pies, pralines, cookies, and many other dishes. The tree will start to produce nuts after about 15 years of being planted. Pecan trees thrive in rich, moist, welldraining soils while receiving full sun. While native to the Mississippi River valley and states like Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri, pecan trees can be seen growing in Nebraska from Bridgeport to Nebraska City. A note on planting: pecan trees have a deep taproot as a seedling, so choose a permanent planting location carefully. This taproot makes transplanting difficult once the tree has started to establish in a site.
