The Wallkill Valley region is a subset of the Hudson Valley; for us in Ulster County, it is bordered by the Shawangunk Ridge to the West and the Marlboro Mountains to the east. There are some specific features of the trees of the Wallkill Valley, which includes towns we serve like Esopus, Lloyd, Marlborough, New Paltz, Plattekill and Rosendale that inform our work at Expert Tree Service.
As a tree company that has provided tree removal and tree maintenance services in region since 1936, here are some of the Wallkill Valley-specific things we’ve noticed:
- Native tree thrive: This region is predominantly stocked with native hardwoods, including birches, maples and oaks, alongside native conifers like eastern hemlock and white pine. Although you can plant many kinds of trees, the native ones are most likely to respond well to the local soil, rainfall and temperature conditions.
- Drought-friendly soil: There are never hard and fast rules about how much rain we’ll get, or when. Luckily, the soil of the Wallkill Valley is thin and well-draining, especially along the many ridges and rocky areas.
- Floodplains and swamps: There are a number of wetlands, creeks and floodplains in the region; if your home is close to one, you may want to consider planting red maple, swamp white oak, or sycamore. They can handle occasional flooding.
Here’s a further, town-by-town breakdown of unique Wallkill Valley features as they relate to trees:
Esopus
Total Forested Area: 15,448 acres
Forest Types: Hardwood & Mixed Forests
Notable Trees (Upland): Pitch pines, red oak, sugar maple, shagbark
Notable Trees (Swampy areas): Red maple, green ash, white oak
Notable Trees (Near Hudson River): Sycamore, eastern red cedar
Lloyd
Total Forested Area: 10,005 acres
Forest Types: Hardwood, Mixed forests, orchards
Notable trees: Oaks, maples and birches
Marlborough
Total Forested Area: 5,691 acres
Forest Types: Hardwood, Mixed forests, orchards
Notable trees: Fruit trees, sugar maple, black cherry, American beech
New Paltz
Total Forested Area: 9,835 acres
Forest Types: Hardwood & Mixed forests
Notable trees: Hemlock, sycamore, silver maple
Plattekill
Total Forested Area: 9,484 acres
Forest Types: Hardwood, mixed forests, orchards
Notable trees: Mature red pine, conifers and deciduous trees
Rosendale
Total Forested Area: 7,417 acres
Forest Types: Hardwood, mixed and coniferous forests
Notable trees: Hemlocks and mixed hardwoods