"Typically, the ideal window in Kansas opens with the state’s official Arbor Day (the last Friday in March) and closes on national Arbor Day (the last Friday in April)," said Kansas State University forester Charles Barden.

If they do their homework and buy early, homeowners can find good trees at discount stores, as well as garden centers, he said.

Some nurseries still grow ornamentals locally and often charge extra for their acclimated product.

"This spring, in particular, that higher cost may well be worth it, because a Kansas-grown sapling will have survived the heat, drought and early deep freezes of the past year," the forester said.

No matter the store type, however, other retailers buy stock from the same large wholesale growers -- most of which are in the northwest and southern United States, Barden said. These retailers may or may not know how a certain variety or species will adapt to Midwest weather extremes.

Plant tags may not provide the needed information, either. For example, "hardy" simply means a plant will survive freezing temperatures. So, "hardy" alone can’t guarantee the plant will survive a typical southern Kansas winter or the colder growing zone in the northern part of the state.

"If the tag lists a USDA hardiness zone, that’s better information. Most of the northern two-thirds of Kansas, for example, is in zone 5," he said.

In any case, Barden suggests homeowners (1) buy locally grown stock from nursery professionals or (2) go shopping with a list of specific varieties that do well under local conditions.

"If you plan to venture out on your own, first talk to neighbors about what they’re growing," he advised. "Check out books from the library. Look in magazines and catalogs. Drop by your county Extension office.

"You may find the Japanese red maple or flowering dogwood that looks healthy at the chain store has little chance of surviving where you live. A lush silver maple transplant can quickly become a tall, brittle tree that litters your roof with broken branches every time the wind blows. One variety of yew or juniper may mature at 3 feet tall, while another will top out at 15 to 20 feet."

Barden said shopping early also is important for other reasons:

1. The longer a plant sits on display, the greater its odds for getting root-bound, "shop-worn," and/or weather-damaged. If its caretakers are untrained, it also may be starved for food or water.

2. The healthiest, best-suited plants always sell out first.

"If you’re choosing a tree, do more than just check its variety name. Look for a straight trunk that has no wounds. See whether branches are attached almost at right angles, rather than in narrow angles close to the trunk, so they can resist crotch damage," the forester said.

Most shade trees should have just one central trunk, he added. Many flowering trees will have a graft near ground level, and it should surround the roots’ stump without looking lopsided or misshapen.

"Also check out the root ball, if you can, looking for roots that are growing normally," Barden said. "We’re getting a lot of ornamentals sold in containers now -- which, in general, is a good idea. With time, however, most containers cause girdling roots that simply won’t unwrap when you remove the tree or shrub for planting. As a result, unless you cut through a circling root in three or four places, it will continue growing that way in your yard until it strangles and kills the plant."