Soil Moisture Preferences:

Annual precipitation totals in Arkansas range roughly from 45 to 55 inches across the state, with totals increasing from northwest to southeast (due to the greater availability of Gulf of Mexico moisture in the southeast). December and January tend to be the wet months in the southern counties, while March through May is the northern wet period. The driest month tends to be August.

Determining or recommending an exact number of inches of moisture for any given tree is difficult due to variation in compacted urban soils, soil type, and site microclimates. The best rule of thumb for watering trees is thoroughly, deeply and less often. Trees are not drought tolerant until they are will established which can take 2 to 3 years after planting.

Trees can be grouped however according to general soil moisture preferences.

Trees for wet soils mean that these trees perform best in moisture retentive soils with some even tolerating water logged soils. Trees in this category will need supplemental moisture during times of drought when not grown in their preferred soil type. They are the first to respond to drought conditions with yellowing leaves that soon drop.

Common Name	Scientific Name
Bald Cypress	Taxodium distichum
Green Ash	Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Loblolly Pine	Pinus taeda
Loblolly Pine - 604	Pinus taeda
Pin Oak	Quercus palustris
Red Maple	Acer rubrum
River Birch	Betula nigra
Swamp Chestnut Oak	Quercus michauxii
Water Oak	Quercus nigra
Willow Oak	Quercus phellos
Willow Oak Memorial	Quercus phellos
Winged Elm	Ulmus alata