Trees

Everything you need to grow and care for trees: light, water, troubleshooting, and pet & child safety, all in one place.

AlmondPrunus dulcisSet it in full sun, deep well-drained soil, and a frost-free bloom, and the almond gives a garden years of quiet harvest.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicDemandingAmerican BasswoodTilia americanaA generous shade tree that gives a garden fragrant summer flowers and a settled sense of place.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyAmerican BeechFagus grandifoliaGive it rich, acidic, moist soil and room to spread, and the American beech anchors a landscape with quiet, generational presence.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateAmerican ElmUlmus americanaA fast-growing, vase-shaped canopy tree that defines the American streetscape and brings cool, graceful shade to any property with the room to hold it.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateAmerican HornbeamCarpinus carolinianaGive it moist soil and a little shade, and this composed native tree holds its shape for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyAmerican Smoketree (Tree Form)Cotinus obovatusSet against poor soil and open sun, the American smoketree drifts a summer haze over the garden and closes the year in fiery color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyAmerican SycamorePlatanus occidentalisHand it room and moist ground, and the American sycamore becomes one of the grandest shade trees in the East.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateAppleMalus domesticaGive it full sun, a pollination partner, and a yearly prune, and an apple tree feeds you for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateApricotPrunus armeniacaSet it in full sun, sharp drainage, and a spot sheltered from late frost, and an apricot tree hands you sweet golden fruit by early summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateAsian PearPyrus pyrifoliaGive it full sun, a pollinator partner, and an open frame, and the Asian pear becomes a fixture of the yard that hands you crisp, juicy fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateAvocadoPersea americanaGive it full sun, sharp drainage, and shelter from frost, and an avocado becomes the tree that shades a yard for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateBald CypressTaxodium distichumA swamp native that anchors flooded, drought-prone, or city ground with quiet poise and a rust-orange autumn.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlack LocustRobinia pseudoacaciaA fast, fragrant screen for hard ground, with a few rules about where it belongs.☀️ Full sun · 💧 14–30 daysToxicEasyBlood OrangeCitrus × sinensisGive it full sun and cold winter nights, and the blood orange brings home fruit the color of garnet.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateBloodgood Japanese MapleAcer palmatumThe poised centerpiece that gives a garden its sense of place.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateBradford PearPyrus calleryanaA fast, forgiving tree that once dressed every street, the Bradford pear splits in storms and spreads as an aggressive invasive, so it is best left out of the plan.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBur OakQuercus macrocarpaA bur oak anchors a property with the quiet authority of a heritage tree, the kind of shade a place grows up around.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateCalamondin OrangeCitrus × microcarpaA pot-sized citrus that brings fragrant blooms and sour orange fruit at once to a sunlit corner, all year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateCashewAnacardium occidentaleA tropical tree that gives two harvests in one, the cashew apple and the nut, as long as its roots stay warm, sunny, and well drained.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateCherryPrunus aviumGive it full sun, deep soil, and good airflow, and a cherry tree rewards you with fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateChestnutCastanea sativaGive it acidic, well-drained ground and a pollen partner, and the sweet chestnut becomes the centerpiece that returns a heavy crop of roasting nuts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeModerateChinese ElmUlmus parvifoliaA graceful, fast-growing shade tree that turns poor soil, drought, and city grit into a settled, lived-in landscape.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCoconut PalmCocos nuciferaSet it in full tropical sun, warmth, and sandy coastal soil, and the coconut palm anchors a landscape for decades.☀️ Full sunPet & child safeModerateColorado Blue SprucePicea pungensPlant it for full sun, cool air, and well-drained ground, and the blue spruce anchors a landscape in silver for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateCommon FigFicus caricaGive it full sun and steady summer water, and a fig becomes the centerpiece of a garden that fruits for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyCrepe MyrtleLagerstroemia indicaSet in full sun with room to spread, the crepe myrtle anchors a summer garden in color and turns to sculptural bark when the season cools.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyDate PalmPhoenix dactyliferaHand it full sun, sharp drainage, and desert heat, and the date palm answers with sweet fruit for decades.☀️ Full sunPet & child safeModerateDawn RedwoodMetasequoia glyptostroboidesA living fossil that turns russet-bronze each fall and grows fast enough to watch.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–10 daysPet & child safeEasyDeodar CedarCedrus deodaraSet in full sun on ground that drains, this Himalayan cedar becomes a soft, sweeping evergreen that anchors a garden for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDouglas FirPseudotsuga menziesiiGive it room, moist soil, and time to settle, and the Douglas fir becomes one of the tallest trees in the forest.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDwarf Alberta SprucePicea glaucaA tailored, slow-growing evergreen cone that asks little beyond full sun, steady moisture, and air that moves.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDwarf Japanese MapleAcer palmatumGive it dappled shade, steady moisture, and a sheltered corner, and a dwarf Japanese maple anchors a space with quiet poise for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateEastern HemlockTsuga canadensisSet in cool, moist shade, eastern hemlock becomes a soft, feathery evergreen that gives a garden a quiet, lasting presence.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateEastern Red CedarJuniperus virginianaAn architectural native evergreen that brings year-round structure and quiet privacy to a property.☀️ Full sun · 💧 10–21 daysPet & child safeEasyEastern RedbudCercis canadensisLong before the first leaf, it sets the bare spring skyline alight with rose-pink blooms clinging to the branches.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyEastern White PinePinus strobusSoft, tall, and quick to establish, eastern white pine lends a property its calm evergreen architecture where there is room and acidic ground.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateEmerald Green ArborvitaeThuja occidentalisSet it where you want privacy and a calm green backdrop, mind the deer and the snow, and it frames a property for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyFlowering DogwoodCornus floridaGive it part shade and moist, acidic soil, and the flowering dogwood pays you back with spring bracts and red autumn fruit.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateFranklin TreeFranklinia alatamahaLate summer flowers and glowing autumn color from a tree extinct in the wild since the early 1800s.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeDemandingGinkgoGinkgo bilobaSlow, quietly commanding, and all but indestructible, the ginkgo is a tree you plant to shape a place for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGolden Rain TreeKoelreuteria paniculataA handsome, easygoing shade tree, crowning midsummer in papery lantern pods and soft yellow sprays.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGrapefruitCitrus × paradisiGive it full sun, deep watering, and frost-free warmth, and a grapefruit tree carries fruit through winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateGreen AshFraxinus pennsylvanicaA tough, fast shade tree for hard sites, now living under the shadow of the emerald ash borer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGreen Giant ArborvitaeThuja 'Green Giant'Give it full sun and room to spread, and this tree throws up a living privacy wall fast.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyGuavaPsidium guajavaGive it full sun, warmth, and shelter from frost, and a guava tree turns a bright corner into a source of fragrant fruit for years.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyHinoki CypressChamaecyparis obtusaGive it acidic soil, steady moisture, and shelter from harsh wind, and this slow evergreen holds its shape for a lifetime.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateHoney LocustGleditsia triacanthosFast, hardy, and endlessly forgiving, the honey locust lays a soft dappled shade across the hardest corners of a property.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyItalian CypressCupressus sempervirensSet in full sun and dry, well-drained soil, this slim green column brings decades of Mediterranean poise to a garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJane MagnoliaMagnolia 'Jane'A small tree that opens tulip-shaped purple-pink flowers late enough to grace the garden after the frost has passed.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese CedarCryptomeria japonicaGive it rich, moist soil and shelter from winter wind, and Japanese cedar rises as a towering evergreen spire that anchors the whole garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese MapleAcer palmatumGive it dappled shade, steady moisture, and shelter from wind, and the Japanese maple carries a garden with color from spring through fall.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateJapanese StewartiaStewartia pseudocamelliaA quiet four-season centerpiece, earning its keep with summer flowers, glowing fall color, and patchwork bark.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeDemandingJapanese Umbrella PineSciadopitys verticillataA living fossil that lends a garden quiet, sculptural poise, asking only for patience and steady water.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateJapanese YewTaxus cuspidataA tough, shade-loving evergreen for hedges and topiary that is also one of the deadliest plants you can put in a yard.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyJuniperJuniperus chinensisGive it full sun and sharp drainage, and juniper brings quiet structure to a garden for the rest of its long life.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyKey LimeCitrus × aurantiifoliaSet it in full sun, warmth, and free-draining soil, and this thorny little citrus becomes the sharpest, most aromatic corner of the garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateKousa DogwoodCornus kousaA small tree that carries a garden through the year with star-shaped blooms, edible fruit, and peeling bark.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateKumquatCitrus japonicaGive it full sun, even water, and shelter from hard frost, and this little citrus brings fruit to the room all winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyKwanzan CherryPrunus serrulataThe tree that gives a garden one unforgettable week of double pink bloom each spring, and quiet, easy company the rest of the year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateLemonCitrus limonGive it full sun, deep but infrequent water, and shelter from frost, and a lemon tree anchors a room for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateLeyland CypressCupressus × leylandiiGiven room to breathe and steady water, this fast evergreen draws a private green wall around a garden in just a few years.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateLimeCitrus × latifoliaGive it generous light, sharp drainage, and a warm, sheltered spot, and the tree rewards a home for years.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateLoquatEriobotrya japonicaSet in full sun and clear of frost, the loquat gives a garden sweet fruit at the season when little else does.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateLycheeLitchi chinensisGive it heat, acidic soil, and a cool winter rest, and this tropical tree becomes the centerpiece of a warm garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeDemandingMacadamiaMacadamia integrifoliaGive it warmth, deep soil, and a pollination partner, and the macadamia becomes the quiet anchor of a warm-climate garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicDemandingMandarin OrangeCitrus reticulataGive it full sun, free-draining soil, and shelter from hard frost, and a mandarin tree brings fragrant blossom and easy-peel fruit to the room.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateMangoMangifera indicaWith heat, bright sun, and free-draining soil, a mango tree makes a warm garden feel like one long summer of fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateMedlarMespilus germanicaA slow, heritage fruit tree that anchors a garden and ripens only after the first frosts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateMeyer LemonCitrus × meyeriSet it in bright sun, keep the water even, and spare it hard frost, and this dwarf citrus brings fragrant blooms and sweet fruit to a room.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateMugo PinePinus mugoAn evergreen mountain pine that grounds a cold-climate garden with quiet, year-round structure, asking only for full sun and sharp drainage.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyMulberryMorus rubraOffer it sun and space to spread, and each early summer the mulberry delivers buckets of sweet fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyNectarinePrunus persica var. nucipersicaA nectarine is a peach without the fuzz, and it turns a sunny corner and one yearly prune into summers of sweet, smooth-skinned fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicDemandingNeem TreeAzadirachta indicaGive it heat, sun, and free-draining soil, and the neem tree anchors a warm-climate garden for decades, unbothered by drought or poor ground.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysMildly toxicEasyNorfolk Island PineAraucaria heterophyllaBright light, a cool room, and unhurried watering keep this living conifer in its tidy, layered form all year long.☀️ Bright indirectPet & child safeModerateNorthern CatalpaCatalpa speciosaA grand native shade tree whose showy white flowers set the scene and grow fast almost anywhere.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyNorthern Red OakQuercus rubraA fast native that lends a property deep shade and brilliant red fall color for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyNorway SprucePicea abiesTough, fast, and cold-hardy down to -40°F (-40°C), the Norway spruce grows into a towering evergreen with sweeping, pendulous branches.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyOliveOlea europaeaGive it full sun, lean soil, and a dry root run, and the olive thrives for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 14–30 daysPet & child safeModerateOrangeCitrus × sinensisGive it full sun, warmth, and well-drained soil, and a sweet orange tree rewards a home with fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateOsage OrangeMaclura pomiferaPlant it once and let it settle in. The Osage orange is just about indestructible, thorns, hedge apples, and all.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyPapayaCarica papayaA sun-drenched, frost-free corner and unfailing moisture are all it asks before rewarding the household with homegrown papaya inside a year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 1–4 daysPet & child safeModeratePaper BirchBetula papyriferaGive it a cool, moist root run and paper birch answers with brilliant white bark that lifts a garden for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModeratePawpawAsimina trilobaNorth America's largest native fruit, rich as custard and tasting of banana and mango, ripens on a tree few gardeners know.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–7 daysMildly toxicModeratePeachPrunus persicaGive it full sun, sharp drainage, and a hard yearly pruning, and a peach tree pays you back in summer fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModeratePearPyrus communisTwo pear trees, planted for cross-pollination and bathed in sun, reward a patient household with decades of fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModeratePecanCarya illinoinensisGive it room, full sun, and a pollination partner, and a pecan shades the yard for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModeratePersimmonDiospyros kakiGrant it generous sun and a patient season or two, and persimmon becomes the garden's late show, its bare boughs strung with amber fruit into winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyPin OakQuercus palustrisA fast-growing shade tree that crowns a yard in fiery fall color, given acidic soil to root in.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyPindo PalmButia capitataElegant and cold-hardy, this feather palm arches its gray-green fronds above sweet fruit made for jelly.☀️ Full sunPet & child safeEasyPistachioPistacia veraWith sun-baked summers and a companion male in view, the pistachio turns a garden's patience into split-shell nuts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 10–21 daysMildly toxicDemandingPlumPrunus domesticaSet in full sun with deep soil and pruned each year, a plum tree crowns a garden with generous fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateQuinceCydonia oblongaA tree with old-orchard soul, quince turns a quiet garden corner into a seasonal event and ends each year as fragrant golden fruit on the kitchen counter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateRed MapleAcer rubrumA four-season centerpiece for the yard, red maple builds toward an autumn of red and orange.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyRiver BirchBetula nigraWith peeling cinnamon bark and full, fast growth, river birch lends a yard an easy, natural elegance.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasySaguaroCarnegiea giganteaA single saguaro turns a sun-baked garden into a sculpted desert landscape, all quiet grandeur and clean vertical line.☀️ Full sun · 💧 14–30 daysPet & child safeDemandingSassafrasSassafras albidumThe tree that turns a backyard into an autumn showpiece, all fiery color and mitten-leaf charm.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateSaucer MagnoliaMagnolia × soulangeanaSet it where late frost can't reach the buds, and the saucer magnolia opens goblet-shaped pink blooms before a single leaf appears.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateSawara False CypressChamaecyparis pisiferaSet it in full sun and free-draining soil, and false cypress keeps its quiet color through every season.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyScots PinePinus sylvestrisSculptural, sun-loving, and at ease on lean, sandy ground, Scots pine gives a garden year-round structure.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateServiceberryAmelanchier × grandifloraThe small tree that dresses a garden in white spring flowers, sweet June berries, and fiery fall color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySilver MapleAcer saccharinumFor the wide, open yard that wants shade in a hurry, the silver maple is a fast, generous canopy tree.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySouthern Live OakQuercus virginianaA sprawling, long-lived shade tree that wants room to grow and little else once it settles in.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasySouthern MagnoliaMagnolia grandifloraA grand evergreen whose glossy leaves and lemon-scented white blooms give a property its sense of permanence.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateStar MagnoliaMagnolia stellataStar magnolia turns the tail of winter into an event, opening a cloud of fragrant white stars on bare branches before any leaf appears.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateSugar MapleAcer saccharumGive it rich ground and open space, and the sugar maple becomes the anchor of a property, cool through summer and radiant by fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateSweetgumLiquidambar styracifluaSet against deep, acidic soil and full sun, the sweetgum turns a wide lawn into a canopy of star-shaped leaves and autumn color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyTamukeyama Japanese MapleAcer palmatumThe weeping laceleaf that gives a courtyard its quiet centerpiece, red from spring to a glowing fall.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateTangerineCitrus reticulataSet it in full sun with steady water and shelter from frost, and a tangerine brings sweet fruit to the winter table.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateTulip TreeLiriodendron tulipiferaA fast, towering shade tree that lifts tulip-shaped flowers into the high canopy and sets a whole yard aglow in gold each fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateWalnutJuglans regiaGiven deep soil, full sun, and room to spread, a walnut becomes the tree that shades a garden for generations and fills baskets each fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysMildly toxicModerateWeeping CherryPrunus subhirtellaEvery April, the weeping cherry turns a corner of the garden into a soft curtain of pink and white.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateWeeping WillowSalix babylonicaSet beside water with room to spread, the weeping willow gives a garden its quiet, sweeping centerpiece.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateWhite FirAbies concolorGive it room, sun, and well-drained acidic soil, and the white fir anchors a landscape with its silvery-blue pyramid for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateWhite OakQuercus albaA tree that turns a plot of ground into an estate, giving a century of shade and a canopy the whole neighborhood grows up beneath.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateWindmill PalmTrachycarpus fortuneiHardy down to single digits, the windmill palm lends a true tropical mood to gardens far colder than most palms could ever call home.☀️ Partial shadePet & child safeModerateYoshino CherryPrunus × yedoensisNothing marks the arrival of spring like a Yoshino cherry and its clouds of white-to-pink blossom, a two-week spectacle that reshapes the whole garden.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateYuzuCitrus junosThe hardiest of the true citrus, yuzu earns a sheltered, sunny corner and a little patience in return for its fragrant harvest.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerate