Trees

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

AlmondPrunus dulcisHand it full sun, deep well-drained soil, and a frost-free bloom, and your almond will pay you back with years of nuts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicDemandingAmerican BasswoodTilia americanaA big, easygoing shade tree loaded with fragrant summer flowers the bees can't get enough of.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyAmerican BeechFagus grandifoliaHand it rich, acidic, moist soil and plenty of room to spread, and the American beech turns into a shade tree your great-grandkids will know.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateAmerican ElmUlmus americanaA fast-growing vase-shaped shade tree that nearly went extinct and bounced back in resistant form.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateAmerican HornbeamCarpinus carolinianaGive it moist soil and a bit of shade, and this tough, slow-growing native will hold its shape for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyAmerican Smoketree (Tree Form)Cotinus obovatusGive it poor, dry soil and full sun, and this tree puts on a hazy summer smoke show and a knockout fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyAmerican SycamorePlatanus occidentalisHand it room and moist ground, and the American sycamore turns into one of the biggest 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 armeniacaHand it full sun, sharp drainage, and shelter from late frost, and an apricot tree pays you back with sweet golden fruit by early summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateAsian PearPyrus pyrifoliaHand it full sun, a pollinator partner, and an open frame, and the Asian pear gives back crisp, juicy fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateAvocadoPersea americanaHand it full sun, sharp drainage, and shelter from frost, and an avocado will shade your yard for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateBald CypressTaxodium distichumA swamp native that just brushes off flood, drought, and city soil and goes rust-orange every fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlack LocustRobinia pseudoacaciaA fast, hardy tree with a wild streak and a toxic side☀️ Full sun · 💧 14–30 daysToxicEasyBlood OrangeCitrus × sinensisGive it full sun and cold winter nights, and a blood orange ripens flesh the color of garnet.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateBloodgood Japanese MapleAcer palmatumThe classic red maple that's easier to love than to grow from scratch.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateBradford PearPyrus calleryanaIt grows fast and shrugs off almost anything, but the Bradford pear splits in storms and spreads as an aggressive invasive, so it's one to skip.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBur OakQuercus macrocarpaPlant a bur oak and you've started a tough, century-spanning shade tree that laughs off cold, drought, and rough city soil.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateCalamondin OrangeCitrus × microcarpaA pot-sized citrus that hands you fragrant blooms and sour orange fruit at the same time, all year on a sunny sill.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateCashewAnacardium occidentaleA tropical tree that hands you 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 aviumHand it full sun, deep soil, and good airflow, and a cherry tree pays you back with fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateChestnutCastanea sativaGive it acidic, well-drained ground and a pollen partner, and the sweet chestnut pays you back with a heavy crop of roasting nuts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeModerateChinese ElmUlmus parvifoliaAn easygoing, fast shade tree that takes poor soil, drought, and city grit in stride.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCoconut PalmCocos nuciferaHand it full tropical sun, warmth, and sandy coastal soil, and the coconut palm keeps paying you back for decades.☀️ Full sunPet & child safeModerateColorado Blue SprucePicea pungensGive it full sun, cool air, and well-drained ground, and the blue spruce keeps its silver color for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateCommon FigFicus caricaHand it full sun and steady summer water, and a fig will keep you in sweet fruit for years.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyCrepe MyrtleLagerstroemia indicaGive it full sun and an easy touch with the pruners, and you'll get summer-long blooms and great peeling bark in winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyDate PalmPhoenix dactyliferaGive it full sun, sharp drainage, and desert heat, and the date palm will pay you back with sweet fruit for decades.☀️ Full sunPet & child safeModerateDawn RedwoodMetasequoia glyptostroboidesA living fossil that glows russet-bronze every fall and grows quickly enough to watch it happen.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–10 daysPet & child safeEasyDeodar CedarCedrus deodaraHand it full sun and soil that drains, and this Himalayan cedar turns into a soft, sweeping evergreen that sticks around for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDouglas FirPseudotsuga menziesiiGive it room, moist soil, and a good while to grow, and the Douglas fir turns into one of the tallest trees in the forest.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDwarf Alberta SprucePicea glaucaA neat, slow-growing evergreen cone that just wants full sun, steady moisture, and air that moves.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDwarf Japanese MapleAcer palmatumHand it dappled shade, steady moisture, and a spot out of the wind, and a dwarf Japanese maple keeps its shape and color for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateEastern HemlockTsuga canadensisGive it cool, moist shade and eastern hemlock turns into a soft, feathery evergreen that'll stick around for generations.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateEastern Red CedarJuniperus virginianaA tough native conifer that laughs off drought, lousy soil, and brutal cold and sticks around for centuries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 10–21 daysPet & child safeEasyEastern RedbudCercis canadensisWatch it set the bare spring woods aglow with rose-pink blooms straight off the branches before the first leaf shows up.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyEastern White PinePinus strobusGive it space and acidic ground, and this soft, fast-growing pine turns into a towering evergreen backdrop before you know it.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateEmerald Green ArborvitaeThuja occidentalisPop it into full sun with steady moisture, keep deer and snow at bay, and you've got a dense green screen 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 alatamahaCheck this out: a tree that vanished from the wild way back in the early 1800s still gives you late-summer flowers and blazing autumn color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeDemandingGinkgoGinkgo bilobaSlow, tough, and basically impossible to kill, the ginkgo is a tree you plant for the long haul.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGolden Rain TreeKoelreuteria paniculataA hardy shade tree, throwing a midsummer show of papery lantern pods and bright yellow bloom.☀️ 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 cover from frost, and a guava tree hands you fragrant fruit year after year.☀️ 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 triacanthosTough, quick, and easy to please, the honey locust drops dappled shade over ground where hardly anything else will settle.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyItalian CypressCupressus sempervirensGet it in the ground once in full sun and dry, well-drained soil, and this slim green column will keep its shape for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJane MagnoliaMagnolia 'Jane'A small tree that opens tulip-shaped purple-pink flowers late enough to dodge that pesky spring frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese CedarCryptomeria japonicaGive it rich, moist soil and a break from winter wind, and Japanese cedar grows into a towering evergreen spire.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese MapleAcer palmatumGive it dappled shade, steady moisture, and a spot out of the wind, and the Japanese maple will pay you back with color from spring through fall.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateJapanese StewartiaStewartia pseudocamelliaIt takes its time, but it pays you back with summer flowers, fiery fall color, and patchwork bark.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeDemandingJapanese Umbrella PineSciadopitys verticillataA living fossil with soft needles set in whorls that really just wants patience and a steady drink.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateJapanese YewTaxus cuspidataA tough, shade-loving evergreen for hedges and topiary that also happens to be 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 pretty much takes care of itself for the rest of its long life.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyKey LimeCitrus × aurantiifoliaGive it full sun, warmth, and free-draining soil, and this thorny little citrus hands you sharp, aromatic limes.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateKousa DogwoodCornus kousaA small tree that gives you star-shaped blooms, edible fruit, and peeling bark all year round.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateKumquatCitrus japonicaGive it full sun, even water, and a break from hard frost, and this little citrus keeps fruiting all winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyKwanzan CherryPrunus serrulataPlant it for one unforgettable week of double pink bloom each spring, and treat it right the rest of the year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateLemonCitrus limonGive it full sun, deep but not-too-often water, and some frost cover, and a lemon tree keeps fruiting for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateLeyland CypressCupressus × leylandiiGive it room to breathe and steady water, and this fast evergreen throws up a privacy wall in just a few years.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateLimeCitrus × latifoliaHand it plenty of sun, quick-draining soil, and steady heat, and it'll keep cropping for years.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateLoquatEriobotrya japonicaGive it full sun and a frost-free spot, and the loquat hands you sweet fruit back when hardly anything else is ripe.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateLycheeLitchi chinensisGive it heat, acidic soil, and a cool winter rest, and this tropical tree makes the wait worth it.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeDemandingMacadamiaMacadamia integrifoliaGive it warmth, deep soil, and a pollination partner, and the macadamia hands back rich nuts for the trouble.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicDemandingMandarin OrangeCitrus reticulataGive it full sun, free-draining soil, and shelter from hard frost, and a mandarin tree pays you back with fragrant blossom and easy-peel fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateMangoMangifera indicaHand it heat, plenty of sun, and soil that drains well, and won't a warm garden fill up with mango all summer long?☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateMedlarMespilus germanicaA slow, hardy fruit tree that asks for barely anything and ripens only after the first frosts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateMeyer LemonCitrus × meyeriGive it bright sun, even water, and a spot safe from frost, and this dwarf citrus hands you fragrant blooms and sweet fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateMugo PinePinus mugoA tough evergreen mountain pine that just wants full sun and sharp drainage, and then it pretty much takes care of itself.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyMulberryMorus rubraGive it sun and space to stretch out, and come early summer this mulberry will load you up with buckets of berries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyNectarinePrunus persica var. nucipersicaA nectarine's just a peach without the fuzz, and it'll pay back full sun and a yearly prune with sweet, smooth-skinned fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicDemandingNeem TreeAzadirachta indicaGive it heat, sun, and free-draining soil, and the neem tree will happily shrug off drought and poor ground for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysMildly toxicEasyNorfolk Island PineAraucaria heterophyllaKeep the light bright, the air cool, and the watering steady, and this living conifer will happily hold onto its tidy tiers the whole year through.☀️ Bright indirectPet & child safeModerateNorthern CatalpaCatalpa speciosaA tough native shade tree that's covered in showy white flowers and grows fast just about anywhere.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyNorthern Red OakQuercus rubraA fast-growing native that hands you deep shade and brilliant red fall color for a good long while.☀️ 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 will pay you back with fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateOsage OrangeMaclura pomiferaPlant it once and forget about it. The Osage orange is just about indestructible, thorns, hedge apples, and all.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyPapayaCarica papayaGive it full sun, steady moisture, and frost-free warmth, and papaya fruits within a year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 1–4 daysPet & child safeModeratePaper BirchBetula papyriferaGive it a cool, moist root run and paper birch will pay you back with bright white bark 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 communisPop in two pear trees for cross-pollination, hand them plenty of sun and patience, and enjoy fruit for years and years.☀️ 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 kakiGive this tree plenty of sun and a bit of time, and it'll deck its bare autumn branches with bright fruit long past leaf fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyPin OakQuercus palustrisWant fast shade and fiery fall color? This tree gives you both, as long as its roots sit in acidic soil.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyPindo PalmButia capitataPicture a feather palm tough enough to take real cold, its gray-green fronds arching above fruit so sweet it's bound for jelly.☀️ Full sunPet & child safeEasyPistachioPistacia veraGive it hot, dry summers and a male tree nearby, and the pistachio pays you back for your patience with split-shell nuts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 10–21 daysMildly toxicDemandingPlumPrunus domesticaWant baskets of plums? Give it full sun and deep soil, prune once a year, and it'll deliver.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateQuinceCydonia oblongaIt's slow and it's tart off the tree, but quince makes up for it with fragrant golden fruit that's magic in the kitchen.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateRed MapleAcer rubrumIt's fast, it's easy, and every fall it puts on a red and orange show you won't forget.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyRiver BirchBetula nigraGive it full sun and damp, acidic soil, and river birch grows fast and shows off that peeling, cinnamon bark.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasySaguaroCarnegiea giganteaHand it plenty of sun, quick-draining soil, and a lot of patience, and this desert giant pretty much takes it from there.☀️ Full sun · 💧 14–30 daysPet & child safeDemandingSassafrasSassafras albidumWant knockout fall color and quirky mitten-shaped leaves? Plant sassafras and just give its roots space to wander.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateSaucer MagnoliaMagnolia × soulangeanaPop it somewhere late frost can't reach the buds, and a saucer magnolia gives you goblet-shaped pink blooms before a single leaf shows up.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateSawara False CypressChamaecyparis pisiferaHand it full sun and free-draining soil, and false cypress keeps its color looking good all year long.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyScots PinePinus sylvestrisIt's tough, it grows fast, and it's totally fine on poor, dry ground, so sun is about all it wants.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateServiceberryAmelanchier × grandifloraOne little tree that keeps giving: white spring flowers, sweet June berries, and fiery fall color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySilver MapleAcer saccharinumFast, tough, and perfectly fine with damp ground, silver maple gives you real shade sooner than almost any tree out there.☀️ 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 big, easygoing evergreen with glossy leaves and lemon-scented white blooms that'll anchor a yard for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateStar MagnoliaMagnolia stellataIt's one of the first trees to flower each spring, and star magnolia opens a whole cloud of fragrant white stars before a single leaf shows up.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateSugar MapleAcer saccharumGive it moisture-rich soil and elbow room, and a sugar maple pays you back with shade all summer and knockout fall color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateSweetgumLiquidambar styracifluaHand it deep, acidic soil and full sun, and the sweetgum gives back star-shaped leaves and a fall show that's hard to beat.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyTamukeyama Japanese MapleAcer palmatumIt's the weeping maple with feathery red leaves that just keep looking good, spring right through fall.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateTangerineCitrus reticulataGive it full sun, steady water, and a break from frost, and a tangerine hands back sweet fruit all winter long.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateTulip TreeLiriodendron tulipiferaA fast, towering shade tree that hangs tulip-shaped flowers way up in the canopy and lights up golden every fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateWalnutJuglans regiaGive it deep soil, full sun, and space to stretch out, and a walnut will shade the yard for generations while filling baskets each fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysMildly toxicModerateWeeping CherryPrunus subhirtellaPlant it in a sunny spot, and every April the weeping cherry spills pink and white blossom right down to the grass.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateWeeping WillowSalix babylonicaPlant it near water, give it room to spread, and it'll trail its green branches right down to the ground.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateWhite FirAbies concolorHand it room, sun, and well-drained acidic soil, and the white fir will keep its silvery-blue pyramid going for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateWhite OakQuercus albaPlant it for the long haul and you'll hand the next generation a century of shade and a wildlife buffet of acorns.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateWindmill PalmTrachycarpus fortuneiHardy down to single digits, the windmill palm gives you a true tropical look in gardens way colder than most palms can take.☀️ Partial shadePet & child safeModerateYoshino CherryPrunus × yedoensisWant a yard that stops traffic? Plant a Yoshino cherry for its clouds of white-to-pink spring blossom, and enjoy a two-week show every year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateYuzuCitrus junosIt's the hardiest of all the true citrus, but yuzu will want patience and a sheltered, sunny spot.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerate