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 the almond pays you back with years of nut harvests.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicDemandingAmerican BasswoodTilia americanaA towering, easygoing shade tree bursting with fragrant summer flowers the bees swarm to.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyAmerican BeechFagus grandifoliaHand it rich, acidic, moist soil and room to spread, and the American beech rockets into a shade tree for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateAmerican ElmUlmus americanaA fast-climbing vase-shaped shade tree that staged one of horticulture's great comebacks, now available in disease-resistant form.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateAmerican HornbeamCarpinus carolinianaGive it moist soil and a little shade, and this tough, slow-growing native holds its shape for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyAmerican Smoketree (Tree Form)Cotinus obovatusPlant it in poor, dry soil and full sun, and watch the American smoketree throw up a summer haze and light the fall on fire.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyAmerican SycamorePlatanus occidentalisHand it room and moist ground, and the American sycamore shoots up into one of the East's largest shade trees.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateAppleMalus domesticaHand 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 will hang heavy 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 keeps delivering crisp, juicy fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateAvocadoPersea americanaGive it full sun, sharp drainage, and frost shelter, and an avocado will throw shade over a yard for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateBald CypressTaxodium distichumA swamp native that powers through flood, drought, and city soil and blazes rust-orange every fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlack LocustRobinia pseudoacaciaA fast, tough tree that races skyward on the poorest soil and perfumes the air each spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 14–30 daysToxicEasyBlood OrangeCitrus × sinensisGive it full sun and cold winter nights, and the blood orange ripens flesh the color of garnet.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateBloodgood Japanese MapleAcer palmatumA stunning red-leaf maple that rewards steady care with deep burgundy summers and fiery fall color.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateBradford PearPyrus calleryanaFast off the mark and tough as they come, the Bradford pear also splits in storms and spreads as an aggressive invasive, so skip planting a new one.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBur OakQuercus macrocarpaPlant a bur oak and kick off a tough, century-spanning shade tree that powers through cold, drought, and gritty city soil.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateCalamondin OrangeCitrus × microcarpaA pot-sized citrus that pushes out fragrant blooms and sour orange fruit at once, 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 sativaPlant it in acidic soil with sharp drainage and a partner for pollen, and this eager tree pays back a generous haul of nuts ready to roast.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeModerateChinese ElmUlmus parvifoliaA fast, rewarding shade tree that powers through poor soil, drought, and city grit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCoconut PalmCocos nuciferaPour on full tropical sun, warmth, and sandy coastal soil, and the coconut palm rewards you for decades.☀️ Full sunPet & child safeModerateColorado Blue SprucePicea pungensPlant it in full sun, cool air, and well-drained ground, and the blue spruce blazes silver for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateCommon FigFicus caricaGive it full sun and steady summer water, and a fig keeps the harvest coming for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyCrepe MyrtleLagerstroemia indicaPlant it in full sun and prune with a light hand, and the crepe myrtle pours out summer flowers before peeling into gorgeous winter bark.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyDate PalmPhoenix dactyliferaHand it full sun, sharp drainage, and desert heat, and the date palm pays you back with sweet fruit for decades.☀️ Full sunPet & child safeModerateDawn RedwoodMetasequoia glyptostroboidesA living fossil that flames russet-bronze every fall and races skyward fast enough to watch.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–10 daysPet & child safeEasyDeodar CedarCedrus deodaraPlant it in full sun on ground that drains, and this Himalayan cedar rockets into a soft, sweeping evergreen that lasts for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDouglas FirPseudotsuga menziesiiHand it room, moist soil, and a stretch of years, and the Douglas fir shoots up 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 thrives on full sun, steady moisture, and air that moves.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDwarf Japanese MapleAcer palmatumGive it dappled shade, steady moisture, and shelter from wind, and a dwarf Japanese maple rewards you with shape and color for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateEastern HemlockTsuga canadensisDrop it into cool, moist shade and eastern hemlock rockets toward a soft, feathery evergreen that lasts for generations.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateEastern Red CedarJuniperus virginianaA rugged native conifer that powers through drought, poor soil, and bitter cold and keeps going for centuries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 10–21 daysPet & child safeEasyEastern RedbudCercis canadensisWatch it set the bare spring woods alight with rose-pink flowers studding the branches before one leaf has stirred.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyEastern White PinePinus strobusFast-growing and feather-soft, eastern white pine rockets skyward into a towering evergreen giant when it gets room and acidic ground.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateEmerald Green ArborvitaeThuja occidentalisPlant it in full sun with steady moisture, stay a step ahead of deer and snow, and it grows you a dense green screen for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyFlowering DogwoodCornus floridaHand 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 blooms and blazing fall color from a tree extinct in the wild since the early 1800s.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeDemandingGinkgoGinkgo bilobaSlow, tough, and all but indestructible, the ginkgo is a tree that rewards planting for the long haul.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGolden Rain TreeKoelreuteria paniculataA rugged shade tree, firing up midsummer with papery lantern pods and vivid yellow flowers.☀️ 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 frost protection, and a guava tree keeps handing you 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, tough, and eager to please, the honey locust throws dappled shade across the roughest ground you can hand it.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyItalian CypressCupressus sempervirensPlant it once in full sun and dry, well-drained soil and watch this slim green column hold its shape for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJane MagnoliaMagnolia 'Jane'A small tree that throws open tulip-shaped purple-pink flowers late enough to sail past the spring frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese CedarCryptomeria japonicaGive it rich, moist soil and shelter from winter wind, and Japanese cedar rockets into a towering evergreen spire.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese MapleAcer palmatumGive it dappled shade, steady moisture, and shelter from wind, and the Japanese maple pays you back with color from spring through fall.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateJapanese StewartiaStewartia pseudocamelliaPlant it, wait for it, and cash in on summer flowers, blazing fall color, and patchwork bark.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeDemandingJapanese Umbrella PineSciadopitys verticillataA living fossil dressed in soft, whorled needles that pays back patience and steady moisture in spades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateJapanese YewTaxus cuspidataA rugged, shade-loving evergreen that shines as hedging and topiary, and it also ranks among the deadliest plants anyone can grow in a yard.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyJuniperJuniperus chinensisGive it full sun and sharp drainage, and juniper rewards you with a long, easy life and almost no upkeep.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyKey LimeCitrus × aurantiifoliaGive it full sun, warmth, and free-draining soil, and this thorny little citrus fires back sharp, aromatic limes.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateKousa DogwoodCornus kousaA small tree that keeps giving, with star-shaped blooms, edible fruit, and peeling bark across all four seasons.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateKumquatCitrus japonicaGive it full sun, even water, and cover from hard frost, and this little citrus keeps pumping out fruit all winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyKwanzan CherryPrunus serrulataPlant it and chase that one unforgettable week of double pink bloom each spring, then keep it thriving the rest of the year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateLemonCitrus limonGive it full sun, deep but infrequent water, and frost protection, and a lemon tree keeps pumping out fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateLeyland CypressCupressus × leylandiiHand it room to breathe and steady water, and this fast evergreen rockets up a private green wall in just a few years.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateLimeCitrus × latifoliaFeed it full sun, brisk drainage, and dependable warmth, and the tree pumps out fruit for years.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateLoquatEriobotrya japonicaPlant it in full sun and out of the frost, and the loquat rewards you with sweet fruit when barely anything else is ripe.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateLycheeLitchi chinensisGive it heat, acidic soil, and a cool winter rest, and this tropical tree pays back every bit of the patience it asks.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeDemandingMacadamiaMacadamia integrifoliaGive it warmth, deep soil, and a pollination partner, and the macadamia pays you back with rich, buttery nuts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicDemandingMandarin OrangeCitrus reticulataGive it full sun, free-draining soil, and shelter from hard frost, and a mandarin tree rewards the effort with fragrant blossom and easy-peel fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateMangoMangifera indicaServe up heat, full sun, and quick-draining soil, and the tree floods a warm garden with a summer's worth of fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateMedlarMespilus germanicaA slow, hardy fruit tree that asks for little and pays off only after the first frosts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateMeyer LemonCitrus × meyeriHand it bright sun, even water, and cover from frost, and this dwarf citrus rewards you with fragrant blooms and sweet fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateMugo PinePinus mugoA rugged evergreen mountain pine that wants full sun and sharp drainage, then powers ahead on its own.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyMulberryMorus rubraPlant it in full sun with space to spread, and this mulberry cranks out berries by the bucket every early summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyNectarinePrunus persica var. nucipersicaA nectarine is a peach that ditched the fuzz, and it hands back full sun and one yearly prune as sweet, smooth-skinned fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicDemandingNeem TreeAzadirachta indicaGive it heat, sun, and free-draining soil, and the neem tree powers through drought and poor ground for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysMildly toxicEasyNorfolk Island PineAraucaria heterophyllaServe up cool air, bright light, and dependable watering, and this living conifer keeps flaunting its tidy, green tiers indoors the year round.☀️ Bright indirectPet & child safeModerateNorthern CatalpaCatalpa speciosaA tough native shade tree that erupts in showy white flowers and races skyward almost anywhere.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyNorthern Red OakQuercus rubraA fast native that rewards you with 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 × sinensisHand it full sun, warmth, and well-drained soil, and a sweet orange tree keeps the fruit coming for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateOsage OrangeMaclura pomiferaPlant it once and let it rip. The Osage orange is just about indestructible, thorns, hedge apples, and all.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyPapayaCarica papayaPour on the sunshine, steady water, and frost-free heat, and this fast mover races from seedling to ripe papaya inside a year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 1–4 daysPet & child safeModeratePaper BirchBetula papyriferaGive it a cool, moist root run and paper birch rewards you with brilliant 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 communisPlant a pair of pears for cross-pollination, drench them in sun, add patience, and reap fruit for decades.☀️ 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 kakiSet persimmon in blazing full sun, let it settle at its own pace, and bare autumn branches light up with fruit that hangs on deep into the cold.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyPin OakQuercus palustrisA fast-growing shade tree that lights up in fiery fall color, as long as its feet stay in acidic soil.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyPindo PalmButia capitataA vigorous, cold-hardy feather palm that sends up gray-green fronds in arching sprays and ripens sweet, jelly-ready fruit.☀️ Full sunPet & child safeEasyPistachioPistacia veraGive it hot, dry summers and a male tree nearby, and the pistachio rewards your patience with split-shell nuts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 10–21 daysMildly toxicDemandingPlumPrunus domesticaServe up plenty of sun and deep soil, prune once a year, and a plum tree loads its branches with fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateQuinceCydonia oblongaSlow to grow and sharp off the branch, quince pays off big with fragrant golden fruit that transforms the moment it hits the pot.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateRed MapleAcer rubrumFast, hardy, and endlessly rewarding, red maple sets fall ablaze with red and orange.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyRiver BirchBetula nigraFast-growing and tough, river birch flashes peeling salmon-and-cinnamon bark in any garden that keeps it moist and acidic.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasySaguaroCarnegiea giganteaHand it blazing sun, sharp drainage, and years of patience, and watch a saguaro rise into a true desert giant.☀️ Full sun · 💧 14–30 daysPet & child safeDemandingSassafrasSassafras albidumA fast, easy native that explodes into orange, red, and purple every fall and spreads with real gusto.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateSaucer MagnoliaMagnolia × soulangeanaPlant it clear of late frost and the saucer magnolia fires off goblet-shaped pink blooms before a single leaf shows.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateSawara False CypressChamaecyparis pisiferaSet it in full sun and free-draining soil, and false cypress keeps its color firing through every season.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyScots PinePinus sylvestrisFast, tough, and raring to grow on poor, dry ground, Scots pine turns sun into serious height.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateServiceberryAmelanchier × grandifloraOne small tree that delivers white spring flowers, sweet June berries, and fiery fall color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySilver MapleAcer saccharinumQuick, tough, and eager for wet ground, the silver maple races skyward and hands you shade faster than almost any 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 standout evergreen with glossy leaves and lemon-scented white blooms that anchors a landscape for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateStar MagnoliaMagnolia stellataStar magnolia races the calendar and wins, throwing open a cloud of fragrant white stars on bare branches before the leaves even think about it.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateSugar MapleAcer saccharumHand it deep, moist soil and elbow room, and the sugar maple rewards you with cooling shade and a fall canopy that catches fire.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateSweetgumLiquidambar styracifluaPlant it in deep, acidic soil and full sun and watch the sweetgum throw out star-shaped leaves and a fall show that lights up the yard.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyTamukeyama Japanese MapleAcer palmatumThe weeping laceleaf that erupts in deep red, feathery leaves and only gets better from spring to fall.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateTangerineCitrus reticulataGive it full sun, steady water, and a guard against frost, and a tangerine rewards you with sweet fruit right through winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateTulip TreeLiriodendron tulipiferaA fast, sky-reaching shade tree that hoists tulip-shaped flowers into the high canopy and blazes gold every fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateWalnutJuglans regiaGive it deep soil, full sun, and room to spread, and a walnut takes off, shading the yard for generations and filling baskets each fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysMildly toxicModerateWeeping CherryPrunus subhirtellaCome April, the weeping cherry throws open a cascade of pink and white blossom and steals the whole garden's attention.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateWeeping WillowSalix babylonicaPlant it by water, give it room to spread, and watch the weeping willow sweep its long branches to the ground.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateWhite FirAbies concolorHand it room, sun, and well-drained acidic soil, and the white fir keeps its silvery-blue pyramid standing for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateWhite OakQuercus albaGet one going and settle in for the payoff: a century of shade and a yard full of acorn-hungry wildlife.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateWindmill PalmTrachycarpus fortuneiHardy down to single digits, the windmill palm brings a true tropical look to gardens far colder than most palms can stand.☀️ Partial shadePet & child safeModerateYoshino CherryPrunus × yedoensisPlant a Yoshino cherry and watch clouds of white-to-pink blossom erupt across the yard for two glorious weeks every spring.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateYuzuCitrus junosThe hardiest true citrus there is, yuzu swaps quick fruit for patience and a sheltered, sunny spot.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerate