Trees

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

AlmondPrunus dulcisGive it full sun, deep well-drained soil, and a frost-free bloom, and the almond rewards you with years of nut harvests.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicDemandingAmerican BasswoodTilia americanaA big, easygoing shade tree with fragrant summer flowers the bees can't resist.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyAmerican BeechFagus grandifoliaGive it rich, acidic, moist soil and room to spread, and the American beech becomes a shade tree for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateAmerican ElmUlmus americanaA fast-growing, vase-shaped shade tree that survived its own near-extinction and is back in 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 obovatusGive it poor, dry ground and full sun, and the American smoketree throws up its hazy summer smoke and a blaze of fall color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyAmerican SycamorePlatanus occidentalisGive it room and moist ground, and the American sycamore grows into one of the largest 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 armeniacaGive it full sun, sharp drainage, and shelter from late frost, and an apricot tree drops 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 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 can shade a yard for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysMildly toxicModerateBald CypressTaxodium distichumA swamp native that shrugs off flood, drought, and city soil and turns rust-orange every fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBlack LocustRobinia pseudoacaciaA tough, fast tree that fixes its own nitrogen and thrives where little else will, thorns, brittle limbs, and all.☀️ 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 palmatumPlant it for the deep burgundy leaves and scarlet fall color, and a Bloodgood maple anchors a garden for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateBradford PearPyrus calleryanaFast-growing and tough, the Bradford pear also splits in storms and spreads as an aggressive invasive you're better off not planting.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyBur OakQuercus macrocarpaPlant a bur oak and you hand down a tough, century-spanning shade tree that shrugs off cold, drought, and city soil.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateCalamondin OrangeCitrus × microcarpaA pot-sized citrus that carries 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 gives you two harvests in one, the cashew apple and the nut, as long as you keep its feet 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 returns a heavy crop of roasting nuts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeModerateChinese ElmUlmus parvifoliaA tough, fast-growing shade tree that takes poor soil, drought, and city grit in stride.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyCoconut PalmCocos nuciferaGive it full tropical sun, warmth, and sandy coastal soil, and the coconut palm rewards you for decades.☀️ Full sunPet & child safeModerateColorado Blue SprucePicea pungensGive it full sun, cool air, and well-drained ground, and the blue spruce holds its silver color for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateCommon FigFicus caricaGive it full sun and steady summer water, and a fig tree hands you sweet fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyCrepe MyrtleLagerstroemia indicaGive it full sun and a light touch with the pruners, and the crepe myrtle blooms all summer and peels into handsome winter bark.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyDate PalmPhoenix dactyliferaGive it full sun, sharp drainage, and desert heat, and the date palm rewards you 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 deodaraGive it full sun and ground that drains, and this Himalayan cedar grows into a soft, sweeping evergreen for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDouglas FirPseudotsuga menziesiiGive it room, moist soil, and decades of patience, and the Douglas fir grows into one of the tallest trees in the forest.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateDwarf Alberta SprucePicea glaucaA neat, slow-growing cone of evergreen that asks for 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 holds its shape and color for decades.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateEastern HemlockTsuga canadensisPlant it in cool, moist shade and the eastern hemlock grows into a soft, feathery evergreen that lasts for generations.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateEastern Red CedarJuniperus virginianaA tough native conifer that shrugs off drought, poor soil, and bitter cold and lives for centuries.☀️ Full sun · 💧 10–21 daysPet & child safeEasyEastern RedbudCercis canadensisIt lights up the bare spring woods with rose-pink flowers right on the branches before a single leaf appears.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyEastern White PinePinus strobusTall, soft, and fast-growing, eastern white pine builds a graceful evergreen backbone when you give it room and acidic ground.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateEmerald Green ArborvitaeThuja occidentalisPlant it in full sun with steady moisture, guard it from deer and snow, and it gives you 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 rewards you with spring bracts and red autumn fruit.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateFranklin TreeFranklinia alatamahaLate summer flowers and fiery 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 you plant for the long haul.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyGolden Rain TreeKoelreuteria paniculataA tough shade tree that lights up midsummer with sprays of yellow flowers and papery lantern pods.☀️ 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 protection from frost, and a guava tree pays you back with 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 triacanthosTough, fast, and forgiving, the honey locust throws dappled shade over the worst urban ground.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyItalian CypressCupressus sempervirensPlant it once in full sun and dry, well-drained soil, and this slim green column holds 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 the spring frost.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeEasyJapanese CedarCryptomeria japonicaGive it rich, moist soil and shelter 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 shelter from wind, and the Japanese maple repays you with color from spring through fall.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateJapanese StewartiaStewartia pseudocamelliaSlow to give and worth the wait, it pays off with summer flowers, fiery fall color, and patchwork bark.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeDemandingJapanese Umbrella PineSciadopitys verticillataA living fossil with soft, whorled needles that asks for little beyond patience and steady moisture.☀️ 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 a juniper asks for almost nothing 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 rewards you with sharp, aromatic limes.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateKousa DogwoodCornus kousaA small tree that gives you 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 shelter from hard frost, and this little citrus fruits right through winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicEasyKwanzan CherryPrunus serrulataPlant it for one unforgettable week of double pink bloom each spring, and treat it well the rest of the year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateLemonCitrus limonGive it full sun, deep but infrequent water, and protection from frost, and a lemon tree fruits for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateLeyland CypressCupressus × leylandiiPlant it with 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 × latifoliaGive it full sun, sharp drainage, and steady warmth, and a lime tree fruits for years.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateLoquatEriobotrya japonicaGive it full sun and a frost-free spot, and the loquat hands you sweet fruit when little else is ripe.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateLycheeLitchi chinensisGive it heat, acidic soil, and a cool winter rest, and this tropical tree rewards the patience it demands.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeDemandingMacadamiaMacadamia integrifoliaGive it warmth, deep soil, and a pollination partner, and the macadamia rewards your patience with rich nuts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicDemandingMandarin OrangeCitrus reticulataGive it full sun, free-draining soil, and shelter from hard frost, and a mandarin tree rewards you with fragrant blossom and easy-peel fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateMangoMangifera indicaGive it heat, sun, and well-drained soil, and a mango tree turns a warm garden into a summer of fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateMedlarMespilus germanicaA slow, hardy fruit tree that asks for little and ripens only after the first frosts.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateMeyer LemonCitrus × meyeriGive it bright sun, even water, and shelter from frost, and this dwarf citrus rewards you with fragrant blooms and sweet fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateMugo PinePinus mugoA tough, evergreen mountain pine that asks for full sun and sharp drainage, then looks after itself.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyMulberryMorus rubraGive it full sun and room to spread, and the mulberry hands you berries by the bucketful every early summer.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyNectarinePrunus persica var. nucipersicaA nectarine is a peach without the fuzz, and it pays 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 shrugs off drought and poor ground for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysMildly toxicEasyNorfolk Island PineAraucaria heterophyllaGive it bright light, cool air, and steady moisture, and this living conifer keeps its tidy tiers indoors all year.☀️ Bright indirectPet & child safeModerateNorthern CatalpaCatalpa speciosaA tough native shade tree that throws showy white flowers and grows fast almost anywhere.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysPet & child safeEasyNorthern Red OakQuercus rubraA fast-growing native that throws deep shade and brilliant red fall color for a century or more.☀️ 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 you with fruit for decades.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateOsage OrangeMaclura pomiferaPlant it once and walk away. 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 the papaya fruits within a year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 1–4 daysPet & child safeModeratePaper BirchBetula papyriferaGive it a cool, moist root run and the 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 two trees for cross-pollination, give them sun and patience, and a pear tree feeds you 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 kakiGive it full sun and patience, and the persimmon hangs the orchard with fall color long after the leaves drop.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyPin OakQuercus palustrisA fast-growing shade tree with fiery fall color, as long as you keep its feet in acidic soil.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicEasyPindo PalmButia capitataA cold-hardy feather palm with arching gray-green fronds and fruit sweet enough for jelly.☀️ 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 domesticaGive it full sun, deep soil, and a yearly pruning, and a plum tree pays you back with baskets of fruit.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateQuinceCydonia oblongaSlow to grow and tart off the tree, the quince rewards patience with fragrant golden fruit that comes alive in the kitchen.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateRed MapleAcer rubrumFast-growing and easy, the red maple lights up fall with brilliant red and orange leaves.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysToxicEasyRiver BirchBetula nigraGive it moist, acidic soil and full sun, and river birch grows fast with peeling, cinnamon bark.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeEasySaguaroCarnegiea giganteaGive it scorching sun, sharp drainage, and decades of patience, and the saguaro becomes a desert giant.☀️ Full sun · 💧 14–30 daysPet & child safeDemandingSassafrasSassafras albidumPlant it for fiery fall color and mitten-shaped leaves, and give its wandering roots room to roam.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateSaucer MagnoliaMagnolia × soulangeanaPlant it where late frost can't reach the buds, and a saucer magnolia opens goblet-shaped pink blooms before a single leaf shows.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateSawara False CypressChamaecyparis pisiferaGive it full sun and free-draining soil, and false cypress holds its color through every season.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyScots PinePinus sylvestrisTough, fast, and happy on poor, dry ground, the Scots pine asks for sun and little else.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateServiceberryAmelanchier × grandifloraOne small tree that gives you white spring flowers, sweet June berries, and fiery fall color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasySilver MapleAcer saccharinumFast, tough, and happy with wet feet, the silver maple throws up shade quicker than almost any other 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 with glossy leaves and lemon-scented white blooms that anchors a landscape for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateStar MagnoliaMagnolia stellataOne of the first trees to flower, star magnolia opens a cloud of fragrant white stars before its leaves unfurl.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysPet & child safeModerateSugar MapleAcer saccharumGive it deep, moist soil and room to spread, and the sugar maple pays you back with shade and fire-bright fall color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateSweetgumLiquidambar styracifluaGive it deep, acidic soil and full sun, and the sweetgum repays you with star-shaped leaves and blazing fall color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeEasyTamukeyama Japanese MapleAcer palmatumA weeping laceleaf maple that pours out deep red, finely cut foliage from spring to a fiery fall.☀️ Partial shade · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateTangerineCitrus reticulataGive it full sun, steady water, and shelter from frost, and the tangerine hands you sweet fruit through winter.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateTulip TreeLiriodendron tulipiferaA fast, towering shade tree with tulip-shaped flowers high in the canopy and golden fall color.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateWalnutJuglans regiaGive it deep soil, full sun, and room to spread, and a walnut shades the yard for generations while it fills baskets each fall.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–21 daysMildly toxicModerateWeeping CherryPrunus subhirtellaPlant it for the spring cascade of pink and white, and the weeping cherry pours blossom over your garden every April.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateWeeping WillowSalix babylonicaPlant it by water with room to spread, and the weeping willow sweeps the ground in green.☀️ Full sun · 💧 3–7 daysPet & child safeModerateWhite FirAbies concolorGive it room, sun, and well-drained acidic soil, and the white fir holds its silvery-blue pyramid for generations.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysPet & child safeModerateWhite OakQuercus albaPlant it for the long haul and a white oak gives you a century of shade and acorns for the wildlife.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerateWindmill PalmTrachycarpus fortuneiHardy down to single digits, the windmill palm gives a true tropical look to gardens far colder than most palms can stand.☀️ Partial shadePet & child safeModerateYoshino CherryPrunus × yedoensisPlant it for the clouds of white-to-pink spring blossom, and a Yoshino cherry turns a whole yard into an event for two weeks each year.☀️ Full sun · 💧 5–10 daysMildly toxicModerateYuzuCitrus junosHardiest of the true citrus, yuzu trades easy fruit for patience and a sheltered, sunny spot.☀️ Full sun · 💧 7–14 daysMildly toxicModerate