Don't pass up the chance to add beauty with the best tough trees for your yard. These beauties are sure to flourish in any landscape.
15 Trees That Will Grow Anywhere
Don’t pass up the chance to add lasting beauty to your yard. Not only will trees bring you joy season after season, but the right species planted in the right spot can increase property values and decrease utility costs. Plus, you’ll be planting something for posterity.
We spoke to Andy Schmitz, the Director of Horticulture and General Manager of The Brenton Arboretum, to get some information on several easy-to-grow trees that you can plant in your yard. Read on to take the guesswork out of your landscaping choices and put these tough trees to the test in your backyard.
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Crabapples
First on the list of easy-to-grow trees is the crabapple. This beauty’s spring blossoms are often so lavish that they hide entire branches. The flowers give way to leaves and then fruit to keep the color show going, sometimes through winter. New varieties provide the famous flowers and resist common ailments, too.
Why we love it: Crabapple trees are a four-season plant. They start off the season with colorful blooms and finish in winter with deep-red fruit. May varieties like Jackii have showy leaves in between.
- Ideal growing conditions: Â “[Crabapples] are quite adaptable to different soil types,” Schmitz says.
- How big the plant can get: “Depends on the variety you get, but “sizes can range in height from 8 to 25 feet tall and spread from 10 to 30 feet wide,” says Schmitz.
- Level of care: Easy to grow
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Hawthorns
Providing good cover for many birds, hawthorns also produce scarlet berries that hang on nearly all winter. Thorns up to three inches long are a liability and an asset, so try thornless cockspur, Crataegus crusgalli var. inermis.
Why we love it: Hawthorns are easy-to-grow trees that tolerate drought, grow in almost any kind of soil and produce fall color. Watching the foliage turn color is one of the greatest joys of fall for a nature lover.
- Ideal growing conditions: This tree needs “a planting site with good airflow to help prevent leaf diseases,” according to Schmitz.
- How big the plant can get: Schmitz explains that “several species can range in height from 20 to 30 feet and spread from 20 to 30 feet.”
- Level of care: Easy to grow
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Hackberry
Hackberry, a native of the Great Plains, grows without complaint in windy areas. Unsurprisingly, it can withstand windy conditions. In fact, hackberry can deal with all kinds of conditions: it’s also tolerant of pollution and drought, among other things.
Why we love it: Hackberry is fast-growing and offers wildlife potential with its berries.
- Ideal growing conditions: This species likes “varying soil types” and “prefers moist organic soils but can grow in heavier or sandy soils as well,” says Schmitz.
- How big the plant can get: They “will grow to 50 to 60 feet in height and [it’s] spready,” Schmitz says.
- Level of care: Low maintenance
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Pin Oak
A fast-growing oak species? You bet! The pin oak’s pyramidal shape and fine branches provide a year-round silhouette in the backyard. The glossy green leaves turn russet, bronze or red in the fall. Though tolerant of most growing conditions, acidic soil is a must.
Why we love it: The pin oak attracts butterflies and hummingbirds and provides food for the gray hairstreak butterfly and squirrels.
- Ideal growing conditions: Schmitz says this species “prefers organic, acidic and moist soils,” cautioning that it is “very intolerant of high pH soils which will cause the tree to become chlorotic, [so] perform a soil test before planting.”
- How big the plant can get: Pin oaks “can reach heights of 60 to 70 feet with a 30 to 40 feet width,” Schmitz says.
- Level of care: Easy to grow
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Ginkgo
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is on the list of easy-to-grow trees for your yard — if it’s male. It grows at a slow-to-moderate pace and has pretty architecture, beautiful fall foliage, and lineage dating to the time of the dinosaurs. Avoid planting a female ginkgo in your yard, though, because it will drop messy fruit in the fall that smells a bit like vomit when it starts to rot.
Why we love it: Their fan-shaped leaves are unique and pop in fall when they turn bright yellow.
- Ideal growing conditions: The ginko is “quite adaptable to varying soil types,” Schmitz says, but clarifies that it “prefers lighter, sandy soils with good drainage.”
- How big the plant can get: Ginkgo is “a very slow growing tree species but will eventually reach heights ranging from 60 to 80 feet and widths of 30 to 40 feet,” Schmitz explains.
- Level of care: Easy to grow
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Dogwood
Dogwood is a genus with multiple species around the globe. It’s possibly the most famous and cultivated flowering dogwood native to eastern North America. Pacific dogwood is native to the western parts of the country. Flowering dogwood is a fairly small ornamental tree, growing to about 30 feet, while Pacific dogwood can grow to more than 60 feet. Both flower profusely in the spring with lovely white flowers.
Why we love it: Birds are drawn to the berries in the fall.
- Ideal growing conditions: These “can be grown in full sun to part shade,” and they “typically, like moist well-drained soils,” Schnitz says.
- How big the plant can get:Â There are “many species and cultivars which are small trees to multi-stemmed shrubs and can range in height from 10 to 25 feet and have a width of 10 to 25 feet,” according to Schmitz.
- Level of care: Low maintenance
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Fringe Tree
Native from southern Pennsylvania to Florida and Texas, the fringe tree bursts onto the spring scene with lightly fragrant, strappy white petals in May to early June. The petals are held in small groups and attached at the top like tassels.
Why we love it: It’s the best-kept secret among spring-blooming trees, yet it’s one of the most adaptable, thriving in full sun to part shade. Female trees produce blue fruits that birds love.
- Ideal growing conditions: This tree “can be planted in full sun or part shade.” Schmitz also says that it “prefers moist, fertile soils but is adaptable to other soil types.”
- How big the plant can get: Schmitz describes the fringe tree as “a shrub or small tree which can reach heights of 15 to 20 feet with an equal width of 15 to 20 feet.”
- Level of care: Low maintenance
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Serviceberry
Hard-working and airy, serviceberries grow as trees or multi-stemmed shrubs. Plant a species that is suited to your region to attract birds and other wildlife. The blooms, foliage and bark stand out when grown against a dark background, like the one evergreens provide. If you love berries, then you’ve got to try honeyberries.
Why we love it: Four-season interest! Serviceberry shines from spring blooms to summer fruits to fall color to beautiful winter bark.Â
- Ideal growing conditions: The serviceberry is a tree that is “quite intolerant of heavy wet soils, needs good drainage, [and] can be planted in full sun or part shade,” Schmitz says.
- How big the plant can get:Â Serviceberries “are small trees to multi-stemmed shrubs and can range in height from 10 to 20 feet and have a width of 10 to 15 feet,” according to Schmitz.
- Level of care: Easy to grow
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Musclewood or Hornbeam
This is the first year firespire musclewood is widely available to consumers. Celebrated for its upright form and stunning fall color, this easy-to-grow tree has so far been pest- and disease-free.
Why we love it: It’s sun- and shade-tolerant, so it will work well in any area of your yard, whether as a large hedge, a screen plant or a specimen plant in a smaller space.
- Ideal growing conditions: Musclewood “will perform in heavy shade as it is an understory tree in the forest, but will perform in full sun as well.” Schmitz adds that it grows “best in organic moist soils but is adaptable to drier sites.”
- How big the plant can get: According to Schmitz, this tree is a “small tree or large shrub reaching heights of 20 to 30 feet and an equivalent width.”
- Level of care: Low maintenance
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Ironwood or Hop Hornbeam
Ironwood is a tough understory tree with beautiful birch-like leaves, grayish-brown flaky bark, fine-textured drooping branches and attractive hop-like fruits. It’s considered a tough native hardwood and is not only ornamental but resistant to many diseases and insect problems. This is an excellent tree for naturalized landscapes.
Why we love it: Ironwood is shade tolerant and an excellent small, urban shade garden species.
- Ideal growing conditions: This tree “grows in full sun to part shade [and] can grow in dry, rocky soils and cool, moist soils.” He also says that it “can be slow to establish after planting,” according to Schmitz.
- How big the plant can get: This hardwood is “a slow-growing small tree reaching heights of 25 to 35 feet and 15 to 25 feet in width,” Schmitz says.
- Level of care: Low maintenance
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Sweet Bay Magnolia
Lemon-scented flowers, dark green leaves and its evergreen nature in southern gardens make this a good patio or specimen plant. Watch as the wind rustles the leaves, exposing their silvery undersides.
Why we love it: It’s more tolerant of shade and wet areas than other magnolias.
- Ideal growing conditions: The sweet bay magnolia “performs best in wet and acidic soils,” Schmitz says. He continues, explaining that this tree “needs acid soils to perform the best or [it] will become chlorotic.”
- How big the plant can get:Â The sweet bay magnolia’s “height will vary depending from 10 to 20 feet in the northern states and from 40 to 50 feet in the southern states,” according to Schmitz
- Level of care: Easy to grow
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Red Maple
This native tree’s red flower buds and blooms add subtle color to the early spring landscape. They finish off the season when the green leaves turn a brilliant red in fall. Select a cultivar with a good branch structure and reliable fall colors, such as red sunset or Northwoods.
Why we love it: Acidic soil is a must, but the hybrid Freeman maple (red maple crossed with silver) has the red maple’s fall color and the silver maple’s alkaline soil tolerance.
- Ideal growing conditions: “When planting a red maple, you should select one for your cold hardiness zone as southern genetics are not often cold hardy,” Schmitz cautions.
- How big the plant can get: Red maple “will reach heights of 40 to 60 feet and a width of 30 to 50 feet,” Schmitz says.
- Level of care: Easy to grow
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Bald Cypress
You’ll likely find this large, deciduous tree in the swamps of the eastern half of the U.S. It thrives in full sun and acidic soil and grows best in moist, deep soil with good drainage. Slow-growing species include Cascade Falls, a weeping form. Secrest is a nice flat-topped cultivar. These trees are great for privacy.
Why we love it: This tough conifer tolerates wet and poorly drained sites. It also has a beautiful orange to pumpkin-brown fall color before the needles drop.
- Ideal growing conditions: The bald cypress “naturally grows in the swamps of the southeast U.S. but is quite adaptable to dry to heavy wet soils. He adds that it “prefers acid soils or [it] will become chlorotic,” according to Schmitz.
- How big the plant can get: This tree is “a taller tree than wide, reaching heights of 50 to 78 feet and widths of 20 to 30 feet,” Schmitz says.
- Level of care: Easy to grow
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Native Alders
Alders like moist surroundings. Their peculiar woody cones (called strobiles), which look similar to a flat tail of a beaver, make these trees easily identifiable. They hang from the tree throughout winter like miniature lanterns. Alder leaves are shed while still green. Eight species of alder are native to North America.
Why we love it: Alders add nitrogen to the soil in the manner of legumes, and decomposing alder leaves improve soil structure.
- Ideal growing conditions: According to Schmitz, this tree “prefers moist rich soils…making it suitable for along streams and ponds.”
- How big the plant can get: Speckled alders “can reach heights of 15 to 25 feet and similar widths,” and hazel alders are capable of “reaching 10 to 15 feet in height,” Schmitz says.
- Level of care: Low maintenance
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Swamp White Oak
Swamp white oak is a striking tree with peeling bark, especially prevalent on young trees. Its lobed leaves have a two-tone appearance: dark green on top and silvery-white underside. The swamp white oak’s fall foliage color is orange-gold to yellow in mid-autumn. It is an excellent shade tree for any landscape.
Why we love it: The swamp white oak is an easy tree to grow because it is one of the easiest oaks to transplant and is more tolerant of poor drainage than other oaks.
- Ideal growing conditions: This tree “grows in moist to wet conditions but is adaptable to drier sites.” It also “prefers more acidic soils,” according to Schmitz.
- How big the plant can get: The swamp white oak “is a large tree reaching heights of 50 to 60 feet and widths of 60 to 70 feet,” Schmitz says.
- Level of care: Low maintenance
About the Experts
- Andy Schmitz is the Director of Horticulture and General Manager of The Brenton Arboretum.
