Top Ten Trees to Plant in Your Yard
A dogwood tree brings beauty and interest to your backyard all year long. It flowers during spring in a profusion of white, pink, and red blossoms, and then features a lush and compact canopy of foliage in the summer. Most varieties display red foliage in the fall before dropping leaves to show off attractive branching in the winter.
The tulip tree does double duty as a shade tree and an ornamental. It is bursting with tulip-shaped flowers in springtime and flaunts brilliant yellow leaves in the fall. A fast-growing hardwood, the tulip tree can grow more than two feet in a year.
11 Dangerous Trees You Should Never Plant in Your Yard 7. Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana) The Bradford pear was imported to the U.S. from China in the early 1900s as replacement for orchard trees that were dying.
11 Dangerous Trees You Should Never Plant in Your Yard 7. Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana) The Bradford pear was imported to the U.S. from China in the early 1900s as replacement for orchard trees that were dying.
11 Dangerous Trees You Should Never Plant in Your Yard 8. Mountain cedar (Juniperus ashei) Mountain cedar (Juniperus ashei) Stay away from the mountain cedar in late winter. This bushy tree, native to the south central U.S., releases massive amounts of pollen during the cooler months, causing severe allergic reactions in many people. Even if you don’t have allergies, planting one in your yard may affect your neighbors.
An evergreen tree grown for its deep green foliage, the Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) is a versatile landscaping plant that grows in Sunset's Climate Zones 1 through 9, 14 through 17 and 21 through 24. Because they can reach heights of 50 to 60 feet, these trees are ideal for use as privacy screens or wind breaks around your yard.
The northern red oak has been called “one of the handsomest, cleanest, and stateliest trees in North America” by naturalist Joseph S. Illick, and it is widely considered a national treasure. It is especially valued for its adaptability and usefulness, including its hardiness in urban settings.
Whether you’re looking to provide evergreen privacy for your yard or enhance your property with a singular ornamental stunner, American holly delivers. Small, white springtime blooms give way to red berries (actually drupes) in the fall, which remain throughout winter.
One of the first signs of spring is the brilliant purplish-pink flowering of the eastern redbud, but its branching pattern makes this tree just as beautiful in winter as it is the rest of the year. Growing 20 to 30 feet high, with a 30-foot spread, the eastern redbud will make a dramatic display in any backyard.