Most people don’t think about the trees in their backyard as much as they do the grass, but when it comes to keeping your property looking great, trees are just as important. They can provide shade, add aesthetic appeal and enhance your property’s curb appeal.
Trees also help keep your home cooler and can clean the air. In fact, according to the Arbor Day Foundation, one tree produces enough oxygen for two people.
There are many types of trees available on the market today, so choosing which ones will work best in your yard can be tricky. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of 15 of our favorite trees that will thrive in most backyards.
Here are 15 trees that work well in most backyards:
Dogwood (Cornus)
This tree has beautiful white flowers in spring that turn into red berries in fall. It grows between 20 and 30 feet tall and likes full sun but can tolerate partial shade. The dogwood is also a great source of food for birds, including bluebirds and robins.
Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana)
This magnolia has small leaves that turn yellow in fall before dropping off the tree for the winter months. In spring it blooms with big white flowers like no other tree on this list! The saucer magnolias grow between 25 and 35 feet tall and prefer full sun but can tolerate part shade as well. If you have room for only one tree in your yard, make sure it’s this one.
Maple
A maple tree can be planted as a single specimen or in groups. It’s easy to transplant because it has shallow roots, so it’s best planted in spring or early summer after danger of extreme cold weather has passed. The leaves turn red or yellow in fall, depending on variety, making this tree ideal for fall planting if you want color in your yard when other plants are dormant.
Cherry
This is another shade tree that looks good all year long because its flowers bloom in spring before leaves emerge and fruit ripens in summer when most trees are bare-limbed and leafless. The cherry tree has shallow roots but needs full sun to thrive; avoid planting near buildings where soil compaction can occur due to foot traffic around the building foundations.
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
The sugar maple is one of the most common and beautiful trees in North America. It has a fast growth rate and can reach heights up to 100 feet tall. The leaves of this tree have five lobes and are dark green in summer but turn yellow in fall. These trees prefer moist soil and full sun but can also tolerate partial shade.
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
This species is similar to the sugar maple but has weaker wood and smaller leaves than its cousin. Silver maples have been used extensively as shade trees because they grow quickly and tolerate deep shade well. They also make excellent street trees because they tolerate pollution well, making them ideal if you live near busy streets or highways.
Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)
The Fringe Tree is a native of the eastern U.S., and it’s especially well-suited for our area. It has an open, airy form and is hardy to zone 4. The Fringe Tree has dark green leaves that turn yellow in fall, making it a great choice for autumn color as well.
The white flowers are very fragrant and bloom in early spring before the leaves emerge. This tree grows up to 40 feet tall and 30 feet wide, so make sure you have room when planting.
Washington Hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum)
This large deciduous shrub blooms in spring with white flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies alike! Its showy red fruits are also a favorite of birds and wildlife, especially hawks and woodpeckers which eat them for their high energy content.
The Washington Hawthorn grows up to 20 feet tall with a 10 foot spread, so it’s perfect if you want something low maintenance that still offers some privacy from neighbors.
Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
Serviceberry is a small deciduous tree that grows up to 20 feet tall, making it a good choice for smaller yards. It has white flowers in early spring that give way to red fruit in the summer. The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked like apples or pears.
Green Giant’ Arborvitae (Thuja ‘Green Giant’)
This variety of arborvitae is perfect for windy areas because it stays thick and dense with age. It grows up to 25 feet tall and wide but doesn’t need much pruning maintenance over the years.
Weeping Cherry (Prunus pendula)
Weeping cherries are some of the most popular shade trees because they grow slowly over time, reaching heights of only 15-20 feet tall while spreading out 10-12 feet wide at maturity.
Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Red Oak trees are perhaps the most well-known oak species in the United States. They grow to be between 60 and 100 feet tall with a spread of 30 feet. Red Oaks are very hardy, so they can thrive in many different environments. They prefer full sun, but will adapt to partial shade if necessary. Red Oaks have a rounded canopy and small leaves that turn red in the fall. These trees are known for their beautiful fall foliage, making them a great choice for any yard.
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
American Holly trees are native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia down into Florida and westward into Texas and Oklahoma. They grow best in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9, although they can survive warmer temperatures if properly mulched during the summer months.
American Hollies can reach heights of 40 feet or more, but they tend to grow slower than other holly varieties like English hollies (Ilex aquifolium). American Hollies have glossy green leaves that turn red or yellow in the fall before dropping off completely in winter months.
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
This beautiful flowering tree is native to much of eastern North America. It’s easy to grow and has showy pink flowers in spring that attract hummingbirds.
Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
This beautiful shade tree is native to eastern North America and hardy in zones 4-9. The tulip-shaped leaves turn yellow in fall and keep their color until spring when they fall off; this makes them great wintertime decoration.
Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
A fast-growing deciduous tree native to much of North America, the paper birch grows up to 30 feet tall with an umbrella-shaped crown and white bark that peels off in strips like sheets of paper.
Conclusion
We hope we have given you a solid list of options for your backyard. Of course, there are many more trees that make great additions to a backyard, but this is an excellent starting point if you’re looking for ideas. It’s by no means comprehensive, but perhaps it will provide you with some insight as you look into suitable trees for your own home or garden. With these considerations and considerations in mind, you should be able to find the right tree for the job.
