Selecting a beautiful tree to plant can be hard work. There are so many different options, don’t you wish you had a list? Now, you do! Stay with us as we tell you about the 17 gorgeous trees that are worth your money and time.
17 Beautiful Trees to Plant in Your Garden
1. Saucer Magnolia
In zones 4 through 9, you can’t go wrong with the saucer magnolia. Each spring, this ornamental tree blooms with pinkish-purple flowers. The tree actually gets its name from the saucer shaped flowers!
2. Dogwood
Dogwoods are beautiful the whole year through. In the fall, the leaves turn red for an attractive foliage display. In the winter, the bare branches are gorgeous in the snow. Finally, the spring brings luscious blooms in white, red, or pink. This tree can survive and thrive in most places.
3. Sugar Maple
If you live in a 4-seasons climate, you must plant a sugar maple in your garden. It grows between 60 and 75 feet tall, so in the summer it provides abundant shade. However, in the fall it puts on a foliage display worthy of an ornamental. The orange and red leaves are an absolute autumn showstopper.
4. Tulip Tree
The tulip tree is an ornamental that produces spring flowers the shape of tulips! In the fall, the leaves turn yellow before they die. Another benefit of this tree is that it can grow up to 2 feet in a year. That’s extremely impressive and means you will have an extremely tall shade tree in no time. The tulip tree does best in zones 4 through 9.
5. Silver Maple
If establishing a shade tree as fast as possible is your goal, try the silver maple. Named after the color of the underside of the leaves, this tree shimmers in the wind! Since this fast growing tree gets so large, its roots do as well. That means planting it far away from underground sewer lines and building foundations. Not to mention sidewalks and roads.
6. Weeping Cherry
A gorgeous take on the weeping willow is the weeping cherry. These are very common front yard trees, and it’s not hard to see why. The spring blooms take over in either pink or white. In terms of size, you will need a space only 20 to 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide. However, these are slow growers.
7. Eastern Redbud
If you love pinkish-purple flowers, you must check out the eastern redbud. These gorgeous spring bloomers will add some color to any garden. Even in the winter eastern redbuds continue to wow with their unique branches. At 30 feet high and 30 feet wide, this tree can fit in a variety of locations.
8. Red Oak
The red oak is an iconic fall tree. Not surprisingly, the leaves turn fire red in autumn. Beginners and anyone unsure of their thumb color will love these hardy trees. This oak is shady as well at a full-grown 75 feet. Plant near your wooden garage to keep it cool without using AC.
9. Japanese Maple
Here is another maple that brightens up any garden. It’s great for small spaces, at it only grows between 3 and 20 feet tall (depending on the variety). The leaves are a gorgeous deep red in the fall and they can thrive in some shade. If you live in zones 5 through 8, this may be the tree for you!
10. Crabapple
These hardy trees grow between 15 and 25 feet tall. They look great adorning walkways. In the spring, the flower buds turn dark pink and the flowers are white. Even when the color display has fallen, the actual crabapples are left in the wake. The shape tends to wander irregularly, and the branches look picturesque in the winter. Just remember birds like to eat these berries.
11. Callery Pear
Do you want a fast-growing tree with white flowers? Lovely fall foliage? Then check out the callery pear. At full maturity, the tree will be 30 to 45 feet wide. Unfortunately, some of these varieties have bad smelling flowers. We recommend the Aristocrat or the Chanticleer varieties.
12. Serviceberry
This tree is actually a shrub! That makes it perfect for smaller areas. Another benefit of the serviceberry is how hardy it is. Besides being easy to grow, it produces edible fruits in the summertime. Before that, white flowers adorn the tree and afterward yellow and pink leaves come out.
13. Sorrel
Also known as sourwood, sorrel is a large shade tree that won’t disappoint. At a full-grown size of 75 feet tall, you will love the way it covers your garden. It’s even beautiful over multiple seasons. Spring brings tiny white strands of flowers that stand out against the much darker leaves. In the fall, the foliage turns bright red.
14. Blue Spruce
The blue spruce is a fast-growing conifer known for its blue/silver tinted needles. You can find different varieties of the blue spruce if you want a dwarf or different shades of needles. These stay on year round and offer some color in the middle of winter.
15. Pine
There are tons of kinds of pine trees. Some are better than others for different gardening purposes. They stay green the whole year through and offer great screens from peeping eyes and noise pollution.
16. Chinese Dogwood
A relative of the original dogwood, Chinese dogwoods are quite unique. The flowers are white with pointed petals. The fall brings red fruits that hang from the branches. Anyone in zones 3 through 8 should really consider this beautiful tree for their garden.
17. Smoke Tree
This small tree is proof that smoke isn’t so bad after all! At 10 feet tall and 12 feet wide, this tiny tree does well as a windbreaker. In the spring, the blooms are pink. Summer sees the foliage purple, green, and gold. The fall brings red, orange, and yellow leaves. The smoke tree is a year around favorite for many gardeners.
