By Nancy Penrose
There are many factors and characteristics to consider when choosing a tree for your yard.
Deciduous or Evergreen
Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall and grow new ones in the spring. Evergreen trees keep their foliage all year round.
When choosing deciduous trees, pay attention to the blossom, and spring and fall leaf colors. Various trees flower at different times of the spring and summer. You can spice up your yard with various colors throughout the year.
Popular deciduous trees include Red maples (Autumn Blaze, October Glory, Red Sunset, Sun Valley), Oaks (Scarlet, Red, Columnar), Katsura, Parrotia, Sweetgum and Ginkgo.
Popular evergreen trees include Giant Sequoia, Deodar Cedar, Austrian Pine, Nordman Fir, Incense Cedar, Oregon Green Pine, Alpine Fir and Mountain Hemlock.
Size and Growth Rate
You need to know the mature height and width of a tree, as this impacts where you choose to plant the tree, placing it far enough away from buildings, other trees and other elements in your yard.
The growth rate varies a lot between various types of trees and is important to know so you can plan accordingly.
Light Needs
Some trees do well in bright sunlight while others need partial to full shade.
Flowering Trees
These can add a splash of color to your yard in the spring. Pay attention to the color of the flowers. These include Satomi and Chinensis Dogwood, ornamental cherries (Mount Fuji, Kwanzan, Akebono, Pink Flair and Yoshino,) Thundercloud Plums, Crabapples (Raspberry Spear, Royal Raindrop and Golden Raindrop,) Red Horse Chestnut, Magnolia, Styrax, Crape Myrtle, Stewartia and Serviceberry.
Privacy Trees
Some trees are especially suitable for forming barriers at the edge of your property, giving you more privacy, reducing noise and wind. These include Emerald Green Arborvitae, Excelsa Cedar, Green Giant Cedar, English, Portugal and Shipka Laurel, Leyland Cypress, Virescens Cedar and Yew.
Specimen Trees
Specimen trees serve as focal points in the landscape, showcasing their unique beauty and commanding attention. This category includes Japanese Maples, Dogwoods, Stewartia, Crape Myrtle and Styrax.
Our Tree Finder shows all these characteristics of the trees we carry, and you can select to just view trees in one category or with certain characteristics.
