Trees That Can Grow Anywhere
Crabapples 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. Here are different types of flowering trees to spruce up your garden..
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.
Hackberry Hackberry grows without complaint in windy areas. It’s not surprising that a native of the Great Plains can withstand windy conditions. The truth is, hackberry can deal with all kinds of conditions. It’s also tolerant of pollution and drought, among other things.
Pin Oak A fast-growing oak? 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. Having trouble identifying the type of oak you have? See our guide to identifying tree species.
Ginkgo Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is a great type of tree 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 fall that smells a bit like vomit when it starts to rot.
Dogwood Dogwood is a genus with multiple species around the globe. Possibly the most famous and cultivated is 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.
Fringe Tree Native from southern Pennsylvania to Florida and to Texas, fringe tree bursts onto the spring scene with lightly fragrant strappy white petals. They’re held in small groups attached at the top like tassels.
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.
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 tree has so far been pest- and disease-free. Here’s how to deal with 10 of the most common tree diseases.
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. Ironwood is considered a tough native hardwood and is not only ornamental but resistant to many disease and insect problems. Excellent tree for naturalized landscapes. Caring for your trees will help them grow quickly and fill out your yard.