Native trees are tree species that naturally occur and have evolved in a specific region or ecosystem over thousands of years. These trees have adapted to the local climate, soil, and environmental conditions, making them well-suited to thrive in their native habitats.
Native trees maintain the ecological balance of their ecosystems by providing habitat and food for local wildlife, stabilizing soil, improving air and water quality, and contributing to overall biodiversity.
Due to their adaptation to local conditions, native trees typically require less maintenance, water, and fertilizer compared to non-native species. Additionally, they are often more resistant to pests, diseases, and extreme weather events.
Incorporating native trees into landscaping and restoration projects helps preserve and enhance the natural heritage of a region while providing numerous benefits for people and the environment.
Discovering the perfect native trees for your landscaping needs transforms your outdoor space into a vibrant sanctuary teeming with life and beauty. The United States Botanic Garden recommends a curated selection of ten native trees, each possessing unique characteristics and benefits that elevate your landscape to new heights. The following are 10 native trees for landscaping:
1. Sweetgum
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua): This tree is known for its beautiful fall color and spiny, spherical fruits in the fall and winter. It is a star of urban environments, offering various cultivars with different leaf forms and fruitlessness. It is a native tree to the eastern United States and Mexico.
The Sweetgum is widely planted as an ornamental tree due to its brilliant fall foliage, usually red. Its fast growth and wide tolerance make it a good choice for street, shade, and windbreak trees.
The tree attracts a variety of wildlife, making it a valuable supplement to the landscape. It supports pollinators and is a food source for birds and small mammals, enhancing the area’s biodiversity.
The Sweetgum is a large tree, typically reaching 60 to 100 feet in height with a width spanning 40 to 50 feet, making it an excellent shade tree. Its pyramidal form when young and oblong to rounded shape when mature makes it a visually appealing landscape extension.
The Sweetgum is adaptable to various climates, from humid and subtropical to more temperate regions, and thrives in multiple habitats, including bottomlands, swamps, and upland forests. This adaptability makes it suitable for a wide range of landscaping environments.
The wood of the Sweetgum is precious and is used in various applications, including cabinetwork, veneer, plywood, and pulpwood. It also has commercial, medicinal, and edible uses, adding to its value.
Sweetgum is essential for landscaping due to its aesthetic appeal, support for wildlife, adaptability, and the various uses of its wood. These qualities make it a versatile and significant choice for different landscaping needs.
2. Southern magnolia
Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora): This tree features glossy, evergreen leaves with velvety, brown undersides and spectacular plate-sized white summer flowers. It also produces red-seeded fruits in the fall and winter.
The Southern Magnolia is renowned for its large, glossy, evergreen leaves and fragrant, showy white flowers that bloom from late spring to early summer. These features make it striking and visually provocative to any landscape, particularly in the southeastern United States, where it is native.
This tree is adaptable to various soil types and flourishes in full sun to partial shade, making it suitable for a wide range of landscaping environments. Its ability to withstand urban conditions and resistance to acid deposition make it a good choice for municipal and suburban landscapes.
The Southern Magnolia provides habitat and food for wildlife, including birds and pollinators. Its evergreen foliage and large, sturdy branches offer shelter and nesting sites, contributing to the local ecosystem.
It holds cultural significance in the United States, often associated with the southern region. Its timeless beauty and historical importance make it a cherished and iconic tree in many landscapes.
This tree is known for its longevity, with some specimens living for centuries. Its tough, shock-absorbent wood has been used for making furniture, doors, and Venetian blinds, showcasing its resilience and practical value.
3. Pond cypress
Pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens): An evergreen tree with fragrant cedar-scented wood. Female trees bear waxy, blue cones that birds enjoy. Short cultivars may be more suitable for home gardens.
The Pond cypress is an adaptable and beautiful tree that, once established, requires very little care. It is native to North America and is drought-tolerant and disease-resistant. It withstands high winds once set. This makes it a low-maintenance and resilient choice for landscaping.
The tree boasts long green needles that turn coppery brown during the fall, adding seasonal interest to the landscape. It also produces small green cones with hints of yellow in spring, enhancing its visual appeal. Its upright growth, flared base, and ability to live in ponds or flood-prone areas make it a stand-out and adaptable to various landscaping environments.
The Pond cypress attracts birds and butterflies, adding ecological value to wildlife gardens. Its adaptability to wet, poorly drained soil, such as shallow ponds, wetlands, and swamps, also contributes to its importance for creating and enhancing diverse ecosystems in landscaping.
The Pond cypress is available in short cultivars, which are more suitable for home gardens. This makes it a flexible option for residential landscapes, especially those with limited space, where its compliancy with various soil and light conditions can be particularly beneficial.
4. American persimmon
American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana): This tree offers late spring blooms, beautiful fall foliage, and attractive, edible fruit that is sweet and aromatic when fully ripe.
The American persimmon can be grown as an ornamental or fruit tree in the home landscape, making it a versatile choice for landscaping. Its striking foliage, beautiful fall color, and attractive, edible fruit that is sweet and aromatic when fully ripe make it cherished in outdoor spaces.
The tree is an esteemed food source for birds, small mammals, white-tailed deer, foxes, raccoons, and black bears, adding to its ecological value and worthwhile to wildlife gardens. Its adaptability to various soil types and light conditions also contributes to its importance for creating and enhancing diverse ecosystems in greening.
The American persimmon is a hardy tree that survives in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9 and tolerates diverse soil conditions, such as clay, sand, and loam. It is also relatively low maintenance, making it a desirable choice.
This tree holds cultural significance in the United States and is associated with the southeastern region. Its historical importance and unique flavor make it a cherished and iconic tree in many landscapes.
5. Eastern red cedar
Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana): A conifer with bright green foliage that turns orange-brown in the autumn. It grows in harsh soil conditions and potentially forms a “cedar-scented wood.”
The tree is vital food and shelter for wildlife, providing juicy bluish-black berries enjoyed by variegated animals, making it invaluable to wildlife gardens.
Eastern red cedars are highly resilient and require very little maintenance, making them an apropos choice for land beautification. They are tough, drought-resistant, and prosper in a mix of soil conditions, including well-drained dry soils and arid climates.
The tree’s evergreen foliage, attractive blue berry-like cones, and striking pyramid shape make it a stately addition to the groundscape, especially in areas with a lot of sun. Its flexible branches and symmetrical pyramid shape further enhance its aesthetic value.
Due to its toughness and firm structure, the Eastern Red Cedar is frequently used as a windbreak, providing an effective natural barrier against wind, making it a treasured choice for creating wind-resistant landscapes.
6. Eastern hop-hornbeam
Eastern hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana): This tree is medium in height, with a rounded crown, beautiful flaking bark, and a tolerance for urban soils, making it suitable for space-limited landscapes.
This tree is valued for its tolerance to various soil conditions, including dry and rocky soils, as well as its ability to withstand urban environments. Additionally, its dense hardwood makes it resistant to pests and disease, ensuring longevity in landscapes.
Furthermore, Eastern hop-hornbeam provides aesthetic appeal throughout the seasons, with delicate green leaves in spring, attractive bark texture year-round, and vibrant fall foliage in shades of yellow, orange, and red. Its small to medium size makes it suitable for smaller yards and urban settings where space may be limited.
In landscaping, Eastern hop-hornbeam is often used as a specimen tree, providing shade, texture, and visual interest to gardens, parks, and residential landscapes. Its adaptability, durability, and ornamental qualities make it an important addition to diverse landscaping projects, contributing to outdoor spaces’ beauty and ecological value.
7. Black gum
Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica): The tree is known for its prized red fall foliage and striking branching pattern.
One of the most notable features of black gum is its stunning fall foliage. In autumn, the glossy green leaves transform into brilliant shades of red, orange, and purple, adding vibrant color to landscapes. This seasonal display makes black gum popular for adding visual interest and enhancing the beauty of gardens, parks, and residential areas.
In addition to its aesthetic appeal, black gum provides valuable ecological benefits. It is a preferred tree species for wildlife, attracting birds with its small, bluish-black fruit and providing habitat and food sources for various species. The nectar-rich flowers also attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies, supporting biodiversity in the landscape.
Black gum is well-suited to a range of soil conditions, including wet or poorly drained soils, making it a versatile choice for landscaping projects. Its tolerance to urban environments and pollution further enhances its value as a landscaping tree, allowing it to thrive in diverse settings.
Black gum is an important tree species for landscaping due to its beauty, ecological value, and adaptability. Whether used as a focal point in a garden or as part of a larger landscape design, black gum adds aesthetic and ecological benefits to outdoor spaces, contributing to the overall health and vitality of the environment.
8. American hornbeam
American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana): This tree has an excellent round shape, works well as a specimen or in a hedge or woodland edge, and offers unusual fine texture and horizontal layered form. It also has scarlet, orange, or yellow fall foliage.
One of the key features of the American hornbeam is its distinctive bark, which resembles muscles or sinews, hence the name “musclewood.” This ornamental bark adds visual interest to landscapes, especially during winter when the tree is leafless. Its smooth, blue-gray bark provides texture and contrast, making it an attractive choice for adding visual appeal to gardens, parks, and residential areas.
Aside from its aesthetic value, the American hornbeam provides vital ecological advantages. As a native species, it supports local wildlife by providing habitat and food sources. Its small, winged seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, while its dense foliage provides shelter for nesting birds and other wildlife. The tree’s tolerance to shade also makes it a valuable addition to woodland gardens and naturalized landscapes.
American hornbeam is well-suited to a variety of growing conditions, including moist or dry soils and partial shade to full sun, making it adaptable to different landscape settings. Its slow growth rate and compact size make it suitable for small gardens or urban landscapes where space is limited.
The American hornbeam is a critical tree species for landscaping due to its unique bark, ecological value, and adaptability. Whether used as a focal point in a garden or as part of a larger landscape design, the American hornbeam adds aesthetic and ecological benefits to outdoor spaces, enhancing the beauty and biodiversity of the environment.
9. Serviceberry
Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.): These trees are great for residential landscapes due to their scale, which suits smaller spaces. They also offer spring flowers and edible fruits.
A singular point of attraction for serviceberry trees is their stunning spring display of delicate white flowers. These blossoms emerge early in the season, often before the leaves, creating a beautiful spectacle that heralds the arrival of spring. The profusion of blossoms not only adds visual appeal to landscapes but also attracts pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, supporting biodiversity in the garden.
In addition to their ornamental value, serviceberry trees produce edible berries that are delicious and nutritious. The berries resemble small blueberries rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. They can be eaten fresh off the tree, used in jams, jellies, pies, and other culinary creations, or left for wildlife to enjoy. The availability of fresh, homegrown fruit adds a practical and rewarding element to landscaping, providing an additional source of food for humans and wildlife alike.
Serviceberry trees are also valued for their versatility and adaptability to various growing conditions. They thrive in a wide range of soil types, from moist to dry, and are tolerant of both sun and partial shade. Their moderate size and attractive form make them suitable for a variety of landscape settings, including urban gardens, woodland edges, and mixed borders. Whether used as specimen trees, hedgerows, or mass plantings, serviceberry trees contribute to the overall beauty and functionality of the landscape.
Moreover, serviceberry trees offer seasonal interest throughout the year. In addition to their spring flowers and summer fruit, they provide attractive foliage that turns shades of yellow, orange, and red in the fall, adding vibrant colors to the autumn landscape. Their graceful branching structure also lends visual interest in winter, especially when silhouetted against the sky or dusted with snow.
Serviceberry trees are valuable additions to landscaping projects due to their ornamental beauty, edible fruit, wildlife value, adaptability, and seasonal interest. Whether planted for spring blossoms, summer berries, fall foliage, or winter form, serviceberry trees enhance the aesthetic appeal and ecological richness of outdoor spaces, making them a popular option among gardeners and landscape designers.
10. Redbud
Redbud (Cercis spp.): This tree is known for its beautiful spring blooms and is a favorite of landscape designers.
These native trees are suitable for landscaping and offer various aesthetic and ecological benefits, making them beautiful choices for outdoor spaces.
One of the most exceptional features of redbuds is their stunning display of vibrant flowers in early spring. Before the leaves emerge, the bare branches of redbuds become adorned with clusters of small, rose-pink to purplish flowers, creating a breathtaking spectacle that signals the arrival of spring. This profusion of blooms not only adds visual appeal to landscapes but also attracts pollinators such as bees and butterflies, contributing to the overall health and biodiversity of the garden ecosystem.
In addition to their ornamental value, redbud trees offer multi-season interest, making them versatile choices for landscaping. After the flowers fade, heart-shaped leaves emerge, providing a lush canopy of green throughout the growing season. In the fall, the foliage of several redbud varieties transitions to shades of yellow, orange, or red, adding a splash of color to the autumn landscape. Even in winter, the unique branching structure of redbuds adds architectural interest to the garden, especially when silhouetted against the sky or dusted with snow.
Furthermore, redbud trees are valued for their adaptability and ease of cultivation. They are relatively low-maintenance and adaptable to a wide range of soil types, including clay, loam, sandy soils, and various environmental conditions. Redbuds thrive in full sun to partial shade, making them suitable for a variety of landscape settings, from sunny garden beds to shaded woodland areas. Their moderate size and attractive form make them ideal choices for urban and suburban landscapes where space may be limited.
Moreover, redbud trees have cultural and historical significance in many regions. They are native to parts of North America, where they have been cherished for generations by indigenous peoples and early settlers for their beauty, resilience, and utility. Today, redbuds continue to be celebrated as symbols of renewal, vitality, and natural beauty, making them beloved additions to parks, gardens, and residential landscapes across the country.
Redbud trees are essential elements of landscaping designs, offering year-round beauty, ecological value, adaptability, and cultural significance. Whether planted as specimen trees, accents, or understory plantings, redbuds enhance the visual appeal and ecological richness of outdoor spaces, making them cherished assets in garden designs, large and small.
