Native Trees

2026–2027  ·  NATIVE SELECTIONS

Native Trees

Rooted in Performance 

LARGE SHADE & CANOPY TREES

Red Maple   Acer rubrum

Adaptable native shade tree with brilliant red fall color and tiny red flowers that open in early spring before the leaves emerge. Reliable across a wide range of soils and moisture levels. Native to eastern and central North America.

Zones 3–9

40–60 ft × 35 ft

Medium-fast growth

Sugar Maple   Acer saccharum

The classic source of maple syrup, prized for its iconic gold-orange-red fall display and dense oval canopy. Best in cooler climates with rich, well-drained soils. Native to the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada.

Zones 3–8

60–75 ft × 45 ft

Slow-medium growth

Silver Maple   Acer saccharinum

Fast-growing maple with deeply lobed, silver-backed leaves that flash in the wind. Tolerates wet sites and floodplains where other shade trees struggle. Native to eastern and central North America.

Zones 3–9

50–80 ft × 45 ft

Fast growth

Boxelder   Acer negundo

Tough, fast-growing maple with compound leaves more reminiscent of ash. Tolerates floods, drought, and poor soils — a workhorse for restoration and difficult sites. The most widely distributed maple in North America.

Zones 2–9

30–50 ft × 35 ft

Fast growth

Swamp White Oak   Quercus bicolor

Lustrous green leaves with silvery undersides and a broad rounded crown. Thrives in wet, poorly drained sites but adapts well to typical landscape soils. Native to the northeastern and midwestern U.S. and southeastern Canada.

Zones 4–8

50–60 ft × 55 ft

Medium growth

Red Oak   Quercus rubra

Fast-growing for an oak, with a strong central leader and russet-red fall color. One of the most reliable urban performers among native oaks. Native to eastern and central North America.

Zones 4–8

60–75 ft × 50 ft

Fast growth

Pin Oak   Quercus palustris

Strongly pyramidal when young with characteristic descending lower branches and bronze-red fall color. Requires well-drained, acidic soils to avoid chlorosis. Native to the eastern and central U.S.

Zones 4–8

60–70 ft × 35 ft

Medium-fast growth

Scarlet Oak   Quercus coccinea

Brilliant scarlet fall color sets it apart from other red-group oaks. Prefers dry, acidic, well-drained soils — excellent for upland and drier sites. Native to the eastern U.S., especially the Appalachians.

Zones 4–9

50–70 ft × 45 ft

Medium growth

Hackberry   Celtis occidentalis

Tough, adaptable urban tree with distinctive corky, warty bark. Tolerates drought, wind, salt, and pollution — a dependable choice for difficult sites. Native to central and eastern North America.

Zones 3–9

40–60 ft × 50 ft

Medium growth

Honeylocust   Gleditsia triacanthos (thornless cultivars)

Filtered, dappled shade lets turf and underplantings thrive beneath. Thornless and podless cultivars perform reliably in tough urban conditions. Native to the central and eastern U.S.

Zones 3–9

30–70 ft × 50 ft

Medium-fast growth

Kentucky Coffeetree   Gymnocladus dioicus

Coarse-textured tree with very large bipinnate leaves and a bold winter silhouette. Exceptionally tough, clean street tree — male cultivars avoid pod litter. Native to the Midwest, Upper South, and Appalachia.

Zones 3–8

60–75 ft × 45 ft

Slow-medium growth

Tulip Tree   Liriodendron tulipifera

★ Best native flowering shade. Tall, straight habit with distinctive four-lobed leaves and tulip-shaped yellow-green and orange flowers in late spring. Clear yellow fall color. Native to the eastern U.S.

Zones 4–9

70–90 ft × 40 ft

Fast growth

MEDIUM & UNDERSTORY NATIVES

American Hornbeam   Carpinus caroliniana

Elegant understory tree with smooth, muscular gray bark — the source of its nickname "musclewood." Shade-tolerant and ideal beneath taller canopy trees. Native to eastern North America.

Zones 3–9

20–35 ft × 25 ft

Slow growth

River Birch   Betula nigra

Cinnamon-colored exfoliating bark provides outstanding year-round interest. The only birch reliably resistant to bronze birch borer and tolerant of wet sites. Native to eastern U.S. river floodplains.

Zones 4–9

40–70 ft × 50 ft

Fast growth

Quaking Aspen   Populus tremuloides

Round leaves on flattened petioles flutter in the slightest breeze. Brilliant gold fall color, smooth white bark, and clonal colonizing habit. Best in cool climates. The most widely distributed tree in North America (Alaska to Mexico).

Zones 1–7

40–50 ft × 25 ft

Fast growth

NATIVE FLOWERING TREES

Eastern Redbud   Cercis canadensis

Clusters of magenta-pink pea-like flowers cover bare branches in early spring before the heart-shaped leaves emerge. Multi-stem and single-trunk options available. Native to the eastern and central U.S.

Zones 4–9

20–30 ft × 30 ft

Medium growth

American Yellowwood   Cladrastis kentukea

★ High-value, underused. Pendulous panicles of fragrant, wisteria-like white flowers in late spring (heaviest every 2–3 years). Smooth gray beech-like bark and clean yellow fall color. Native to a restricted SE U.S. range (Appalachians, southern Midwest).

Zones 4–8

30–50 ft × 50 ft

Medium growth

Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn   Crataegus crusgalli var. inermis

White spring flowers, persistent red fruit into winter, and purple-bronze fall color on a horizontal-branched form. Thornless variety preferred for landscape use. Native to eastern and central North America.

Zones 4–7

20–30 ft × 30 ft

Slow-medium growth

Winter King Hawthorn   Crataegus viridis 'Winter King'

Native selection. Vase-shaped form, abundant white spring flowers, persistent red fruit holding through winter, and silvery exfoliating mature bark. Disease-resistant. Native species range across the SE and central U.S.

Zones 4–7

25–35 ft × 30 ft

Medium growth

Chokecherry   Prunus virginiana

Drooping racemes of white flowers in spring give way to dark astringent fruit beloved by songbirds. High wildlife value for pollinators, birds, and native moths. Native across most of North America.

Zones 2–7

20–30 ft × 20 ft

Medium-fast growth

NATIVE-DERIVED HYBRIDS

Serviceberry Hybrid   Amelanchier × grandiflora

A. arborea × A. laevis. Multi-season interest: clouds of white spring flowers, edible blue-purple summer fruit, and red-orange fall color. Available as multi-stem or tree form. Both parent species native to eastern North America.

Zones 4–9

15–25 ft × 20 ft

Medium growth

Crimson Cloud Hawthorn   Crataegus 'Crimson Cloud'

Native lineage, crossed. Bright red flowers with distinct white centers cover the tree in spring, followed by glossy red fruit. Improved disease resistance over older Crataegus selections.

Zones 4–8

20–25 ft × 20 ft

Medium growth

London Planetree   Platanus × acerifolia

Sycamore × Oriental plane. Iconic mottled exfoliating bark in cream, olive, and tan. One of the most urban-tolerant large shade trees, widely used for streets and parks. American parent (P. occidentalis) native to the eastern U.S.

Zones 4–8

70–100 ft × 70 ft

Fast growth

Hybrid American Elm   Ulmus cultivars (americana-based)

Mixed genetics. Disease-resistant restoration elms (Princeton, Valley Forge, and others) bringing back the classic American elm vase shape with strong DED tolerance. U. americana parent native to eastern and central North America.

Zones 3–9

50–70 ft × 55 ft

Fast growth

JOHN HOLMLUND NURSERY   ·   Grown to Perform. Built to Sell.