GKH's Complete West Tree Guide

(Image credit: Stuart Walmsley / Getty Images)

published 1 November 2023

Which Trees Will Suit Your Needs & Your Space

The first question you should ask before buying, planting, or growing a tree is: What kind of tree do I want? Usually, the answer is pretty tricky. Some people may like fruit trees because of the benefits they can provide, while others want shade trees to keep the hot sun at bay. Of course, other people may simply want a certain tree to be a focal point of their landscape or garden design. So which type of tree suits you?

Fruit Trees

Conifers

Shade Trees

The Most Popular Trees for the West

We collected information from up and down the Pacific and put together a list of some of the most popular trees bought, planted, and grown from Seattle to San Diego, Los Angeles to Portland, Boise to the Bay Area, and just about every place in-between.

AVOCADO

While cold-hardy varieties exist, most avocado trees thrive in warmer climates, making them excellent trees to grow in the western part of the United States. However, even if you live in a cooler part of the country, avocado trees have increasingly become popular indoor trees as well.

Get the know how on growing an Avocado Tree here.

ITALIAN CYPRESS

These medium-sized conifers are native to the Mediterranean, which makes them feel right at home in parts of California, Arizona, Nevada, and all warmer regions of the United States. They also serve as beautiful, low-maintenance additions to just about any landscape.

Learn more about growing and caring for Italian Cypress here.

Growing Trees Indoors

When most of us think about trees, we probably first think about backyards, front lawns, maybe parks or forests, but what you probably don’t think about is indoor trees. There are actually a ton of trees that make for wonderful houseplants. Especially in the West, indoors might actually be the only way for you to grow certain types of trees.