I've Been Writing About Trees for 20 Years, These Are the 5 Native Species I Recommend Everyone Plant in Their Own Yard

All plants have their beauty, but to a tree-lover like me, trees are at the very top of the list. They add instant curb appeal in the front yard, serve as foundation plants in the backyard, and, when planted in a row, can buffer the wind or ensure your privacy.

Call me crazy, but I also use my favorite trees as therapy plants. I sit close to them when I am upset or frightened or full of sorrow and, somehow, their calm energy helps.

When selecting a new species, I always prefer native trees. They have evolved to thrive in your local region, so they appreciate the climate and the growing conditions and will thrive without special care.

After spending much of my career reading and writing about trees (and planting hundreds of trees on my own property), these are the top must-have native trees I recommend to every gardener.

1. California Buckeye

This drought-tolerant California native tree needs plenty of space, since it grows as wide as it is tall. I love the California buckeye tree (Aesculus californica) because it has learned to survive the summer heat by dropping its leaves early. Anyone who sees a buckeye in late summer might think the tree is dead, but it's just conserving energy for its fall fruit and floral display next spring.

This buckeye produces large fragrant white flowers in upright racemes, followed by smooth, brown, chestnut-like fruit that resemble a deer’s eye. Don’t eat them, though! They are so toxic that Native Americans used to crush them and toss them in the river to stun the fish to make fishing easier.

If you live outside of the native region of the California buckeye, try a different native buckeye species instead. The Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) is native to a large part of the U.S. It is right at home across the Midwest, the Great Plains, parts of New England, and all the way down to Texas and Georgia.

Buy Ohio Buckeye seedlings from Walmart.

2. Joshua Tree

Who doesn’t love Joshua trees? They are twisty and weird-looking, like a tree Dr. Seuss might have invented. But their dagger-sharp spines are all too real. I love them because they are so different from other native trees. They're almost a cross between a tree and a cactus.

The Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) is one of the foundation plants of the Mojave Desert and thrives in areas that are hot and dry. But you’ll also find them growing in the cold in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and mixing it up with pines in the San Bernardino Mountains.

These desert trees need lots of sun, very little water, and – given the spines – a good deal of elbow room in a residential landscape. I simply admire them in the wild, though, stretching their branches towards the sky.

Flowering Joshuas are truly lovely with their delicate, greenish-white flowers tipping their spiny branches. But to bear flowers, the trees must experience a winter freeze followed by rain.

Blooms are pollinated in an interesting way by yucca moths. The pollinator lays its eggs inside the flower and collects pollen at the same time.

You can buy Joshua tree seeds on Amazon to start growing your own. Or they make a unique gift for the plant lover in your life!

3. Coast Redwoods

It’s hard for me to walk in a forest of coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) without feeling a deep sense of peace. These take all the superlatives, they are California's state trees, the tallest trees on the planet, and top my list of the world's most magnificent organisms.

At one time, huge forests of coastal redwoods spread across the Northern Hemisphere. Later, these forests were limited to only the mild climates of the Pacific Coast. Now, thanks to ruthless logging, only a few stands remain. They're primarily located between the Oregon and California border and the Santa Cruz area on the central California coast.

Old growth forests were decimated from some two million acres to only 75,000 acres. Some of the remaining trees are thousands of years old and as tall as 30-story buildings. Add a couple of these big, beautiful trees to your yard for a long-lasting legacy that looks stunning year-round.

You can buy coast redwood seedlings from Amazon for under $13.

4. Eastern Redbud

I’ve selected my favorite iconic native trees for this list, including some weird and wacky ones. But this is my vote for the prettiest native tree around: the Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis).

Its stunning pink flowers emerge on naked branches in springtime, giving pleasure to all and providing nectar and pollen for pollinators. The heart-shaped green leaves appear some time later, followed by long pea-like seed pods.

These trees tolerate full or partial sun in their native range. That means they thrive as understory trees or standing on their own. Their shape can be compared to a stubby umbrella, which means you may get low-hanging limbs. There are weeping redbud tree varieties as well that add unique flair to the landscape.

Shop beautiful redbud trees from Fast Growing Trees and find the perfect one for your yard.

5. Flowering Dogwood

I’m a great fan of dogwood trees of all kinds – and not just because I love dogs! I love the simplicity of the flowers, each with only four petals, but found in such abundance that it appears the entire tree is covered with a floral layer.

The flowering dogwood tree (Cornus florida) is exceptional because the flowers are a either white or a vibrant rose color, followed by red fruits in the summer and autumn. They attract wild birds, squirrels, and other small mammals.

Once the summer ends, there is a fabulous fall display as the green leaves burn red and orange. The interesting gray bark is an ornamental feature in winter as well. I’ve seen flowering dogwood in a wide range of habitats including woodland edges and shaded mountain slopes, so they can fit into almost any landscape.

Explore elegant dogwood trees available from Fast Growing Trees.