Everyone loves trees. They give us lush canopies in summer, color in fall, architectural interest in winter and beautiful flowers in spring. And these are just their ornamental benefits. Consider also that trees can provide protection from the elements, wonderful fruit for us to eat, lumber for our buildings, delicious syrup for our pancakes, pulp for our paper products and habitats for our favorite furry critters.

Create a lovely conversation area under a sugar maple in fall.

Photo Credit: Felder Rushing

Blooming Yoshino cherries help decorate our nation’s capital.

Photo Credit: Mark A. Miller

You probably want trees in your landscape because they’re beautiful and add value to your property. But making a tree selection can be tricky, particularly if you have your eye on something different for your location. Here are some suggestions you might consider:

Select The Right Tree For The Site

Evergreen or deciduous? A deciduous tree drops its leaves all over your yard in fall, yet may give you spectacular autumn color first. Evergreens may not be as messy, but they shade your house in winter, when you might want the sun to warm up the place. Your best bet may be to select evergreens for the north side and deciduous species along the south, east and west.

And is the tree hardy to your area? You may have loved your moss-dripping live oak in Louisiana, but don’t plan on taking one to Minnesota with you – it’ll freeze to the ground and take the moss with it! And that sugar maple your Aunt Ellie from New Jersey sent you for your summer home in south Texas? Forget it – the poor plant just won’t make it, because it actually needs cold weather to survive.

Know A Tree’s Needs

Do you and your gardening site have what it takes to keep a particular tree thriving? Consider the plant’s soil and water requirements when selecting a tree. Many trees, for example, are super-sensitive to soil pH. A tree native to acid soils will have chlorotic leaves (a washed-out appearance with green veins) in time, and it’ll decline. (Among the species most affected are maples, pin oaks, sweetgums and tulip poplars.)

Bald cypress and cottonwood perform best in a moist – or even wet – location, where most dryland species would drown. You can grow quaking aspen high and dry in the mountains, but don’t put them in the ground at sea level in Mississippi!

Consider How Much You Can Stand

Some trees are inherently messy. They drop large leaves (pecan and walnut trees), loads of fruit (oaks, mulberries, pecans, male ginkgos and Arizona ashes) and flower parts (cottonwoods and silver-leaf maples). Other trees litter the neighborhood with branches in windstorms (Arizona ashes, silver-leaf maples, cottonwoods and ornamental pears). Certain pines drop needles like snowflakes. But despite the mess some trees may cause, their ornamental value is worth the cleanup for some homeowners.

And some trees can’t help it – they attract bug problems. Golden raintrees attract boxelder bugs. The leaves of Siberian elms can be consumed by elm leaf beetles. Pecans and walnuts can be smothered with webworms. Junipers are susceptible to bagworms and cedar apple rust, and sycamores contract foliar diseases. So just be prepared for what your new plant might bring.

Know Where To Go For Selection Help

A good way to learn what trees are suitable for your location is by asking a certified nursery professional at your trusted garden center. You can also contact your county horticulturist (or county agent if no local horticulturist is available). Ask for a list of recommended trees in your area. A horticultural program at a local college or university might have a Website listing recommended trees. Garden clubs generally publish reliable manuals, and regional botanical gardens can be useful sources of tree information as well.

In the end, it’s really all your choice. Then enjoy your trees and take care of them. (And don’t let them mess up your yard – or your neighborhood!)