13 Trees You Can’t Kill

For an eye-catching small tree, consider thornless Crusader hawthorn. It produces white flowers in spring followed by orange berries that burnish red with fall frosts. Berries linger into winter, beckoning birds. Fall color is showy, with shades of red, orange and gold. Grows to 15 feet tall and wide. Hardy in Zones 4 to 7.

This crabapple boasts pretty-in-pink spring blooms with very little fruit set following. The tree has a strongly upright form that doesn’t require pruning to maintain shape. Use this drought tolerant tree as a specimen or planted as part of a mixed border. Grows 15 to 20 feet tall and wide. Hardy in Zones 4 to 7.

Savor the beauty of lilacs in a tree form. Fragrant white blooms blanket this lilac in early summer, fading without producing ugly seed pods. The tree shape has a strong round canopy that’s wider than tall. It creates great shade and is a good street tree or specimen in a yard. Grows 18 feet tall by 20 feet wide. Hardy in Zones 3 to 7.

A showy native tree, black tupelo has a broadly pyramidal shape that provides cooling shade. Fall color is reliably striking and features shades of red, purple, yellow and orange. Use as a street tree, in a naturalized wildlife garden or as a shade tree. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.