Landscaping Trees

A look at the most popular landscaping trees for residential landscaping projects.

Crepe Myrtle and Magnolia area

Top Room

Crepe myrtles can be trimmed to practically any shape and size to fit your landscape.

Landscaping trees come in all shapes and sizes and can be some of the biggest assets to your yard because they provide shade, privacy, visual interest and other uses.

The idea of clear-cutting a lot and starting a landscape design plan from scratch with nary a tree in sight sounds appealing – especially if pesky pine needles are impeding the growth of your lawn or a sweet gum tree makes it impossible to walk through your grass barefooted without screaming, "Ouch!" But more likely than not, you don't have the luxury of starting from scratch or you've grown to love and appreciate the mature trees you have on your property. 

Using landscaping trees as part of an overall mix that includes mature trees and other shrubs and plants is a great way to bring a variegated blend of plant life to your yard. A lone wandering oak or weeping willow in a front yard may tower over your lawn, but it can also bring attention to a neatly pruned pair of cedar trees next to your front steps or porch.

Crabapples and dogwoods, with their pink and white blooms, make beautiful smaller companions to tall poplars. Crepe myrtles can be temperamental but can also be trimmed to practically any shape and size and planted in rows. Japanese maples, on the other hand, deserve to be showcased; they're ornamental and need a spot where they'll receive little competition from brightly colored flowering plants.

Magnolias come in several varieties, as do gardenias (which double as shrubs when kept trimmed), but both trees have fragrant flowers that will fill your yard with the sweet scents of summer. Redbuds, hemlocks, ginkgo, and snowbells are other accent trees that are colorful and reliable.

Citrus trees and olive trees require steady temps and plenty of sunshine, but apple trees and walnut trees can withstand cooler weather. These trees take many years to mature, but once they've reached a certain height, they can provide fruitful output for decades.

Dwarf varieties include small, ornamental trees that can be used in place of their larger counterparts. Japanese white pines, dwarf cherry trees and Kousa dogwoods are a few popular choices fin this category.

Evergreens are a natural choice for any part of the country, because these conifers remain true to their name by adding cool green and blue hues to your landscape in winter when everything else is brown. Norway spruce and Leyland cypress are pointy pals that make great privacy walls and come in dwarf varieties for smaller landscapes.

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