Best Trees to Plant in Your Backyard in the USA

America is home to a number of wonderful tree species. There are more than 865 different species of tree in America. Different hardiness zones exist in America. A hardiness zone is a geographically defined location in which a specific plant life is capable of growing and flourishing. That is why some trees may be easier to grow than others and involve fewer processes.

In this article, we will concentrate on the best trees to plant in the backyard in the USA.

1. White Oak

Grown in the backyard for their shade, beauty and lumber
Found in Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee, states of the USA.
Scientific name is Quercus Alba.
Valuable to wildlife because nearly 200 kinds of birds and mammals feed off of them.
It Survives and grows in a wide range of habitats from the most fertile bottomlands to most sterile mountain slopes.
Average height is 50 feet to 80 feet.
Average life span is 200 years to 300 years.
Average growth rate is 12 feet to 24 feet per year.
Bark color is a light ash-gray. Leaves color is silvery pink in spring and then changes to soft pink, silvery white and finally yellow green.
The name comes from the color of the finished wood.
Flowers appear in May when leaves are one third grown. Flower color is green and red.
Fruit is called acorn.
Declared as the national tree of America.

2. Crape Myrtle

Grown in backyard for their color and long lasting flowers which occur in summer. Flowers colors may vary from deep purple to red to white.
Found in California, Florida and Louisiana states of the USA.
Scientific name is Lagerstroemia.
Average height is 5 feet to 20 feet.
Average life span is 50 years
Average growth rate is 2 feet per year.
Suitable for foundations and walkways because the roots are not strong nor damaging to fixed structures. It can be used as an ornamental tree.

3. Colorado Blue Spruce

Grown for their ornamental use. Traditionally used as a medicinal plant to treat colds and settle the stomach by infusing needles and a ceremonial item, and twigs are given as gifts to bring good fortune.
Found in Colorado and Wyoming states of USA
Scientific name is Picea pungens.
Average height is 50 feet to 75 feet.
Average life span is 600 years to 800 years.
Average growth rate is 1 foot to 2 feet per year.
Declared as the state tree of Colorado.
Evergreen tree with scaly gray bark on the trunk with yellowish brown branches.

4. Pink Dogwood

Grown in the backyard for colorful flowers and as an ornamental due to its showy bracts and interesting bark structure. Flowers are pink in color. Flowers blossom from early April to early May.
Found in Connecticut, Georgia, Rhode Island, North Carolina states of the USA.
Scientific name is Cornus florida.
Average height is upto 25 feet.
Average life span is 80 years.
Average growth rate is about 1 foot per year.
Native Americans use the bark and roots in a remedy for malaria and red dye was also extracted from the roots.

5. White Dogwood

Grown in the backyard for colorful flowers and as an ornamental due to its showy bracts and interesting bark structure. Flowers are white in color. Flowers blossom from early April to early May.
Found in Delaware, Oregon and Pennsylvania states of USA
Scientific name is Cornus Florida
Average height is 15 feet to 25 feet.
Average life span is 60 years to 80 years.
Average growth rate is 1 foot to 2 feet per year.

6. Red Maple

Grown in the backyard for its brilliant deep scarlet foliage in autumn and as a shade tree for landscapes. ALL flowers, twigs, seeds and petioles are of different red color of different degrees. Flowers blossom in late winter to early spring from December to May depending on location.
Found in Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin states of the USA..
Scientific name is Acer rubrum.
Average height is 60 feet to 90 feet.
Average life span is 80 years to 100 years.
Average growth rate is 1.1 feet to 2 feet per year.
Commercially used for maple syrup and medium to high quality lumber.
Declared as the state tree of Rhode Island.

7. Sugar Maple

Grown in backyard for maple syrup and for its brightly colored fall foliage. Flowering starts in early spring after 30 to 55 growing degree days.
Found in New Hampshire and Vermont states of USA.
Scientific name is Acer saccharum.
Average height is 60 feet to 75 feet.
Average life span is 300 years to 400 years.
Average growth rate is 1 foot to 2 feet per year.
Also known as rock maple, sugar tree, birds eye maple, sweet maple, curly maple or hard maple.
Declared as the state tree of New York, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

8. Flowering Cherry

It is grown in every backyard in the USA as an ornamental. Flowers blossom from March to April.
Found in New Jersey and Utah states of the USA.
Scientific name is Prunus subg. Cerasus.
Average height is 11.5 feet.
Average life span is 30 to 40 years.
Average growth rate is 1 foot to 2 feet per year.
Declared as the national flower of Japan.
About 400 species are available

9. Sweetgum

Grown in the backyard as an ornamental tree. Flowers are green in color and blossom in the spring season.
Scientific name is Liquidambar styraciflua
Found in warm temperate areas of eastern North America to Central America.
Average height is 60 feet to 75 feet.
Average life span is more than 150 years.
Average growth rate is 1 foot to 4 feet a year for the first five to ten years and 12 inch to 15 inch per year thereafter.
Recognized by the combination of its five pointed star shaped leaves and it’s hard spiked fruits.
Widely used as commercial hardwoods in the Southeastern United States. Wood color is bright reddish brown.

10. Douglas Fir

Grown in the backyard for greenery purposes because Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine or Columbian pine is an evergreen conifer species.
Scientific name is Pseudotsuga menziesii.
Average height is 100 feet to 120 feet.
Average life span is 400 years to 500 years.
Average growth rate is 1.1 feet to 2 feet per year.
Native Americans used the bark, resin and pine needles in herbal treatments. Some tribes used the foliage as a fresher in sweat baths. The wood is especially used as firewood.

Conclusion

Gardening is one of the healthiest hobbies anyone can develop. Growing plants in the backyard not only provides a healthy and beautiful environment but also a way to stop injustice and claim space in a world that does not always respond to needs. There are many benefits of growing plants in your backyard such as –

Caring of plants builds strength, promotes sleep, and helps to maintain a healthy weight.
The greenery and freshness spread by trees improves your mood and increases your self-esteem by decreasing your anxiety and depressing levels.
The swinging trees and the shadows of leaves help to calm a person after stressful events.
Growing plants in your backyard may help your kids to teach values of working with hands and also help to learn the importance of growing trees for the environment.