# Uncommon Yard Trees

> Native shade and flowering trees that deserve far more use than they get.

Blue Whale Trees, a native tree nursery in the United States. Web version: https://bluewhaletrees.com/shop/yard-trees/?sun=full&zone=3

104 native shade and flowering trees for yards, from small trees such as [flowering dogwood](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/flowering-dogwood/index.html.md), [eastern redbud](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/eastern-redbud/index.html.md), serviceberry and [white fringetree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/white-fringetree/index.html.md) to canopy trees such as [black gum](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/black-gum/index.html.md), [American basswood](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/american-basswood/index.html.md), [bald cypress](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/bald-cypress/index.html.md) and [Kentucky coffeetree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/kentucky-coffeetree/index.html.md). Mature heights run from about 10 to 120 feet and hardiness from USDA zone 2 to zone 10 depending on the species. All are sold as saplings, and 100 of them as seed to sow. Most saplings ship while dormant, in spring and fall. A few ship in spring only, among them black gum and most of the magnolias, and sand pine ships in fall only. Each plant's page gives its own season. Which of them belongs near a house is its own question: see [six trees not to plant near a house, and what to plant instead](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/trees-not-to-plant-near-a-house/index.html.md).

38 of 444 plants matching full sun, zone 3. Each plant links to its own Markdown page with the full facts, description and growing guide.

Columns: Zones are the USDA hardiness zones the plant takes, from the coldest to the warmest it is rated for (zone 2 is the coldest, 10 the warmest); Height is mature height in feet; Sun and Soil list every condition the plant takes; Grown from is what the nursery offers it as (saplings, or acorns, nuts or seed to sow); Price is the lowest price for sale, a plant size's first and a packet's apart, or Sold out for a priced plant with nothing for sale, or "ask" when the plant is not yet priced online (email captain@bluewhaletrees.com or join the waitlist on the web page).

This table accepts the shop's filters as query parameters on this address: size (shrub, small-tree, medium-tree, large-tree), sun (full, part, shade), moisture (dry, average, wet), zone (2 to 10), native (a state's two-letter code in capitals, such as PA: the plants native to that state by the USDA PLANTS records), want (a trait: flowers, fall-color, wildlife, honey, edible, evergreen, rare, drought, wet-tolerant, shade, early-bearing, screening, nitrogen-fixing, salt, winter-interest, street-tree, erosion-control; rare means uncommon in the wild or in nurseries, honey a nectar source for bees), as (acorns, seed, nuts, saplings) and q (a search word). Several values may be joined with commas.

| Plant | Botanical name | Group | Type | Height (ft) | Zones | Sun | Soil | Grown from | Price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [American Basswood (Linden)](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/american-basswood/index.html.md) | *Tilia americana* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 60–90 | 2–8 | Full, Part, Shade | Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [American Mountain Ash](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/american-mountain-ash/index.html.md) | *Sorbus americana* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Small tree | 15–30 | 2–7 | Full, Part | Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Common Hackberry](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/common-hackberry/index.html.md) | *Celtis occidentalis* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 40–60 | 2–9 | Full, Part, Shade | Average, Dry | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Rock Elm](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/rock-elm/index.html.md) | *Ulmus thomasii* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 70–90 | 2–9 | Full, Part | Average, Dry | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Mountain Maple](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/mountain-maple/index.html.md) | *Acer spicatum* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Small tree | 10–25 | 2–7 | Part, Shade, Full | Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Red Spruce](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/red-spruce/index.html.md) | *Picea rubens* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 60–75 | 2–6 | Full, Part | Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Northern White Cedar](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/northern-white-cedar/index.html.md) | *Thuja occidentalis* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 40–60 | 2–7 | Full, Part | Average, Wet | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Tamarack](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/tamarack/index.html.md) | *Larix laricina* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 50–75 | 2–6 | Full | Wet, Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Eastern Red Cedar](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/eastern-red-cedar/index.html.md) | *Juniperus virginiana* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 30–50 | 2–9 | Full | Dry, Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Balsam Fir](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/balsam-fir/index.html.md) | *Abies balsamea* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 40–75 | 2–7 | Full, Part, Shade | Average, Wet | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Red Pine](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/red-pine/index.html.md) | *Pinus resinosa* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 50–80 | 2–5 | Full, Part | Dry, Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Jack Pine](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/jack-pine/index.html.md) | *Pinus banksiana* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 35–65 | 2–7 | Full | Dry, Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Heartleaf Paper Birch](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/heartleaf-paper-birch/index.html.md) | *Betula cordifolia* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 50–65 | 2–6 | Full, Part | Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Showy Mountain Ash](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/showy-mountain-ash/index.html.md) | *Sorbus decora* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Small tree | 20–40 | 2–6 | Full, Part | Average, Wet | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Balsam Poplar](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/balsam-poplar/index.html.md) | *Populus balsamifera* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 30–100 | 2–5 | Full | Wet, Average | Saplings | ask |
| [Peachleaf Willow](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/peachleaf-willow/index.html.md) | *Salix amygdaloides* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 35–60 | 2–8 | Full, Part | Wet, Average | Saplings | ask |
| [American Elm](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/american-elm/index.html.md) | *Ulmus americana* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 60–80 | 2–9 | Full, Part | Average, Wet, Dry | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Black Locust](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/black-locust/index.html.md) | *Robinia pseudoacacia* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 40–70 | 3–8 | Full | Dry, Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Cucumber Magnolia](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/cucumber-magnolia/index.html.md) | *Magnolia acuminata* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 50–80 | 3–8 | Full, Part | Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Allegheny Serviceberry](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/allegheny-serviceberry/index.html.md) | *Amelanchier laevis* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Small tree | 15–25 | 3–9 | Full, Part | Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [American Hornbeam (Musclewood)](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/american-hornbeam/index.html.md) | *Carpinus caroliniana* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Small tree | 20–35 | 3–9 | Part, Shade, Full | Average, Wet | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Hop Hornbeam](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/hop-hornbeam/index.html.md) | *Ostrya virginiana* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 25–40 | 3–9 | Full, Part, Shade | Dry, Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [American Smoketree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/american-smoketree/index.html.md) | *Cotinus obovatus* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Small tree | 20–30 | 3–8 | Full | Dry, Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [White Fringetree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/white-fringetree/index.html.md) | *Chionanthus virginicus* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Small tree | 12–20 | 3–9 | Full, Part | Average, Wet | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Washington Hawthorn](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/washington-hawthorn/index.html.md) | *Crataegus phaenopyrum* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Small tree | 20–30 | 3–8 | Full | Average, Dry | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Kentucky Coffeetree](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/kentucky-coffeetree/index.html.md) | *Gymnocladus dioicus* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 60–80 | 3–8 | Full | Average, Dry | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Sweet Birch (Black Birch)](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/sweet-birch/index.html.md) | *Betula lenta* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 40–70 | 3–8 | Full, Part | Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Yellow Buckeye](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/yellow-buckeye/index.html.md) | *Aesculus flava* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 50–75 | 3–8 | Full, Part | Average, Wet | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Atlantic White Cedar](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/atlantic-white-cedar/index.html.md) | *Chamaecyparis thyoides* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 40–60 | 3–9 | Full, Part | Wet, Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Pagoda Dogwood](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/pagoda-dogwood/index.html.md) | *Cornus alternifolia* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Small tree | 15–25 | 3–8 | Part, Full, Shade | Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Black Maple](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/black-maple/index.html.md) | *Acer nigrum* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 60–75 | 3–8 | Full, Part, Shade | Average, Dry | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Ohio Buckeye](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/ohio-buckeye/index.html.md) | *Aesculus glabra* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 20–40 | 3–7 | Part, Full, Shade | Average, Wet | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Yellow Birch](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/yellow-birch/index.html.md) | *Betula alleghaniensis* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 60–75 | 3–7 | Full, Part | Average, Wet | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Gray Birch](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/gray-birch/index.html.md) | *Betula populifolia* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Small tree | 20–40 | 3–8 | Full, Part | Average, Dry, Wet | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Clammy Locust](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/clammy-locust/index.html.md) | *Robinia viscosa* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Small tree | 30–40 | 3–8 | Full, Part | Average, Dry | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [River Birch](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/river-birch/index.html.md) | *Betula nigra* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 40–70 | 3–9 | Full, Part | Average, Wet | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Eastern Hemlock](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/eastern-hemlock/index.html.md) | *Tsuga canadensis* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Large tree | 40–100 | 3–7 | Part, Shade, Full | Average | Saplings, Seed | ask |
| [Slippery Elm](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/slippery-elm/index.html.md) | *Ulmus rubra* | Uncommon Yard Trees | Medium tree | 40–70 | 3–9 | Full, Part, Shade | Average, Dry, Wet | Saplings, Seed | ask |