American Basswood (Linden)
Tilia americanaLarge treeZones 2–860–90 ft
The bee tree: a broad shade tree whose fragrant June flowers hum with pollinators.
Tree finder
Find the right native tree or shrub for your site by filtering on USDA hardiness zone, mature size, sun, soil moisture and what you want from each species. The list narrows as you set each filter. Every result is a tree or shrub we grow from seed, so anything it shows can be requested now and ordered once it is priced.
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Best fits first: those that list your sun outright, then those that only tolerate it.
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American Elm
Ulmus americanaLarge treeZones 2–960–80 ft
The great vase-shaped elm of old American streets, a fast shade tree for wet or dry ground, now best planted alone among trees of other kinds.
American Mountain Ash
Sorbus americanaSmall treeZones 2–715–30 ft
Flat white flower clusters, orange-red berries and brilliant fall color for cold, cool-summer regions.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatumShrubZones 2–85–10 ft
Blue-black berries nearly half fat by dry weight ripen from August for robins, bluebirds and catbirds, after flat white flower heads in May for the bees.
Balsam Fir
Abies balsameaMedium treeZones 2–740–75 ft
The fragrant Christmas-tree fir of the North Woods, with flat, dark needles of strong balsam scent, upright purple cones and a narrow spire of a crown.
Bartram's Serviceberry
Amelanchier bartramianaShrubZones 2–72–8 ft
The most northern of the eastern serviceberries, a low shrub of cool bogs and mountain woods with white flowers and pear-shaped purple fruit.
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursiShrubZones 2–71 ft
A slow, flat evergreen mat for sun and sand, with leathery leaves that bronze in winter and red berries that feed birds and bears.
Black Cherry
Prunus serotinaLarge treeZones 2–950–80 ft
The largest native cherry, a fast-growing tree with drooping spikes of white flowers in spring and black cherries in summer for birds, bears and jelly.
Bunchberry
Cornus canadensisShrubZones 2–61 ft
A dogwood only a few inches tall, with white four-bracted flowers in late spring, bunches of red berries in late summer and wine-red fall leaves.
Canada Buffaloberry
Shepherdia canadensisShrubZones 2–83–8 ft
A slow, thornless northern shrub that fixes its own nitrogen, with silvery, rust-flecked leaves and bitter red berries that bears and birds eat.
Canada Plum
Prunus nigraSmall treeZones 2–610–30 ft
The northernmost native plum, a hardy small tree with fragrant white flowers that blush pink as they age and red to yellow plums for jam.
Canada Yew
Taxus canadensisShrubZones 2–73–6 ft
A low, sprawling evergreen for deep shade whose branches root as they spread, with bright red, berry-like fruit that birds eat.
Chokecherry
Prunus virginianaSmall treeZones 2–1020–30 ft
A tough, thicket-forming native cherry with fragrant white flower spikes in spring and dark red to black cherries for jelly, syrup and birds.
Clove Currant
Ribes aureum var. villosumShrubZones 2–73–10 ft
A thornless Plains currant whose golden yellow spring flowers smell of cloves, followed by sweet black berries for jam, jelly and pie.
Common Hackberry
Celtis occidentalisLarge treeZones 2–940–60 ft
Sole host of the hackberry emperor and American snout, with sweet fruit held for waxwings and bluebirds until March. A tough tree for dry or city ground.
Green Alder
Alnus viridis subsp. crispaShrubZones 2–83–14 ft
The alder of the far North, a spreading, nitrogen-fixing shrub for stream banks and poor, gravelly ground, with catkins that open with the leaves.
Hairy Honeysuckle
Lonicera hirsutaShrubZones 2–63–16 ft
A native twining vine for cold northern gardens, with whorls of yellow flowers in early summer and orange-red berries in fall.
Heartleaf Paper Birch
Betula cordifoliaMedium treeZones 2–650–65 ft
The white birch of the high mountains and the far North, with heart-shaped leaves, orange fall color and bark that peels in pinkish-white sheets.
Labrador Tea
Rhododendron groenlandicumShrubZones 2–81–5 ft
A low evergreen shrub of northern bogs, with rounded clusters of small white flowers and leathery, fragrant leaves felted rusty beneath.
Large Cranberry
Vaccinium macrocarponShrubZones 2–71 ft
A low evergreen mat of wiry runners, with pink crane-like flowers in early summer and red fall berries, the wild parent of the cultivated cranberry.
Lingonberry
Vaccinium vitis-idaea subsp. minusShrubZones 2–61 ft
A low evergreen of northern rocks and bogs, with pink bell flowers and tart red berries for sauce and jam, for gardens with cold winters.
Mountain Maple
Acer spicatumSmall treeZones 2–710–25 ft
A shade-loving small maple with upright spikes of tiny flowers in early summer and leaves that turn yellow, orange and red in fall.
Nannyberry
Viburnum lentagoShrubZones 2–912–18 ft
A big, adaptable viburnum with creamy flowers, edible blue-black fruit and wine-red fall color.
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifoliusShrubZones 2–85–10 ft
Peeling bark, white flower balls in June, and a constitution that shrugs off drought, flood and cold.
Northern White Cedar
Thuja occidentalisMedium treeZones 2–740–60 ft
The wild arborvitae, a narrow, fragrant evergreen of northern cedar swamps and limestone cliffs that makes a dense screen.
Peachleaf Willow
Salix amygdaloidesMedium treeZones 2–835–60 ft
The tallest native willow of the prairie states, a fast tree for stream banks and wet ground with peach-like leaves that are whitish beneath.
Prairie Crabapple
Malus ioensisSmall treeZones 2–820–30 ft
The wild crabapple of the Midwest prairies, whose pink buds open to fragrant blossoms in spring before waxy green apples ripen for jelly and wildlife.
Prickly Rose
Rosa acicularis subsp. sayiShrubZones 2–63–8 ft
The wild rose of the northern forests, a thicket of bristly stems with fragrant pink flowers in early summer and red hips that last the winter.
Red Osier Dogwood
Cornus sericeaShrubZones 2–76–12 ft
A fast, thicket-forming shrub of wet ground whose young stems turn bright red after the leaves fall and glow against snow all winter.
Red Pine
Pinus resinosaLarge treeZones 2–550–80 ft
A tall, straight northern pine with reddish, plated bark and long needles in pairs, for windbreaks on dry, sandy ground where summers stay cool.
Red Spruce
Picea rubensLarge treeZones 2–660–75 ft
The native spruce of the Northeast and the high Appalachians, a narrow, long-lived evergreen for cool, moist, acid ground.
Riverbank Grape
Vitis ripariaShrubZones 2–935–75 ft
A hardy native grape vine that climbs by tendrils along streams and fences, with fragrant spring flowers and tart blue-black grapes for birds and jelly.
Rock Elm
Ulmus thomasiiLarge treeZones 2–970–90 ft
The elm with the hardest, strongest wood, a tall tree of limestone ridges and rich woods with corky-winged branches and seed that wildlife relish.
Roundleaf Dogwood
Cornus rugosaShrubZones 2–83–10 ft
A shade-tolerant northern dogwood with nearly round, wrinkled leaves, flat clusters of white flowers and pale blue berries on red stalks.
Roundleaf Serviceberry
Amelanchier sanguineaShrubZones 2–83–23 ft
A shrub of rocky slopes and sandy woods with nearly round leaves, white spring flowers and sweet dark purple fruit, rare at the edges of its range.
Saskatoon
Amelanchier alnifoliaShrubZones 2–93–26 ft
A suckering shrub of the northern Plains and the West, with fragrant white flowers in spring and sweet purple-black berries for pies and jam.
Sheep Laurel
Kalmia angustifoliaShrubZones 2–81–5 ft
A low evergreen shrub of northern bogs and barrens, with rose-pink flowers ringing the stems in early summer. Every part is poisonous to livestock.
Showy Mountain Ash
Sorbus decoraSmall treeZones 2–620–40 ft
A small tree of the far North, with flat clusters of white flowers and heavy bunches of scarlet berries that bend the branches and feed birds.
Shrubby Cinquefoil
Dasiphora fruticosaShrubZones 2–71–4 ft
A low, rounded native shrub of northern fens and rocky shores whose bright yellow flowers open from June until frost.
Squashberry
Viburnum eduleShrubZones 2–82–7 ft
A northern viburnum with lobed leaves that turn brilliant red in fall and sour red fruit for jam, for cool, moist woods and stream banks.
Sweet Gale
Myrica galeShrubZones 2–62–6 ft
A fragrant shrub of northern bogs and lake shores, with resin-dotted leaves that smell sweet when crushed and roots that fix their own nitrogen.
Trailing Arbutus
Epigaea repensShrubZones 2–81 ft
A creeping evergreen only inches high whose sweetly scented pink and white flowers open in early spring, the mayflower of New England woods.
Velvetleaf Blueberry
Vaccinium myrtilloidesShrubZones 2–71–4 ft
A low wild blueberry of the North with softly hairy leaves that turn red in fall and sweet, tart blue berries from July into September.
Alderleaf Buckthorn
Rhamnus alnifoliaShrubZones 3–72–5 ft
A low native buckthorn of fens, swamps and wet thickets, with alder-like leaves and black fruit for birds, at home in cold, limy wetlands.
Allegheny Blackberry
Rubus allegheniensisShrubZones 3–83–8 ft
The common wild blackberry of eastern woods edges and old fields, a thorny thicket of arching canes with sweet black berries in midsummer.
Allegheny Serviceberry
Amelanchier laevisSmall treeZones 3–915–25 ft
Bronze-purple new leaves under white flowers, and the sweetest fruit of the serviceberries.
American Beech
Fagus grandifoliaLarge treeZones 3–950–80 ft
A smooth, silver-gray tree of eastern forests, with triangular nuts that feed wildlife and copper fall leaves that cling through winter.
American Bittersweet
Celastrus scandensShrubZones 3–815–40 ft
A native twining vine whose orange capsules split in fall to reveal scarlet seeds that stay showy on the vine into winter.
American Fly Honeysuckle
Lonicera canadensisShrubZones 3–73–6 ft
A native woodland honeysuckle of moist northern and mountain forests, with yellow flowers in pairs and twin red berries for birds.
American Hazelnut
Corylus americanaShrubZones 3–98–12 ft
Sweet native filberts in late summer on a dense, easy hedgerow shrub.
American Hornbeam (Musclewood)
Carpinus carolinianaSmall treeZones 3–920–35 ft
Smooth, sinewy gray trunks, orange-red fall color and complete comfort in shade and damp soil.
American Plum
Prunus americanaSmall treeZones 3–815–25 ft
A thicket-forming wild plum for dry banks and wet ground alike, with fragrant white spring bloom and tart red-yellow fruit for jelly and wildlife.
American Red Raspberry
Rubus idaeus subsp. strigosusShrubZones 3–83–6 ft
The native red raspberry of northern woods and mountain clearings, a bristly, suckering bramble with soft, sweet red berries in midsummer.
American Wisteria
Wisteria frutescensShrubZones 3–915–30 ft
A native wisteria whose purple flower clusters open after its leaves unfold, much tamer than the invasive Asian wisterias it resembles.
Atlantic White Cedar
Chamaecyparis thyoidesMedium treeZones 3–940–60 ft
The only false cypress native to the eastern states, a narrow blue-green evergreen of coastal bogs that makes a year-round screen on wet, acid ground.
Beaked Hazelnut
Corylus cornutaShrubZones 3–84–10 ft
A small, suckering native hazel of northern and mountain woods, whose tasty nuts ripen inside bristly husks drawn out into a long beak.
Bebb's Willow
Salix bebbianaShrubZones 3–710–25 ft
A northern willow of streams and wet meadows, the main source of carved diamond willow, with spring catkins and twigs that moose and deer browse.
Black Chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpaShrubZones 3–83–6 ft
White spring flowers, glossy black antioxidant-rich berries and some of the best red fall color of any shrub.
Black Elderberry
Sambucus canadensisShrubZones 3–96–12 ft
Broad white flower plates in June, purple-black berries in August, and a magnet for dozens of bird species.
Black Huckleberry
Gaylussacia baccataShrubZones 3–71–3 ft
A low, colony-forming shrub of dry acid woods with sweet, seedy black berries and crimson fall leaves.
Black Maple
Acer nigrumLarge treeZones 3–860–75 ft
A sugar maple for warmer, drier ground, with a dense rounded crown, nearly black furrowed bark and sap that boils down to syrup.
Black Oak
Quercus velutinaLarge treeZones 3–950–80 ft
A tough red oak of dry ridges, sand and rocky slopes, with yellow inner bark once used for dye and acorns that feed turkeys and deer.
Black Raspberry
Rubus occidentalisShrubZones 3–83–6 ft
The eastern native blackcap, with arching canes dusted white and sweet purple-black berries in early summer for jam, pies and the birds.
Blackhaw Viburnum
Viburnum prunifoliumShrubZones 3–912–15 ft
A tough, tree-like viburnum with white spring flowers, purple-red fall color and sweet blue fruit.
Bladdernut
Staphylea trifoliaShrubZones 3–88–15 ft
Drooping white bell flowers in May and papery inflated seed pods that rattle in the fall wind.
Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpaLarge treeZones 3–960–80 ft
A massive, drought-hardy oak of the prairie edge, with corky bark, a broad crown and the biggest acorns of any native oak in fringed, mossy cups.
Catberry
Ilex mucronataShrubZones 3–73–10 ft
A deciduous holly of northern bogs and lakeshores, with red summer berries on thread-like stalks and leaves that feed Columbia silkmoth caterpillars.
Clammy Locust
Robinia viscosaSmall treeZones 3–830–40 ft
A rare southern Appalachian locust with clusters of pale rose flowers in spring and sticky glands on its twigs, leaf stalks and pods.
Cockspur Hawthorn
Crataegus crus-galliSmall treeZones 3–820–30 ft
A flat-topped native hawthorn with thorns 2 to 3 inches long, white flowers in May and June, and dull red haws that often hang on until January.
Common Prickly Ash (Toothache Tree)
Zanthoxylum americanumShrubZones 3–810–20 ft
A thorny citrus-family thicket shrub, the giant swallowtail's other native host, with lemon-scented leaves and red capsules of shiny black seed.
Cucumber Magnolia
Magnolia acuminataLarge treeZones 3–850–80 ft
The hardiest and largest native magnolia, a fast-growing shade tree with cucumber-shaped fruit that ripens to red.
Downy Arrowwood
Viburnum rafinesqueanumShrubZones 3–83–10 ft
A small arrowwood for dry, shady woods, with flat white flower clusters in late spring, dark fruit for birds and purplish red fall leaves.
Downy Hawthorn
Crataegus mollisSmall treeZones 3–820–40 ft
Missouri's state flower, a broad native hawthorn that blooms early in spring, with soft, downy leaves and red haws up to an inch across.
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensisLarge treeZones 3–740–100 ft
A graceful evergreen of cool northern woods and Appalachian ravines, with flat sprays of fine needles and tiny cones, that grows even in deep shade.
Eastern Leatherwood
Dirca palustrisShrubZones 3–93–6 ft
Tiny yellow flowers in the first week of spring, on a rare, slow shade shrub with bark you can tie in knots.
Eastern Teaberry
Gaultheria procumbensShrubZones 3–81 ft
An evergreen groundcover for acid shade, with glossy leaves that smell of wintergreen and red berries that often hang on through the winter.
Eastern Wahoo
Euonymus atropurpureusShrubZones 3–96–20 ft
A native shrub or small tree of rich woods and stream banks, with dark purple flowers, yellow to red fall leaves and pink capsules that open on scarlet seeds.
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromaticaShrubZones 3–92–6 ft
A low, thicket-forming sumac for dry banks, with lemon-scented leaves, fuzzy red fruit for birds and orange to red fall color.
Gray Birch
Betula populifoliaSmall treeZones 3–820–40 ft
A fast, small birch with chalky white bark that does not peel, often growing as a clump of slender trunks on poor, sandy ground.
Hobblebush
Viburnum lantanoidesShrubZones 3–63–12 ft
A shade shrub of cool northern woods with lacy white flower heads in spring and big heart-shaped leaves that turn bronze-red and purple in fall.
Hop Hornbeam
Ostrya virginianaMedium treeZones 3–925–40 ft
A tough, shade-tolerant tree of dry upland woods with shreddy bark and hop-like seed clusters.
Limber Honeysuckle
Lonicera dioicaShrubZones 3–93–10 ft
A low native honeysuckle that twines up a fence or sprawls as a shrub, with whorls of yellow to red flowers for hummingbirds and red berries for birds.
Mapleleaf Viburnum
Viburnum acerifoliumShrubZones 3–83–6 ft
A small viburnum for shade, with maple-shaped leaves that turn pink, magenta and purple in fall and blue-black berries for birds.
Mountain Fly Honeysuckle
Lonicera villosaShrubZones 3–61–5 ft
A small native shrub of northern bogs and wet woods, a wild relative of the haskap, with paired pale yellow flowers and edible blue berries.
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanusShrubZones 3–82–3 ft
A knee-high shrub for dry, poor ground, with fragrant white flower clusters in June that feed azures, hairstreaks and two bees that use almost nothing else.
Northern Bayberry
Morella pensylvanicaShrubZones 3–75–10 ft
Waxy gray berries hold above the snow all winter for yellow-rumped warblers, tree swallows and quail. A salt-tolerant shrub that fixes its own nitrogen.
Northern Red Oak
Quercus rubraLarge treeZones 3–850–75 ft
A fast, long-lived red oak with big, bristle-tipped leaves that turn russet to bright red in fall and acorns that feed turkeys, bears and deer.
Northern Snowberry
Symphoricarpos occidentalisShrubZones 3–71–5 ft
A tough native shrub of the northern prairies that spreads into low thickets, with pink summer flowers and greenish-white berries that hang on into winter.
Ohio Buckeye
Aesculus glabraMedium treeZones 3–720–40 ft
Ohio's state tree, among the first to leaf out, with upright clusters of greenish yellow flowers and glossy brown buckeyes in prickly husks.
Ozark Witch Hazel
Hamamelis vernalisShrubZones 3–86–10 ft
Fragrant red, orange or yellow flowers on bare branches from January into March, the first bloom of the year, on a shrub that takes floods.
Pagoda Dogwood
Cornus alternifoliaSmall treeZones 3–815–25 ft
A small dogwood with branches held in flat tiers like a pagoda, cream flower clusters in late spring and blue-black fruit on red stalks.
Partridgeberry
Mitchella repensShrubZones 3–81 ft
A trailing evergreen an inch or two high, whose paired white flowers join to make one red berry that often lasts the winter.
Prairie Rose
Rosa arkansanaShrubZones 3–71–5 ft
A low, prickly rose of the Plains whose stems often die back to near the ground, with clusters of pink flowers in early summer and orange-red hips into winter.
Purple-flowering Raspberry
Rubus odoratusShrubZones 3–83–6 ft
A thornless bramble for part shade, with fragrant rose-purple flowers 2 inches across all summer over big, maple-like leaves.
Red Chokeberry
Aronia arbutifoliaShrubZones 3–96–12 ft
A tall, suckering shrub of bogs and swamps with white spring flowers, glossy red fruit that hangs into winter and blazing red fall leaves.
Red Elderberry
Sambucus racemosaShrubZones 3–78–12 ft
Cone-shaped white flowers in May and glowing red berries by June, the earliest berry crop for birds.
Rhodora
Rhododendron canadenseShrubZones 3–61–3 ft
Rose-purple, two-lipped azalea flowers on bare twigs in May, lighting up the bogs and wet woods of the Northeast before the leaves.
River Birch
Betula nigraMedium treeZones 3–940–70 ft
A fast birch for wet ground and southern heat, with salmon to cinnamon bark that peels in papery curls and shows all winter.
Rosebay Rhododendron
Rhododendron maximumShrubZones 3–710–15 ft
The great evergreen rhododendron of Appalachian stream valleys, with pink-white trusses in July.
Roseshell Azalea
Rhododendron prinophyllumShrubZones 3–83–10 ft
Bright pink, clove-scented flower clusters in spring on a wild azalea hardy enough to grow from southern Quebec to the Ozarks.
Running Serviceberry
Amelanchier spicataShrubZones 3–81–6 ft
A low serviceberry that spreads by runners into thickets on rocky ground, with white flowers in spring and purple-black fruit for birds in summer.
Sand Cherry
Prunus pumilaShrubZones 3–81–8 ft
A low, tough shrub of dunes, beaches and sandy prairies, with white spring flowers and purple-black cherries for jam from its second or third year.
Seaside Alder
Alnus maritimaShrubZones 3–912–30 ft
The one native alder that blooms in fall, hanging gold catkins in August and September on a rare shrub that stands in water and feeds its own soil.
Shadblow Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensisSmall treeZones 3–86–25 ft
A clump-forming serviceberry of swamps and wet thickets, with upright white flower clusters in early spring and sweet purple-black berries by June.
Shrubby St. John's-wort
Hypericum prolificumShrubZones 3–91–6 ft
A dense, rounded shrub whose golden summer flowers each hold a brush of up to 500 stamens, above bark that peels to orange-brown.
Silky Willow
Salix sericeaShrubZones 3–86–12 ft
A fast shrub willow for wet, sunny ground, with narrow leaves silky white beneath and spring catkins that native bees and honey bees visit.
Silverleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea radiataShrubZones 3–93–6 ft
White lacecap flowers from May into July over leaves that flash silver in the wind, on a woodland shrub of the southern Blue Ridge.
Slippery Elm
Ulmus rubraMedium treeZones 3–940–70 ft
The elm of the slippery inner bark, a fast, shade-tolerant tree of moist slopes and bottomlands, best grown in a wild corner among trees of other kinds.
Striped Maple
Acer pensylvanicumSmall treeZones 3–715–35 ft
A small maple for deep, cool shade, with green bark striped in white and big three-lobed leaves that turn bright yellow in fall.
Sweet Birch (Black Birch)
Betula lentaMedium treeZones 3–840–70 ft
Wintergreen-scented twigs, tight cherry-like black bark that never peels and clear gold fall color on the birch that feeds 284 kinds of caterpillars.
Sweet Pepperbush (Summersweet)
Clethra alnifoliaShrubZones 3–94–8 ft
Spires of intensely fragrant white flowers in August, when almost nothing else is blooming, and bees know it.
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefoliaShrubZones 3–1030–50 ft
A fast native vine that climbs by sticky pads, turns crimson early in fall and feeds birds through the winter with blue-black berries.
White Fringetree
Chionanthus virginicusSmall treeZones 3–912–20 ft
Clouds of fragrant white fringe in May, then blue fruit for the birds, on a small tree for any yard.
White Oak
Quercus albaLarge treeZones 3–950–80 ft
The great white oak of eastern woods, a broad shade tree that can live 600 years, with wine-red fall color and sweet acorns that wildlife seek out.
Wild Black Currant
Ribes americanumShrubZones 3–73–6 ft
A thornless currant of moist woods and stream banks, with drooping yellow-green flowers in spring, black berries in summer and gold and crimson fall leaves.
Wild Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescensShrubZones 3–93–6 ft
A woodland shrub that blooms on new stems even when cut to the ground each winter, with broad heads of creamy white flowers in early summer.
Winterberry Holly
Ilex verticillataShrubZones 3–96–12 ft
Bare winter branches lined with scarlet berries, on a deciduous holly that loves wet ground.
Witch Hazel
Hamamelis virginianaShrubZones 3–912–20 ft
The last flower of the year: ribbon-like yellow blooms in November as the golden leaves fall.
Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensisLarge treeZones 3–760–75 ft
A long-lived shade tree for cool, moist ground, with shiny golden bronze bark that peels in thin curls and bright yellow leaves in fall.
Yellow Buckeye
Aesculus flavaLarge treeZones 3–850–75 ft
A tall buckeye for big spaces, with upright clusters of yellow flowers that draw hummingbirds and bees in spring.
Yellowroot
Xanthorhiza simplicissimaShrubZones 3–91–3 ft
A low, suckering shrub for shady stream banks and moist woods, with leaves like celery that turn yellow and reddish purple in fall.
Ask what is ready: put the first 12 on my request list.
The finder answers as you choose and has a height limit. The shop lists the same trees and shrubs, with a search box and a native state filter: see these in the shop.
The address follows your filters, so the link saves this list.
Narrow the list to 12 or fewer and we can email you when any of them is ready to order.
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Email me when any of these is ready to order
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One email per plant you tick, when it is priced, and nothing else. Each carries a code for 10% off the plants in that order, not shipping or tax. Or ask, and we reply with what is ready now.
While you wait, ask what is ready now.
How the matching works
- Zone. A tree or shrub is listed when your zone is inside its hardiness range.
- Mature size. The type the catalog gives each one, as in the shop's size boxes.
- Height limit. Those whose typical mature height tops out at or under the limit, or at 60 ft or more for its last step. The article on small trees for a small yard says how far each goes from a house or a line.
- Sun and soil. What each one is known to tolerate, counting the labels for shade, wet ground and drought.
- Must have. Every trait you tick, all at once.
- Counts. The number beside each box and each choice is how many would remain if you chose it too.
- Best fit first. Trees and shrubs that list your sun and soil outright come before those that only tolerate them. Within that, those with your zone in the middle of their range come before those at its edge.
- Ties. Those that can be ordered now come first, then those with a photo, then the rest by name.
- ZIP code. It sets the zone from the same listing as the ZIP code tool, and the code itself is not kept.
- Compare. Tick Compare on up to four cards, then press Compare side by side for their facts in one table above the list. The trees stay in it while the filters change, and the address carries them, so a copied link opens the table.
- Hedge spacing. On a Hedge or screen list each card gives the spacing its own page sets. A hedge length gives how many to set in one straight row, with one at each end. The article on hedges, screens and windbreaks covers staggered rows.
Common questions
Which native tree is best for my yard?
In the finder's list the best fit comes first: trees and shrubs whose pages list your sun and soil outright, then those that only tolerate them. Within each group, those with your zone in the middle of their range come before those at its edge.
Can the tree finder identify a tree from a leaf or photo?
No: the finder lists native trees and shrubs to plant, matched to your zone, size, sun and soil. To name a tree you found, use the tree identification tool, which names it from a photo of a leaf, the bark, a twig, fruit or a flower.
What tree can I plant close to my house?
Set the finder's height limit to the room you have: it matches the top of each species' typical mature height. Our article on small trees for a small yard says how far each one goes from a house.
What trees can I plant under power lines?
Within 15 feet of the wires, the International Society of Arboriculture says a tree should mature at 20 feet or lower. Virginia Cooperative Extension allows trees to 25 feet within 20 feet of the wires, and suggests large shrubs under 15 feet directly under them.
How many trees or shrubs do I need for a hedge?
Divide the hedge's length by the spacing, round down and add one, since a straight row has one at each end: a 40-foot hedge at 4 feet apart takes 11. On its Hedge or screen list, the finder gives each species the spacing its own page sets.
The address carries every choice, so a copied link opens the same list. The page draws that list before any script runs, so a shared link and the page's Markdown copy show the trees and shrubs themselves. These are its keys:
- zone: 2 to 10.
- size: shrub, small-tree, medium-tree or large-tree.
- height: 15, 20, 30, 40 or 60 for a top height at or under that many feet, or 60-plus.
- sun: full, part or shade. moisture: dry, average or wet.
- want: one or more traits joined by commas, such as want=evergreen,screening. The boxes are flowers, fall-color, winter-interest, wildlife, honey, edible, evergreen, rare, early-bearing, screening, nitrogen-fixing, salt, street-tree and erosion-control. The address also takes drought, wet-tolerant and shade.
- hedge: a hedge length in feet, read when screening is wanted. sort: name, height, hardy or fast, or the price orders once prices are set.
- compare: up to four plant page names joined by commas, such as compare=black-gum,pawpaw, for the table side by side.
Each tree's facts come from its own page: its zones, mature height, sun, soil, labels and hedge spacing. The 20 and 40 ft height steps are the International Society of Arboriculture's zones by overhead wires (Avoiding Tree & Utility Conflicts, 2021). Within 15 feet of distribution wires, the species chosen "should have a mature height of 20 feet (6 meters) or lower". From 15 to 50 feet out, it should have "a potential mature height of 40 feet (12 meters) or lower". The planting-site check follows the same zones. The 30 ft step is the small-tree ceiling the growth estimator uses for its generic small tree. Virginia Cooperative Extension draws the low zone wider, to 20 feet from the line, where "trees in the low zone should not exceed 25 feet at maturity" (Selecting and Managing Trees to Avoid Conflicts with Overhead Utility Lines, 2024). Under the line itself it suggests large shrubs with "a mature height of less than 15 feet", the limit's first step. A ZIP code's zone is the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map's ZIP code listing, prepared by the PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University.
When nothing fits, the site is usually the problem rather than the catalog: tell us the zone, soil, sun and what the tree needs to do, and we will suggest something.
The address carries the tree finder's inputs, so a link opens it filled in, and Copy link on a result writes one: zone (a whole number from 2 to 10), size (shrub, small-tree, medium-tree or large-tree), height (a mature height to stay under: 15, 20, 30, 40 or 60 feet, or 60-plus), sun (full, part or shade), moisture (dry, average or wet), want (one or more of flowers, fall-color, winter-interest, wildlife, honey, edible, evergreen, rare, early-bearing, screening, nitrogen-fixing, salt, street-tree, erosion-control, shade, wet-tolerant or drought, joined by commas), hedge (a hedge or screen length in feet, for a plant count), sort (featured, name, price-asc, price-desc, height, hardy or fast), compare (the slugs of the plants to compare, joined by commas). For example, /tools/tree-finder/?zone=6&size=small-tree&sun=part&moisture=average&want=fall-color.