Trees

There is no single list of the best trees for front yard planting, since the right choice depends on your sun exposure, mature spread and hardiness zone rather than on looks alone. Smaller forms such as Japanese maple or a redbud suit a front yard with limited width, while a larger shade tree works where there is room for a full canopy. Read the mature spread on each product page and picture it at full size, not at delivery size.

A 15 gallon tree is younger, lighter and considerably less expensive, and it typically catches up in size within a few growing seasons once its roots are established in the ground. A 24 inch box tree is older and heavier, with a head start on trunk caliper and canopy that a 15 gallon tree does not have on planting day. Boxed trees also cost more to deliver because of their weight. Choose based on how much of a head start you are willing to pay for.

Growth speed varies by species and by water, but a fast growing shade tree in decent soil with regular irrigation commonly adds several feet of height a year while it is young, slowing once it nears mature size. Heat, wind and root competition from nearby structures or other trees can all slow that pace. A tree planted from a 15 gallon container generally reaches useful shade sooner than the same species from a 5 gallon, simply because it starts bigger, not because it grows faster per season.

Most Japanese maple varieties do best in part sun or filtered light rather than harsh afternoon exposure, since their thin leaves scorch easily in dry heat. A spot with morning sun and afternoon shade, or dappled light under a taller tree, usually works well in the Central Valley and high desert. Coastal gardens with milder afternoons can often give Japanese maple more direct sun without leaf damage. Check the sun rating on the variety before placing it, since cut leaf forms are more sun sensitive than upright ones.

Good trees for small yards stay under about twenty feet at maturity and grow in a narrow or upright form, since that gives shade or screening without crowding a fence, patio or foundation. Japanese maple and other compact forms on this page work well in tight spaces, and container growing keeps even larger species in check for years. Read the mature height and spread together rather than one alone, because a short tree with a wide canopy can still overwhelm a small lot.

Boxed trees, especially 36 inch and larger, are heavy and typically arrive by truck rather than in a passenger vehicle. Delivery is priced by weight and distance to your ZIP before you pay, so cost depends on both the box size and the distance traveled. Measure your gate, fence line and any tight turns before ordering a large boxed tree, since access matters as much as the tree itself. Smaller 5 and 15 gallon trees are lighter and easier to move without special equipment.