Our Top 10 Favorite Trees this Year and How to Care for Them

beautiful tree landscape in the backyard on a cloudy day alsip nurseries

Happy Arbor Day! On April 30th, we celebrate Arbor day by thanking the trees in our lives for bringing us beauty, blooms, and beloved oxygen. Get inspired by our top 10 list of best trees you can plant in your own backyard.

Royal Frost Birch

Height: 40 feet

Royal frost birch trees can tolerate cooler summers and love to stay moist. Their textured, peeled bark has a unique beauty to it. What we love most about these birch trees is their incredible burgundy-hued leaves that leave a whimsical lasting impression. Use these trees as a gorgeous accent in your outdoor space: between their bark and their foliage, you’ll have a tree that creates visual interest every month of the year.

beautiful close up of a crabapple bloom alsip nurseries

Prairifire Crabapple Tree

Height: 15-20 feet

If you’re looking for a bold statement tree with tangy fruit in your own backyard, try the stunningly beautiful prairifire crabapple tree this year. This highly adaptable tree starts off with reddish leaves that turn into a lush deep green. You get double the rewards with the prairifire crabapple: their deep pink flowers in spring become sour red-purple crabapples that you can turn into surprisingly tasty treats. This tree is a showstopper, even in smaller outdoor spaces!

Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry

Height: 25 feet

This small tree packs a big punch in the beauty department. The autumn brilliance serviceberry produces an abundance of snow-white flowers during spring and summer, then transforms into a show-stopping autumn beauty with brick-red leaves. This tree is a perfect accent tree and provides shade for three seasons.

Sargent Tina Crabapple

Height: 5 feet

The Sargent Tina crabapple is a darling dwarf crabapple tree with a slow growth rate. It’s the perfect accent tree for smaller spaces. It produces snowy white flowers and juicy red crabapples that attract and delight wildlife of all kinds. Grow these crabapples in moist, well-draining soil, and keep them in partial or full sun.

beautiful closeup of dogwood tree blooms alsip nurseries

Pagoda Dogwood

Height: 20 feet

Pagoda dogwoods are one of the best backyard trees for experienced arborists. They are picky and prefer cool, moist, shady locations. But if you treat your dogwood well, it will reward you with some of the most beautifully diverse colors. Its creamy white flowers smell wonderfully in late spring, and its leaves are a vivid emerald green during the warmer months. In fall, it really puts on a show with navy blue berries and deep burgundy leaves.

Red Sunset Maple Tree

Height: 50 feet

There is nothing more perfectly autumnal than a red sunset maple tree. Treat this maple tree well, and you will have the best shades of scarlet, orange, and gold in the fall months. This maple variety starts out in a pyramid shape and becomes more rounded over time as it grows. Use this tree as a perfect shade-provider in large landscapes.

closeup of river birch tree peeling alsip nurseries

River Birch

Height: 60 feet

While the river birch may be a more subtle choice of tree for your backyard, it still has mass appeal. It has delicate, rounded leaves and textured, peeling bark. The river birch’s bronze color sets it apart as one of our favorite varieties of birch. While it does prefer its native moist environment, it is an adaptable tree that can withstand many conditions.

beautiful pink eastern red bud tree blooming in the spring alsip nurseries

Eastern Redbud

Height: 30 feet

Similar to the ruby falls tree, this redbud variety is another smaller tree to fit into tighter spaces, but with no shortage of beauty. Also known as the merlot redbud, this tree produces magenta blooms in spring that attract pollinators like butterflies and bees. Plant your tree somewhere that you can admire it and all the wildlife it attracts!

closup of green gingko blooms in the spring time alsip nurseries

Princeton Sentry Ginkgo Tree

Height: 60 feet

With emerald fan-shaped leaves that turn brilliant yellow in the fall, this ginkgo tree has an incredible 150-million year old story that we never get tired of. This variety is great for smaller home landscapes and requires less maintenance than some other trees. While it bears no fruit or flowers, it’s a beautiful classic that you can enjoy year after year.

tulip tree beautifully blooming in the spring time alsip nurseries

Tulip Tree

Height: 90 feet

If you’re looking for a favorite winter tree to plant in your backyard, opt for the tulip tree. It loves full sun and rich soil and will grow fast in the right conditions. This native tree in the magnolia family unveils yellow tulip-shaped blossoms in the spring. One of the best things about the tulip tree is its amazing bark with intricate patterns. As this tree grows, it will create a beautiful shady canopy in your yard for you to enjoy.

There are so many benefits to planting trees in your backyard; not only does it add visual interest and excitement to your outdoor space, but it also adds value to your home. If you’re looking for the best backyard trees in Frankfort or Saint John, come visit us! We’re here to help you select and care for your trees, plants, and shrubs.

Join Our Newsletter!