Trees That Can Grow in average Conditions
Below you will find a list of shade and flowering trees from our plant database that can grow in average climates. If you click on any of the photos, you will see a Virtual Plant Tag that may contain plant descriptions, usage suggestions and a link to where you can buy that plant for your landscaping. The concept of a tree can be difficult to define since different people might consider the same plant a broadleaf evergreen, needled evergreen, conifer, bush or shrub.
Many shade and flowering trees can flourish in years of average temperatures, average rainfall, or an average climate although many of these plants can also do quite well in years with below average and above average temperatures, below and above average rainfall.
As long as they aren't invasive, introduced or non-native trees add so much to the landscape and would be missed if they weren't included. Europe and Asia has given American gardeners numerous trees that thrive in normal conditions including: Amur Corktree, a stately, tolerant tree known botanically as Phellodendron amurense (but not Philodendron, like the well-known houseplants); for southern gardens, the Bay or True Laurel, Laurus nobilis, can alse be pruned into any formal shape; the Bell-flowered, Formosan or Taiwan Cherry (Prunus campanulata) is striking; Cherry Plums or Prunus cerasifera and nice selected cultivars add early spring color; Chinese or Lacebark Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) is an excellent tree for the United States but don't confuse it with the inferior Siberian Elm (U. pumila); Chinese Redbud or Cercis chinensis is actually showier than native Redbuds; the Chinese Stewartia, S. sinensis and S. rostrata fit in today's smaller gardens better than the more well-known Japanese Stewartia (S. pseudocamellia); Crapemyrtle and their hybrids (Lagerstroemia indica) enliven any garden with summer and fall blooms; English, Pedunculate or Truffle Oak (Quercus robur) is a large, stately tree with many interesting cultivars with many different, ornamental characteristics; European Beech, or Fagus sylvatica, is well known and admired, particularly the variegated and purple leaf varieties; Flowering Cherries and hybrids (Prunus) are must-have trees where hardy and Flowering Crabapple Hybrids (Malus) have had more breeding done for better flowering, disease resistance, increased hardiness and more ornamental fruits; Ginkgo has interesting cultivars; Japanese Camellia and hybrids are a staple in southern gardens, choose cultivars based on hardiness; Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum) and the innumerable dwarf variations make brilliant accents; Japanese Zelkova are Elm substitutes.
