These Hassle-Free Front Yard and Backyard Trees Will Enhance Your Landscape

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when feeling the pressure to make your outdoor space look amazing, but it doesn’t have to be that way!

With these five low-maintenance tree planting ideas, you can have a beautiful outdoor space that’s easy to take care of.

These trees require minimal attention and care, making them ideal for busy individuals or those with limited gardening experience.

Keep scrolling - these 5 low maintenance tree planting ideas are too good to miss! Your front yard or backyard is about to get effortlessly beautiful.

These trees are easy to grow, but they still need watering and monitoring for signs of disease or stress. There’s no such thing as a truly "set and forget" tree!

Here are some helpful linked resources to guide you in making the best choice for your landscape:

Discover your gardening zone on the USDA’s Plant Hardiness Zone Map
Learn how to measure the correct light levels in your landscape with expert tips in Full Sun Definition and Full Sun to Part Shade Definition.
Learn more about watering your tree in our guide “How to Water Your Tree”
Monitor your local drought conditions by checking the US Drought Monitor
Use the International Society of Arboriculture’s search tools for finding an arborist and verifying credentials

1. Okame Cherry Tree

Botanical name: Prunus x incam ‘Okame’

Zones: 5-9

Mature size: 15-25 feet high and 15-20 feet wide

Light requirements: Full sun

Soil and Water: Moist, well-drained, fertile soil. Tolerates clay and sand.

Attributes: Early spring blooms; fragrant hot pink flowers; dark green leaves; vibrant red-orange-bronze fall leaf color; one of the rare cherry trees with enhanced resistance to diseases and pests.

Tip: The leaves, stems, blossoms, and fruit pits of the Okame cherry tree are toxic to people and animals. Learn more in our guide to the Okame Cherry Tree.

neon pink flowers with yellow centers cover the brown branches of the okame cherry tree — **The Okame cherry tree delivers a brilliant spring flowering show with very little effort required, making it a top tree planting idea!**

2. Eastern Redbud

Botanical name: Cercis canadensis

Zones: 4-9

Mature size: 20-30 feet high and 25-35 feet wide

Light requirements: Full sun to part shade

Soil and Water: Moist, well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral soil

Attributes: Lavender purple spring flowers; heart-shaped green leaves; native to Eastern North America; high wildlife value.

Tip: Plant this tree as a focal point in your front yard or backyard to showcase its stunning spring blooms and elegant form. Find out everything you need to know in “Every Garden Needs an Eastern Redbud Tree”.

a vase shaped small eastern redbud tree in full bloom with purple lavender flowers on a lawn with bare trees in the background — **The Eastern redbud tree is a fantastic tree planting idea for adding beauty to your front yard or backyard.**

3. Magnolia Jane

Botanical name: Magnolia ‘Jane’

Zones: 3b-8

Mature size: 10-15 feet tall and 8-12 feet wide

Light requirements: Full sun

Soil and Water: Well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral pH soil.

Attributes: Showy pink, tulip-like flowers in early spring; increased frost-resistance; cold-hardy.

Tip: Magnolia Jane is part of a group of magnolias referred to as the “Little Girls”, specifically developed to avoid the frost-damaged flowers that plague many other early-spring blooming magnolia cultivars. Want more info? Read The Little Girl Hybrid Magnolias.

a small magnolia tree with tulip like purple flowers in front yard of building with porch — **Magnolia Jane adds stunning spring beauty to the front yard with its vibrant blooms. An elegant and eye-catching front yard tree!**

4. Hybrid Witchhazel

Botanical name: Hamamelis x intermedia

Zones: 4-9

Mature size: 15-20 feet high and wide

Light requirements: Full sun to part shade

Soil and Water: Well-draining, fertile soil

Attributes: Attractive, fragrant winter flowers; graceful form; yellow to red fall leaf color.

Tip: Hybrid witchhazels bloom in a variety of colors - explore the full breakdown in our article about the Hybrid Witchhazel tree.

spidery yellow blooms of witch hazel tree in a forest — **The Hybrid Witchhazel tree is easy to grow and a rare winter bloomer, adding color when the landscape needs it most!**

5. White Fringetree

Botanical name: Chionanthus virginicus

Zones: 4-9

Mature size: 12-20 feet tall and wide

Light requirements: Full sun to part shade

Soil and Water: Deep, moist, acidic to neutral pH soil

Attributes: Soft fringed white flowers in spring; high wildlife value.

Tip: Fringetrees have an attractive, naturally symmetrical shape that requires little to no pruning. Find out everything you need to know in “White Fringetree: A Small Native Tree With a Big Presence”.