Trees & Shrubs: A Complete Guide

Trees and shrubs are the longest-lived and most valuable plants in most yards, and also the easiest to get wrong. A tree planted too deep or a shrub pruned at the wrong time can struggle for years before anyone notices. This guide is for homeowners who want to get tree care right from the start: choosing the right plant for the spot, planting and watering it properly, pruning shrubs and trees at the right time, growing fruit trees, diagnosing browning and yellowing foliage, and knowing when a job belongs to a professional tree service.

Each section links to our detailed guides on the specific plant or task, so you can use this page as a map of the topic. Trees and shrubs are the backbone of a landscape, so our landscaping and hardscaping guide is a natural companion, and the flowers and perennials guide covers what grows beneath and around them.

Choosing the right tree or shrub

The most important decision is the one you make before you dig: right plant, right place. Check the mature height and spread on the tag, not the size in the pot, and keep large shade trees at least 15 to 20 feet from the house, away from overhead lines and clear of septic fields. Match the plant to your hardiness zone, sun and soil drainage. Our comparison of evergreen vs deciduous plants helps you decide between year-round screening and seasonal shade, and deciduous vs evergreen trees covers the same choice for larger specimens.

If you want a screen from neighbors, start with our list of fast-growing privacy trees and shrubs, and plan the ground beneath them with landscaping around trees. For flowering and ornamental trees that suit a typical suburban lot, see growing a dogwood, growing a redbud, growing a Japanese maple, growing a magnolia and growing a serviceberry.

More ornamental and shade trees: crabapple, fringe tree, ginkgo, tulip tree, katsura, sourwood, paperbark maple, sweetgum, hawthorn and magnolia types and care.

For foundation and hedge shrubs, our guides to growing boxwood, growing holly bushes, growing azaleas and growing rhododendrons cover the most popular choices. Azaleas and rhododendrons need acidic, well-drained soil and shallow planting; boxwood wants good drainage and shelter from winter wind. See also azalea care basics.

Planting trees and shrubs the right way

Most young trees that fail are planted too deep. Find the root flare, where the trunk widens into roots, and set it at or slightly above the surrounding grade. Dig the hole two to three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper, loosen circling roots, and backfill with the native soil rather than a rich amendment that keeps roots from spreading. Our step-by-step guide on how to plant a tree the right way covers each stage, and how to plant a bare root tree deals with the dormant-season stock that mail-order nurseries ship.

Fall and early spring are the best planting windows in most regions, because cool air and warm soil let roots establish before summer heat. Stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own in wind, and remove ties after a year; how to stake a tree properly shows the loose, low method that lets the trunk flex and strengthen. Moving an existing plant is a similar job with a smaller root system, covered in how to transplant a tree and how to transplant a shrub.

Watering, mulching and winter protection

New trees need regular, deep watering for the first two to three years, far longer than most people expect. A common rule of thumb is about 10 gallons per inch of trunk diameter per week during the growing season, applied slowly at the root ball and just beyond it. Slow-release watering bags make this easy; see our roundup of the best tree watering bags. Established trees usually only need help during extended drought.

Mulch is the cheapest way to help a tree. Spread 2 to 3 inches of shredded bark or wood chips in a wide ring, out to the drip line if you can, and keep it a few inches away from the trunk. The tall “mulch volcanoes” piled against bark invite rot, rodents and girdling roots; how to mulch around trees explains how to do it properly.

In cold, windy regions, broadleaf evergreens like boxwood and young conifers can suffer winter burn as wind pulls moisture from leaves while the ground is frozen. Water deeply in late fall and use a burlap screen where needed; how to wrap shrubs for winter covers timing and materials, and how to winterize a fig tree helps northern gardeners keep figs alive outdoors.

Pruning shrubs: timing and technique

Timing is the key to pruning shrubs. Shrubs that bloom in spring on last year’s wood, like forsythia, lilac, azalea and rhododendron, should be pruned right after they finish flowering; cut them in fall or winter and you remove next year’s flower buds. Shrubs that bloom in summer on new growth, such as butterfly bush, spirea and panicle hydrangea, are pruned in late winter or early spring. Our guide on when to prune trees and shrubs sorts the common plants by season, and how to prune shrubs covers the cuts themselves.

Prefer thinning cuts, which remove whole stems back to a branch or the ground, over shearing the outside into a ball. Shearing creates a dense shell of leaves with bare wood inside; pruning vs shearing explains when each is appropriate. For a shrub that has outgrown its space, a rejuvenation cut, removing a third of the oldest stems each year for three years, restores it without killing it; see how to prune an overgrown shrub. Evergreens are less forgiving, so read how to prune evergreen shrubs and trees before cutting into old wood.

Plant-by-plant pruning guides: hydrangeas by type, boxwood, azaleas, rhododendrons, lilacs, forsythia, spirea, butterfly bush, camellias, lavender, roses, Knock Out roses, climbing roses, wisteria and clematis by group.

Tree trimming and pruning trees

Most trees are best pruned while dormant, in late winter, when you can see the branch structure and wounds close quickly in spring. Start by removing the three Ds: dead, damaged and diseased wood. Then remove crossing and rubbing branches and any that compete with the main leader on a young tree. Cut just outside the branch collar, the swollen ring where branch meets trunk, and never leave stubs or paint the wound. On larger limbs, use a three-cut method so the weight of the branch does not tear bark down the trunk. A good rule of thumb is to remove no more than about a quarter of a tree’s live canopy in one year.

Some ornamental trees have specific needs. Japanese maples need only light, selective thinning, covered in how to prune a Japanese maple; magnolias heal slowly and should be pruned sparingly after bloom, as described in how to prune a magnolia tree. Crepe myrtles are routinely topped into ugly knuckles; how to prune crepe myrtle shows the better way. Avoid topping any tree: it triggers weak, fast sprouts that become hazards.

Anything you cannot reach from the ground with a pole saw, any limb near power lines, and any branch over a roof is a job for a professional tree trimming crew. Ladders and chainsaws are a dangerous combination.

Growing fruit trees

Fruit trees reward planning. First choose the size: standard vs dwarf fruit trees explains how rootstock controls height and how soon you get a crop, and growing dwarf fruit trees in small spaces and columnar apple trees suit small yards. Then check pollination: many apples, pears, plums and sweet cherries need a compatible partner variety nearby, as explained in self-pollinating vs cross-pollinating fruit trees. Peaches, nectarines, sour cherries and figs are mostly self-fruitful.

Start with the guide for your tree: apple trees, peach trees, pear trees, cherry trees, plum trees and lemon trees in a pot or the ground. Northern growers can bring citrus indoors for winter with how to grow citrus trees indoors.

Fruit trees need more pruning than ornamentals, usually every late winter, to keep the canopy open to light. Our beginner’s guide to pruning fruit trees covers central leader and open-center training, with specific guides for pruning an apple tree, pruning a peach tree, pruning cherry trees and pruning fig trees. Thin fruitlets to one every 6 to 8 inches for bigger fruit and to prevent broken branches; see how to thin fruit on trees. Keep birds off the harvest with protecting fruit trees from birds.

More fruit and nut trees: orange, lime, mandarin, kumquat, avocado, mango, banana, olive, pomegranate, persimmon, apricot, nectarine, mulberry, pawpaw, pecan and hazelnut. Advanced techniques: grafting, espalier and hand pollination. Berry bushes: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and grapevines.

Diagnosing browning, yellowing and poor fruiting

When a tree or shrub looks sick, check the basics before reaching for a spray. Most problems trace back to water (too much or too little), planting depth, root damage from construction, or winter injury. Browning on evergreens is the classic complaint: work through why an evergreen is turning brown, why arborvitae turn brown and why a pine tree turns brown. Some inner-needle browning in fall is normal shedding, not disease.

Boxwood problems range from winter bronzing to blight and leafminer; see why a boxwood is dying and why boxwood turns brown or orange. Yellow azalea leaves usually mean the soil pH is too high, covered in why azalea leaves turn yellow and why azalea leaves turn brown. For a struggling specimen tree, read why a Japanese maple is dying.

Fruit trees that refuse to fruit are usually too young, lack a pollination partner, were pruned at the wrong time or got too much nitrogen. See why a fig tree is not fruiting, why a pear tree is not fruiting and why a lemon tree is not fruiting.

More on leaf problems: yellow citrus leaves, curling lemon leaves, lemon trees dropping leaves, yellow fig leaves, yellow cherry leaves and curling apple leaves. Insect problems on trees and shrubs are covered in our pest control guide.

Tree removal and stumps

Remove a tree when it is dead, leaning toward a structure, has major trunk cracks or cavities, or is heaving roots on one side. A tree that drops large limbs or shows mushrooms at the base deserves a professional look before the next storm. Our tree removal cost guide explains what drives the price, mainly height, access and proximity to buildings.

Once the tree is down, you can leave the stump to rot, grind it, or dig it out. Stump grinding is fastest and leaves the area ready for replanting within days; see how to remove a tree stump for five methods, how to kill a tree stump to stop it resprouting, and the stump removal and grinding cost guide. Clearing invasive brush is a related job; wear gloves and long sleeves for getting rid of poison oak.

Pruning tools and tree gear

Good pruning starts with sharp, clean tools. Bypass pruners make clean cuts on live wood up to about three-quarters of an inch; anvil pruners are better for dead wood. Use loppers up to about an inch and a half and a saw beyond that.

• Hand pruners: best bypass pruners, best hand pruners, best anvil pruners and best pruning shears.
• Bigger cuts: best pruning saws and best hedge trimmers.
• New trees: best tree stakes and ties.
• Fruit trees: best fruit tree fertilizers and best fruit tree netting.

When to hire a tree service

Hire a tree service for anything that involves climbing, chainsaw work above shoulder height, limbs over structures or near power lines, and removals of any tree taller than you can safely fell in open ground. Ask for proof of liability insurance and workers’ compensation, and look for an ISA-certified arborist for pruning and health assessments. Be cautious of crews who recommend topping or who knock on the door after a storm. Regular hedge trimming and shrub shaping are also worth handing off if you have long hedges or tall screens.

For new plantings and bed refreshes, see our mulching and planting service, and for fall leaf drop and storm debris, yard cleanup and leaf removal. If heavy shade from your trees is thinning the grass below, our lawn care guide covers shade grasses and overseeding.

Frequently asked questions