The Best (and Easiest) Trees To Grow In Any Space

By Bethany Ivie

Last Updated: January 23, 2019

Plant a Tree, Give a Tree

Planting trees is an important part of caring for the Earth. Help small-scale farmers around the world leave the Earth better than they found it. Give the gift of tree seedlings today!

In every internet listicle about saving the planet, "Plant a Tree!" is usually pretty high on the suggestion list. While we know that trees alone can't absorb all of the massive amounts of CO2 being released into our atmosphere, they remain one of many key partners in the fight against climate change.

We also know that trees are extremely important to the Earth and to humans in general. They provide oxygen, lower stress, improve real estate value and they might just lower your utility bills. So, go ahead and plant that tree! We did a little research and found the trees that are the best at absorbing carbon monoxide and also have a few tips for how to find a tree that's best for where you live.

The Carbon-Monoxide Absorbing Pros

All shrubs and trees sequester carbon but some rise to the top of the foresty pack as climate-change fighting champions. These include:

Ponderosa Pine

Red Pine

White Pine

Hispaniolan Pine

Leaves of the northern red oak tree in autumn. Image via Creative Commons.

Horse-chestnut

Black Walnut

American Sweetgum

London Plane

Douglas Fir

Scarlet Oak

Red Oak

Virginia Live Oak

Bald Cypress

Some of these (I'm looking at you, pines) require a lot of space to flourish so if you have a small yard ... read on.

The Best Trees For Small Spaces

If you don't have a large yard, but still want to plant a tree, you've got a lot of options! Some trees that thrive on tiny plots of land include:

Japanese maple

Dogwood

Crabapple

Crepe Myrtles

Paper Birch

Cockspur Hawthorne

The fruit of a cherry tree. Image via Unsplash.

The Best Low-Maintenance Fruit Trees

How great would it be to have fresh fruit RIGHT in your back yard? Well, these fruit trees are as easy to tend as they are delicious:

Plum

Peach

Pear

Cherry

The Fastest-Growing Shade Trees

Is your yard scorched by the sun's cruel rays? Do you fear to go outside without a parasol? Then a shade tree's just the thing for you. Here are a few that will grow quickly to help you beat the heat.

A mighty, weeping willow. Image by Unsplash.

Quaking Aspen

Northern Catalpa

Hackberry

Red Sunset Maple

Silver Maple

Weeping Willow

Sawtooth Oak

Find the tree that wants to be ... right where you are. Image via Unsplash.

The Tree That's Exactly Your Type

If you're still not sure which tree you'd like to plant in your corner of the globe, have no fear. Courtesy of ArborDay.org, find your new, deep-rooted friend with this tree-picker. Enter your zip code, soil type, sun exposure and a few other pieces of information and you'll get a list of the trees that match your wants, needs, and desires.