Japanese Maple
Height: 15 to 25 feet
Spread: 20 feet
Zones: 5 through 8
Fall color:
Maroon to orange
Care:
Plant in dappled shade so delicate leaves won’t burn in summer; not particular about its soil; keep moisture consistent, especially during dry spells.
Value add:
Slow-growing (it won’t outgrow its home); great planted alone or in groups; songbirds, squirrels, and chipmunks love the seeds.
Vine Maple
Height: 15 feet
Spread: 20 feet
Zones: 6 through 9
Fall color:
Yellow, orange, red
Care:
Plant in shade (though it will take full sun); keep soil moist; prune often to prevent branches from running wild.
Value add:
Unusual arching and twisting branches that provide year-round interest and curb appeal; good for urban gardens and large containers; usually pest- and disease-free.
Viburnum
Height: 6-10 feet
Spread: 6-10 feet
Zones: 5-9
Fall color:
Maroon to red-purple
Care:
Likes partial shade to full sun; prefers moist loam but grows in a wide range of soil types.
Value add:
Versatile tree; good as an accent, foundation, border, or street-side planting; edible (but acidic) blue-purple berries.
Paper Birch
Height: 50 to 70 feet
Spread: 35 feet
Zones: 2 through 7
Fall color:
Bright yellow
Care:
Keep moist and mulched, especially in high heat and low-water conditions.
Value add:
Year-round interest from dark red bark on young stems that turns creamy white on mature trunks; tap the trunk in spring for sap you can make into beer, syrup, and vinegar.
Sugar Maple
Height: 60 to 75 feet
Spread: 40 to 50 feet
Zones: 3 through 8
Fall color:
Red, orange, gold
Care:
Likes fertile, moist, well-draining soil; avoid planting near streets, because it’s salt-sensitive.
Value add:
Long-living, up to 500 years; lots of shade from its dense crown; syrup from sap in spring.
Smoketree
Height: 10 to 15 feet
Spread: 12 feet
Zones: 5 through 8
Fall color:
Magenta and purple
Care:
Thrives in diverse, well-draining soil; likes a sunny home best.
Value add:
Deer resistant; stunning accent tree or colorful shrub border; unusual wispy pink blooms in spring.
Katsura Tree
Height: 40 to 60 feet
Spread: 25 to 60 feet
Zones: 4 through 8
Fall color:
Orange, gold, red
Care:
OK, this one needs some special care: protection from wind and hot afternoon rays. But its unusual, open spread of up to 60 feet makes it worth the effort.
Value add:
Fallen leaves can smell like cinnamon or burnt sugar — yummy!
Sourwood
Height: 25 to 30 feet
Spread: 20 feet
Zones: 5 through 9
Fall color:
Scarlet, purple foliage; silvery capsules
Care:
Likes acidic and rich soil; keep moist.
Value add:
Capsules provide winter interest, too; tree attracts bees that produce prized sourwood honey.
Scarlet Oak
Height: 50 to 70 feet
Spread: 40 to 50 feet
Zones: 4 through 9
Fall color:
Bright scarlet
Care:
Plant in dry-to-average, well-draining soil; tolerates even sandy conditions. Give it plenty of room to grow.
Value add:
Fast growing; grind its acorns to thicken stews; large songbirds and wild turkeys love it.