Planting new trees is an exciting project, but it requires a lot of careful thought and planning.
If you select the right trees for the location, they’ll likely thrive and beautify your yard (not to mention increase your property value) for decades. But if you pick the wrong tree species, your new trees will likely struggle, forcing you to remove them and start the entire project over from scratch.
We’ll try to help you get your tree-planting project started on the right foot by identifying some of the best trees to plant in your Oklahoma yard below.
Important Tree-Selection Considerations
Before we share some of the best trees for planting in Oklahoma, we need to lay out a few of the site considerations you’ll want to factor into your decision-making process.
- Your Goal: The first thing you should consider when picking a new tree is your goal for the tree. Are you seeking shade, privacy, or edible fruit? Be clear about your goals to start whittling down your options.
- Space Available: The amount of space you have available is also a key consideration, as it’s often something you can’t change. Consider not only the amount of vertical space available but also canopy and root zone space.
- Sun Exposure: Another important thing you probably have no control over is the amount of sunlight the area receives. Some trees require hours and hours of direct sunlight, while others can subsist in partial shade.
- Soil Moisture: Soil moisture is affected by a combination of things, including the elevation, soil composition, and amount of rainfall you receive. Just note that it’s easier to increase soil moisture than decrease it.
- Soil pH: Despite claims to the contrary, it can be difficult to meaningfully change the pH in a given area — at least without constant work. So, consider the soil pH of your property before picking tree species.
- Wildlife Concerns: Some trees tend to attract more attention from deer, squirrels, and other critters than others. Similarly, some trees can tolerate animal-caused damage better than others.
Great Trees for Oklahoma Properties: Tree-Selection Guide
Now that you know some of the most important things to think about when selecting your new trees, we can share a few of the best options for Oklahoma property owners. We’ve broken them into several distinct groups to help you pick the best ones for your yard.
Large Shade Trees
These trees grow fast and have dense canopies that create plenty of power-bill-lowering shade — something especially valuable for Oklahoma residents. But on the flip side, they’re all deciduous trees that shed their leaves in the winter, which means you’ll have extra sunlight warming your home in the winter.
Just be sure you have enough space to accommodate these large trees.
- Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii): This fast-growing oak is attractive, tolerant of compacted soils, and extremely drought-tolerant once established.
- American Elm Cultivars (Ulmus americana): Both ‘Princeton’ and ‘Valley Forge’ are Dutch-elm-disease-resistant cultivars that grow quickly, produce excellent shade, and display the famous elm “umbrella” shape.
- Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus): An underappreciated shade tree, this species reaches about 50 to 70 feet in height. It’s also very adaptable and tolerates both dry conditions and poor soil quality.
Small Flowering Trees
All hardwood trees produce flowers, but not all flowers are pretty — some are pale green and don’t match the mental image that most people have of a “flower.” But these trees have beautiful blooms and remain small enough to fit on most residential properties.
As a bonus, some of these also provide visual interest in the fall or winter.
- Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis): Oklahoma’s state tree, the redbud produces glorious purple flowers in the spring and thrives in almost all Oklahoma soils. It also bears striking fruit pods throughout the winter.
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea): Serviceberries produce beautiful flowers (as well as edible fruit), but ensure they aren’t blasted by hours of afternoon sun and provide them with extra water during droughts.
- Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica): A drought-tolerant, heat-loving species, the crepe myrtle is an excellent option for Oklahoma properties. It’s also available in a variety of cultivars that produce different colored flowers.
Small Fruit Trees
Because they are small, attractive, and produce edible fruit, these trees are all quite popular with Oklahoma homeowners. They’ll fit well in modest-sized lots, and they’ll also contribute plenty of aesthetic charm in addition to the fruit they provide.
Just note that some may require additional water during extended droughts to thrive.
- Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana): Despite its common name, this tree is native to Oklahoma and produces beautiful blooms in the spring. Its fruit is not only attractive to humans but also to wildlife.
- Pawpaw (Asimina triloba): Though it’s native to the eastern portions of Oklahoma and the southeastern U.S., this tree looks like it hails from the tropics. Collecting the fruit before the local critters do can be challenging.
- Peach (Prunus persica): Peach trees thrive in Oklahoma’s warm weather, though they may need supplemental water during dry years. Select a late-blooming variety to avoid losing your fruit crop during late freezes.
Drought-Tolerant Trees for Dry Sites
One of the biggest tree-care challenges Oklahoma homeowners face is the frequent droughts our region experiences. You can often overcome this by providing supplemental water, but simply choosing drought-tolerant species is a better and easier option.
The following species tend to thrive well in dry portions of Oklahoma, while still offering a variety of benefits.
- Chinquapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii): The Chinquapin oak grows well in dry, rocky, alkaline soils and is remarkably drought resistant. A widely spreading tree, its canopy can extend for 80 feet or more.
- Lacebark Elm (Ulmus parvifolia): Also known as the Chinese elm, this tree has gorgeous bark and thrives in warm, dry conditions. Though it isn’t immune, this 60-foot-tall species is partially resistant to Dutch elm disease.
- Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa): Another Oklahoma native, the bur oak is a large, majestic tree that produces an attractive silhouette and tons of shade. Like most oaks, this species also provides great wildlife value.
Trees for Damp & Poorly Drained Sites
Drought may be one of the biggest considerations for homeowners in much of Oklahoma, but those living in the eastern portion of the state or along rivers and creeks may have the opposite problem: poorly drained, damp soils. Fortunately, there are several options that’ll work well in these areas.
- Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum): A magnificent swampland tree that can also tolerate droughts once established, this species often thrives in Oklahoma. It’s also one of the few conifers to provide fall color.
- River Birch (Betula nigra): The river birch thrives in wet soils, and it handles heat better than most other birches. It’s also resistant to bronze birch borer and bears peeling bark that provides year-round visual interest.
- Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor): An attractive member of the white oak group, the swamp white oak tolerates oak wilt better than red oaks and handles both occasional standing water and alkaline soils.
Evergreen Trees
If you’re looking for trees that’ll provide year-round privacy and wind-blocking value, evergreens are the obvious choice. Several species will grow well in Oklahoma, including relatively small species as well as true giants.
As a bonus, evergreens provide great habitat for birds and other animals during the winter.
- Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana): An Oklahoma native, the eastern redcedar is a hardy, drought-tolerant species. It produces berry-like blue cones and is available in a variety of cultivars, including columnar options.
- Arizona Cypress (Cupressus arizonica): This fast-growing tree can reach about 60 feet in height and is available in several cultivated varieties that bear attractive blue foliage. It’s also moderately resistant to cypress canker.
- Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda): Though it’s not native to our state, the loblolly pine grows well in eastern Oklahoma. It does need more moisture than some other species, but it’s a fast-growing tree that reaches 100 feet in height.
Good Fall Color
Good fall color is something many homeowners want, but it can be challenging to find species that thrive in Oklahoma and also produce gorgeous gold, orange, red, or purple foliage. However, there are a few good options available, which will help beautify your property each autumn.
It is, however, important to understand that fall color intensity can vary from one season to the next.
- Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum): Sugar maples are famous for their fall color, but many prefer cooler, wetter climates than Oklahoma offers. However, the ‘Caddo’ cultivar is native to our state and thrives here.
- Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica): An all-around rockstar of a tree, the blackgum produces fall color that is on par with the sugar maple. A long-lived tree, the blackgum also has attractive bark and purple-blue fruit.
- Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis): The Chinese pistache tolerates poor soils and high temperatures, and it produces gorgeous fall color. But stick to fruitless male cultivars, as the species can be invasive in some places.
Trust Elion Landscaping for the Tree-Care Help You Need!
No matter which tree species you decide to plant in your yard, it’s important to ensure that they get the ongoing care they need to thrive. Fortunately, that’s easy — simply partner with the professionals at Elion Landscaping. We can help prune your trees as needed and provide guidance for their care.
Contact us today to get started!
Sources & References
Tulsa Master Gardeners – “Trees for Tulsa”
An illustrated list of tree species suitable for the Tulsa region, with height/spread data and comments on adaptability in local soils and climates.
https://www.tulsamastergardeners.org/lawn–garden-help-1/ewExternalFiles/Trees%20for%20Tulsa.pdf tulsamastergardeners.org
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry – “Oklahoma Trees”
Provides guidance on tree selection, planting, and care across Oklahoma, including downloadable species-by-county spreadsheets and a Tree Owner’s Manual.
https://ag.ok.gov/oklahoma-trees/ Oklahoma Ag Department
Oklahoma State University Extension – “Tree Planting Guide”
Fact sheet detailing best practices for planting trees (when to plant, hole preparation, watering, mulching, staking) and includes recommended species lists for Oklahoma conditions.
https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/tree-planting-guide.html OSU Extension
Oklahoma State University Extension – “Caddo Sugar Maple”
Describes the native Oklahoma variant of sugar maple, its characteristics, adaptability to regional heat/drought, and suitability as a landscape/urban tree.
https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/oklahoma-proven/plant-profiles/caddo-sugar-maple.html
