15 Native Trees to Grow in New York This Fall

New York’s autumn colors make it easy to imagine planting a tree of your own. Native trees can bring shade, wildlife habitat, and seasonal beauty to a yard, but the best choice depends on your soil, available space, and where you live in the state.

Fall is a good time to plant many young trees while the soil is still workable. If you want to grow trees from seed, autumn is also a useful time to collect or sow certain species. Seed requirements vary, so check the instructions for the exact tree you choose.

1. Sugar Maple

Sugar maple is a classic choice for brilliant yellow and orange fall color. It needs room to become a large shade tree and does best in well-drained soil. Give it space away from buildings and overhead wires.

2. Red Maple

Red maple can produce striking red autumn foliage. It tolerates a wider range of soil moisture than sugar maple, making it worth considering where the ground stays moderately moist.

3. Serviceberry

If you have a smaller yard, serviceberry is a lovely place to start. It offers spring flowers, fruit for birds, and colorful fall leaves without the size of a full-grown oak or maple.

4. Black Gum

Black gum, also called black tupelo, is prized for vivid red fall color. Its attractive shape makes it a standout specimen tree where it has enough room to grow.

5. Northern Red Oak

Northern red oak grows into a substantial shade tree. Its acorns can support wildlife, and its broad canopy can become a defining feature of a large yard.

6. White Oak

White oak is another long-term choice for a spacious property. Plant it where its mature crown can spread freely, rather than trying to fit it into a narrow planting strip.

7. Swamp White Oak

Swamp white oak is worth considering for a site that holds more moisture than a typical upland yard. Like other oaks, it needs generous room to mature.

8. River Birch

River birch brings texture as well as foliage: its peeling bark gives it interest after the leaves have fallen. It is a good candidate for a moist site, provided the tree still has space to spread.

9. Eastern White Pine

Eastern white pine adds soft evergreen color through the winter. It can grow very large, so think beyond the size of the young tree when choosing its location. For a fall planting, give it time to establish before severe cold arrives.

10. Balsam Fir

Balsam fir offers the familiar look of a northern evergreen. It is especially fitting for a cooler site where you want year-round greenery.

11. Eastern Hemlock

Eastern hemlock can grow in shade and has graceful, fine-textured branches. Choose its location carefully and watch for hemlock woolly adelgid, a pest that threatens hemlocks in New York.

12. Shagbark Hickory

The long, curling strips of bark make shagbark hickory memorable even in winter. It is a large tree for someone with room to let it grow into its natural form.

13. Northern Hackberry

Northern hackberry is a practical option for a sunny site with average to somewhat dry soil. Its fruit can also provide food for birds.

14. Eastern Red Cedar

Eastern red cedar is an evergreen that suits a sunny, relatively dry spot. It can provide shelter and visual interest when deciduous trees are bare.

15. American Basswood

American basswood, also called American linden, is a large native shade tree. Its flowers attract pollinators, making it an appealing choice where you have plenty of space for its mature canopy.

How to Get a Tree Started This Fall

Begin with the site. Check how much sun it receives, whether the soil stays wet or drains quickly, and how much room the tree will have when mature. Conditions vary across New York, so a tree that thrives in one yard may struggle in another.

When planting a nursery-grown tree, keep the root flare—the widened area where the trunk meets the roots—at or slightly above the soil surface. Water thoroughly, then add mulch over the surrounding soil while keeping it away from the trunk. Continue watering during dry weather until the ground freezes. Plant evergreens early enough in fall to give their roots time to settle in.

If you are starting with seeds, follow species-specific germination instructions. Some native tree seeds need a period of cold, moist conditions before they sprout; others have different requirements. Label what you sow, protect seeds and young seedlings from animals, and be patient. Growing a tree from seed takes longer than planting a sapling, but watching it develop can be part of the reward.

The best native tree is one that fits your yard for decades to come. Choose for mature size and site conditions first, then enjoy the flowers, foliage, bark, or evergreen color that follows.