15 Native Trees to Plant in New Hampshire This Fall

Fall is an excellent time to add native trees to a New Hampshire landscape. Cooler temperatures reduce stress on newly planted trees, while the soil usually remains warm enough for roots to become established before winter. Autumn rain can also reduce the amount of supplemental watering required.

Native trees are naturally suited to New Hampshire’s climate and growing conditions. They can provide food and shelter for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife while adding shade, privacy, fall color, and year-round beauty to your property.

Here are 15 native trees to consider planting in New Hampshire this fall.

1. Sugar Maple

Sugar maple is one of New Hampshire’s most recognizable native trees. It is famous for its brilliant orange, yellow, and red fall foliage and for producing the sap used to make maple syrup.

Plant a sugar maple in a location with full sun or partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. Give it plenty of room because a mature tree can develop a broad crown and reach 60 to 75 feet tall.

2. Eastern White Pine

Eastern white pine is a fast-growing evergreen and New Hampshire’s official state tree. Its soft, blue-green needles grow in bundles of five, giving the tree a graceful appearance.

This tree works well as a specimen, windbreak, privacy screen, or naturalized woodland planting. It prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soil but can adapt to several soil types. Mature white pines can become very tall, so plant them away from buildings and utility lines.

3. Red Maple

Red maple is a versatile native tree that can grow in wet areas as well as moderately dry locations. Its leaves often turn bright red, orange, or yellow during the fall.

The tree generally grows 40 to 60 feet tall and performs best in full sun or partial shade. Red maple is a useful choice for adding quick shade and dependable seasonal color to a yard.

4. Paper Birch

Paper birch is known for its bright white bark, which peels away in thin, papery layers. Its green leaves turn a clear golden yellow in autumn.

This cold-hardy tree prefers cool, moist soil and full sun or partial shade. It can be planted as a single tree or in a small group to create an attractive woodland setting. Paper birch may struggle in hot, dry, exposed sites, so choose its location carefully.

5. Yellow Birch

Yellow birch is a long-lived forest tree with golden, bronze-colored bark that curls into thin strips. Its leaves turn yellow in fall, adding soft color to woodland landscapes.

It grows best in cool, moist, well-drained soil and tolerates partial shade. Yellow birch can eventually reach 60 to 75 feet tall, making it most appropriate for larger properties and naturalized areas.

6. Northern Red Oak

Northern red oak is a strong, fast-growing shade tree with a wide-spreading canopy. Its deeply lobed leaves usually turn reddish-brown or deep red during autumn.

It prefers full sun and acidic, well-drained soil. Once established, it can tolerate occasional dry conditions. Its acorns provide an important source of food for deer, turkeys, squirrels, and other wildlife.

7. American Beech

American beech is a handsome native tree with smooth gray bark and dense green foliage. Its leaves turn golden bronze in fall, and young trees may retain some of their dry leaves throughout winter.

This tree grows well in rich, moist, well-drained soil and can tolerate partial shade. American beech produces nuts that feed birds and mammals, but it needs considerable space to develop its broad canopy.

8. Balsam Fir

Balsam fir is a fragrant evergreen with short, flat needles and a naturally symmetrical shape. It is closely associated with northern forests and is frequently used as a Christmas tree.

Plant balsam fir in cool, moist, acidic soil. It performs best in full sun or partial shade and may struggle in hot, dry locations. Its dense branches offer valuable winter protection for birds and small animals.

9. Eastern Hemlock

Eastern hemlock is a graceful evergreen with delicate branches and short, flat needles. It can be used as a specimen tree, an informal screen, or part of a shaded woodland garden.

Hemlock grows well in partial shade and prefers cool, moist, well-drained soil. Avoid hot, exposed planting sites. Because hemlock woolly adelgid can damage these trees, inspect them regularly for white, cotton-like material along the twigs.

10. Black Cherry

Black cherry is a native tree with clusters of white spring flowers followed by small dark fruits. Birds and other wildlife eagerly consume the fruit, while the leaves turn yellow or reddish in autumn.

It grows best in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. A mature black cherry may reach 50 to 80 feet tall. The fallen leaves, twigs, and wilted foliage can be toxic to livestock, so avoid planting it near grazing animals.

11. Quaking Aspen

Quaking aspen gets its name from its rounded leaves, which flutter and tremble in the slightest breeze. Its smooth, pale bark and bright yellow fall foliage help it stand out in the landscape.

This fast-growing tree prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soil. It spreads through underground roots and may form a grove, making it better suited to natural areas and larger properties than small, formal yards.

12. Shagbark Hickory

Shagbark hickory develops distinctive strips of peeling bark as it matures. Its compound leaves turn golden yellow in autumn, and its nuts provide food for wildlife.

Plant it in full sun and deep, well-drained soil. Shagbark hickory develops a strong taproot and can be difficult to transplant once established, so younger nursery-grown trees are usually the best choice.

13. White Oak

White oak is a magnificent, long-lived native tree that produces a wide canopy and rounded leaves. Fall foliage can range from reddish-purple to warm brown.

The tree prefers full sun and deep, well-drained soil. It grows more slowly than some other shade trees, but it can live for generations. Its acorns support deer, squirrels, turkeys, and numerous other animals.

14. Serviceberry

Serviceberry is a smaller native tree that works well in residential yards. It produces clusters of white flowers in spring, edible purple-red berries in summer, and colorful orange or red leaves in fall.

Depending on the variety and growing conditions, serviceberry may reach 15 to 30 feet tall. Plant it in full sun or partial shade with moist, well-drained soil. Its berries are especially attractive to songbirds.

15. Northern White Cedar

Northern white cedar, also called arborvitae, is an evergreen tree with flat sprays of scale-like foliage. It can provide year-round privacy, wind protection, and wildlife cover.

This tree prefers moist soil and can tolerate areas that are wetter than many other evergreens. It grows in full sun or partial shade. Protect young trees from deer, which may heavily browse the foliage during winter.

Tips for Planting Native Trees in the Fall

Plant trees early enough for their roots to begin settling into the soil before the ground freezes. In most parts of New Hampshire, September through October is a useful planting period, although local weather and elevation can affect the timing.

Dig a hole approximately two to three times wider than the root ball but no deeper than the root system. The root flare—the point where the trunk begins to widen—should remain at or slightly above ground level.

Backfill the hole with the original soil and water thoroughly to remove large air pockets. Add two to three inches of mulch around the tree, keeping the mulch several inches away from the trunk. Continue watering when the soil begins to dry, even after the leaves have fallen, until the ground freezes.

Avoid adding large amounts of fertilizer at planting time. Newly planted trees benefit more from proper placement, consistent moisture, and protection from deer, rodents, lawn equipment, and winter damage.

Choosing the Right Tree for Your Property

Before selecting a tree, consider its mature height, canopy width, sunlight requirements, soil preferences, and tolerance for moisture. A tree that is attractive when young may eventually become too large for a space near a house, driveway, power line, or septic system.

Smaller trees such as serviceberry can fit comfortably into residential landscapes, while white pine, sugar maple, white oak, and yellow birch generally need more room. Balsam fir and eastern hemlock are good options for cooler sites, while red maple and northern white cedar can handle wetter ground.

Planting native trees this fall can bring lasting beauty and ecological value to your New Hampshire property. With thoughtful placement and proper early care, these trees can provide shade, color, privacy, and wildlife habitat for many years to come.