If you are picking out new trees for your yard, you want to get it right the first time. Planting the best trees to plant in Georgia takes a little know how, because our red clay, our humid summers, and our storm season are tougher on trees than a lot of other parts of the country. Pick the right tree and it will shade your house and add value for decades. Pick the wrong one and you might be calling a tree service in ten years to deal with a mess.
We have pulled stumps and cleared storm damage from thousands of yards across Cobb, Fulton, Cherokee, Gwinnett, and Forsyth counties. Some trees just do better here than others. Here is what we tell our neighbors when they ask what to plant.
The best trees to plant in Georgia yards
These are the trees we see thrive year after year in Metro Atlanta soil and weather. Most of them handle our clay, our heat, and our occasional ice storm without much fuss, and homeowners ask us about several of these by name.
Willow oak and swamp white oak
Oaks are the backbone of a lot of great Georgia yards. Willow oak grows fast for an oak, has a nice rounded shape, and does not mind wet clay soil. Swamp white oak is another solid pick if your yard holds water after a hard rain. Both give you strong wood and good shade, and neither one is prone to snapping in a storm the way some faster growing trees are.
Eastern redbud
If you want spring color without a giant tree, redbud is hard to beat. It stays small, usually under 30 feet, and it puts out purple pink blooms in early spring before the leaves come in. It handles part shade and full sun, and it is a native tree, so it is already built for our clay and our weather swings.
Crape myrtle
You see crape myrtle all over Atlanta for good reason. It blooms through the hottest part of summer when a lot of other trees are just trying to survive, it tolerates drought once it is established, and it comes in sizes from a small shrub to a 25 foot tree. Just do not let anyone "crape murder" it by hacking the top off every winter. A light prune is all it needs.
Southern magnolia
For a big evergreen statement tree, southern magnolia is a classic. It keeps its glossy leaves year round, handles our humidity without complaint, and the white blooms in late spring smell incredible. Give it room. This is not a tree for a small front yard, since it can reach 60 to 80 feet with a wide canopy.
Bald cypress
Bald cypress handles wet spots better than almost anything else on this list, which makes it a great choice if part of your yard stays soggy. It is technically a conifer but drops its needles in fall, and it stands up well to wind, which matters when storm season rolls through.
Trees to think twice about in Georgia
Not every popular tree is a good fit here. A few varieties get planted a lot and then cause headaches five or ten years later.
- Bradford pear: It grows fast and blooms pretty in spring, but the branch structure is weak and it tends to split apart in wind or ice. We cover this in more detail in our guide to Bradford pear tree problems, and honestly, most arborists in Georgia will tell you to skip this one entirely.
- Silver maple: Fast growth sounds great until you realize the wood is soft and brittle. Silver maples drop limbs in storms more than almost any other common shade tree, and the roots are aggressive enough to lift sidewalks and driveways.
- Leyland cypress: Popular for privacy screens, but it grows shallow roots and gets top heavy. In our clay soil, a long row of Leyland cypress can topple in a single bad storm, especially if the ground is already saturated.
- Water oak: It grows quickly and looks fine for the first couple decades, but water oak has a reputation for developing internal rot and dropping large limbs with little warning as it ages.
None of these trees are illegal to plant, and plenty of yards have them without issue. But if you are starting from scratch, these are not the best trees to plant in Georgia if you want low stress ownership.
Georgia red clay changes the math
Our clay soil holds water differently than sandy or loamy soil. It can stay soggy for days after a storm, then bake hard as a brick in a dry August. Trees with shallow, wide root systems tend to struggle here because the roots cannot always get a firm hold in clay that shifts between wet and dry.
When you plant, dig the hole wider than you think you need, and roughen up the sides so roots do not simply circle a smooth clay bowl. Skip the fertilizer for the first year too. A young tree needs to grow roots outward into the native soil instead of feeding on whatever you put in the hole.
How far from the house should you plant
A good rule of thumb is to plant large shade trees at least 15 to 20 feet from your foundation, and small ornamental trees like redbud or crape myrtle can go closer, around 8 to 10 feet. Roots and branches both need room to grow without running into your house, your driveway, or your sewer line. If a tree is already planted too close and you are worried about roots near your foundation, our post on tree roots and foundation damage walks through what to watch for.
Planning around storm season
Georgia storm season usually ramps up in spring and stays active into summer, and the trees you plant now will be dealing with wind and heavy rain for decades. Picking species with strong wood and a solid root structure, and giving them enough space to grow a healthy root system, does more for storm safety than almost anything else you can do. We put together a full guide on how to protect your trees from storms if you want more detail on pruning and bracing for existing trees.
If you already have a tree on your property that looks weak, leaning, or half dead, it might make more sense to remove it and start fresh with something sturdier. Our team can walk your yard and tell you honestly whether a tree is worth keeping. Take a look at our guide on signs you need problem tree removal if that sounds like your situation.
Get help picking the right tree for your yard
Every yard is a little different. Sun, drainage, soil compaction, and how close you are to power lines all affect which of the best trees to plant in Georgia will actually do well at your place. If you want a second opinion before you plant, or you need an old tree removed to make room for something better, give Stanton Tree Service a call at (470) 914-3402 for a free estimate. We have planted plenty of trees, and pulled plenty of stumps, all over Metro Atlanta, and we are happy to tell you straight what will work in your yard.