How to Plant Trees

How To Plant Trees

These video clips illustrate proper planting techniques. They are taken from our Tree Planting Resource Kit for Volunteers. Click on any picture below to view a video.

Bare Root Trees

Balled & Burlapped Trees

Containerized Trees

You can view the videos if you have Macromedia Flash Player or Microsoft Windows Media Player installed on your computer. They are both free downloads.

1. What trees will grow well in my area? 2. How to I know where to plant my trees? 3. Where can I buy trees? What is my arborday.org hardiness zone?

Enter your zip code in the form below, and we'll tell you where you fall in the Arborday.org Hardiness zones database. More about arborday.org hardiness zones.

Note: If the map that displays your zone appears inaccurate, you may be in a microclimate. Click here for a detailed explanation.

Enter the first five digits of the ZIP code below: Look it up!

What are Hardiness Zones?

The Plant Hardiness Zones divide the United States and Canada into 11 areas based on a 10 degree Fahrenheit difference in the average annual minimum temperature. (The United States falls within Zones 2 through 10). For example, the lowest average temperature in Zone 2 is -50 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, while the minimum average temperature in zone 10 is +30 to +40 degrees Fahrenheit. See more.

Suggested hardiness zones have been indicated for all trees and perennials available online from the Foundation. If a range of zones, for example, zones 4-9, is indicated, the tree or perennial is known to be hardy in zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Suitable hardiness means a plant can be expected to grow in the zone's temperature extremes, as determined by the lowest average annual temperature.

Keep in mind that local variations such as moisture, soil, winds, and other conditions might affect the viability of individual plants. Webmasters: Would you like to add the arborday.org hardiness zone lookup to your site? We now offer a FREE, convenient tool to allow your visitors to look up their hardiness zone from your site. Click here to learn more.

Illustrations:

Click here to take the quiz.

A healthy community forest begins with careful planning. With a little research and a simple layout, you can produce a landscape that will cool your home in summer and tame the winter winds. Your well-planned yard will contain trees that grow well in the soil and moisture of your neighborhood. Your trees will be properly placed to avoid collisions with power lines and buildings, and the aesthetics will increase your property value.

A proper landscape plan takes each tree into consideration:

1. Height. Will the tree bump into anything when it is fully grown? [sizing guide] 2. Canopy spread. How wide will the tree grow? 3. Is the tree deciduous or coniferous? (Will it lose its leaves in the winter?) 4. Form or shape. A columnar tree will grow in less space. Round and V-Shaped species provide the most shade. [shape guide] 5. Growth rate. How long will it take for your tree to reach its full height? Slow growing species typically live longer than fast growing species. 6. Soil, sun, and moisture requirements. 7. Fruit. No one wants messy droppings on busy sidewalks. 8. Hardiness zone indicates the temperature extremes in which a tree can be expected to grow. For the purposes of this quiz hardiness zone considerations have been disregarded. Check with your community's tree board or forestry department or a local county cooperative extension agent for a list of trees suitable for planting in your specific hardiness zone. (Arborday.org hardiness zones lookup.)

We have developed a quiz to help you learn how the characteristics of trees influence how and where they should be planted.

This project was supported by the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program on the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC.) In order to view the quiz, you must have the latest Macromedia Flash player installed on your computer. If you do not, you can download it for free by clicking on the "Get Flash" icon.

The character of tree crowns and the form or shape of trees varies among species as much as leaf shapes or bark patterns. Shape is another clue to how well a tree will fit the space you have available, what problems might occur, and how well it will help meet the goals you have for your property.

Microclimates

Some zip codes are in small areas that are warmer or cooler than the surrounding area. These areas, called microclimates, are often associated with urbanization or steep elevation changes, and many are too small to show on our map. If it looks on the map like your zip code should be in a different hardiness zone than the one we provide for you, your zip code is probably in a microclimate that is too small to represent on the map.

A good example of this is Chicago, Illinois. Several zip codes for the city of Chicago bring up zones 5-6.

Microclimates occur in most large cities due to the urbanization effect that buildings bring about. In addition, regions of the country with bodies of water or mountains may contain "pockets." These climatic pockets mirror warmer or cooler zones than the surrounding region. Texas is Hardy Zone #8

The National Arbor Day Foundation has recently completed an extensive updating of U.S. Hardiness Zones based upon data from 5,000 National Climatic Data Center cooperative stations across the continental United States.