Best Trees to Plant in the Twin Cities (2026)

After emerald ash borer, Dutch elm, and oak wilt, the Twin Cities canopy needs diversity. Here's what to plant — by use case.

Best shade trees

1. Bur oak

The Minnesota classic. Bulletproof, tornado-tough, lives 200+ years. Slow start (5 ft / year), worth the wait.

2. Hackberry

Native, fast, beautiful warty bark. No serious pests. Tolerates city pollution and salt. Underused.

3. Kentucky coffeetree

Drought-tolerant, no pests, dramatic compound leaves. Slow but reliable.

4. Disease-resistant elm hybrids

• Princeton — restored Dutch-elm resistance, classic vase shape.
• Valley Forge — hardiest of the new elms.
• Triumph — hybrid, fast.

5. Swamp white oak

Faster than bur oak, tolerates wet soil, stunning fall color.

Best small / ornamental

6. Serviceberry (Juneberry)

4-season interest: white spring flowers, edible June berries, orange fall color, smooth gray bark in winter. Twin Cities favorite.

7. Ironwood (Hop Hornbeam)

Tough, slow, gorgeous catkins. Tolerates shade. Native.

8. Pagoda dogwood

Native, layered horizontal branching, cream flowers, blue berries.

9. American hazelnut

Multi-stem, edible nuts, brilliant fall color.

Best evergreens

10. White pine

Twin Cities classic. Tall, soft needles, holds snow beautifully.

11. Black Hills spruce

Compact alternative to Colorado blue spruce (which gets needle cast disease in MN).

12. White spruce

Tougher than blue spruce, similar size.

13. Eastern red cedar

Native, drought-tolerant, attracts cedar waxwings.

Best fast-growing (with caveats)

14. River birch

Fast, gorgeous peeling bark. Borer-resistant (unlike paper birch). Plant in clumps of 3.

15. Tulip poplar

Fast, dramatic flowers, towering. Needs space.

Avoid these

• Ash (any species) — EAB will get it.
• Colorado blue spruce — needle cast disease shortens it to 20–30 years in MN.
• Bradford pear — splits at the central union, escapes to woodland as invasive.
• Norway maple — invasive, shallow roots, allelopathic.
• Black walnut near gardens — juglone kills tomatoes, peppers, many ornamentals.
• Silver maple — weak, brittle, drops huge limbs in storms.
• Cottonwood — same problem at 3x the size.

Planting tips

• Best months: late April–early June, early September–mid-October.
• Hole: 2–3x the root ball width, same depth as the root ball (don't bury the trunk flare).
• Mulch: 2–3 inches, never against the trunk.
• Water: deeply once a week for the first 2 years.
• Stake only if needed, remove stakes after 1 year.

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