In part three of our Fall Planting Series, we’re looking at trees for all seasons! We’ve previously covered perennials and shrubs for a beautiful garden and landscape all year long.
Planting trees in your yard can improve your property value and make your yard a more beautiful place year-round. Many trees look their best in spring when they’re in full bloom, or their leaves have just come out. But they can look a bit boring the rest of the year, blending in with all the other foliage around.
With a little bit of planning and some research, you can add the right combination of trees to your yard that will give you beautiful visual interest in each season, spring, summer, fall, and even winter.
Our Fall Planting Series celebrates the art of selecting trees that add value to your Bismarck garden throughout the changing seasons. From the burst of fall colors to the serene elegance of winter, these trees are chosen not only for their aesthetic appeal but also for their ability to thrive in the distinctive climate of North Dakota.
Here is a collection of trees, sorted by their best season of beauty, all hardy enough to grow in Bismarck. Some of these trees do double duty with more than one season of interest!
"Planting trees in your yard can improve your property value and make your yard a more beautiful place year-round."
Trees for Spring Color
As the frost of winter gives way to the gentle warmth of spring, the canvas of nature begins to transform. One of the most impactful ways to usher in the season is by selecting trees that paint the landscape with vibrant hues. Let’s explore a curated selection of trees that promise to infuse your outdoor space with the colors of spring.
Cherry tree blossoms make great tourist spots for a reason. Few sights rival the delicate beauty of cherry blossoms in spring. With their ephemeral charm, cherry trees paint the landscape in shades of pink and white. Planted along walkways or as a focal point in your Bismarck garden, these trees infuse an air of timeless elegance, harmonizing with the unique beauty of the region.
Dogwood trees are the watercolor artists of spring, showcasing blooms in soft pinks, whites, and even vibrant reds. Their layered blossoms create a captivating display, making them ideal for both ornamental and focal planting in the unique landscape of Bismarck.
Crabapple trees burst into spring in Bismarck with a profusion of blossoms in various colors, from soft pinks to deep reds. Beyond their ornamental appeal, they often bear small fruits, adding an extra layer of interest to your garden against the vast North Dakota landscape.
Forsythias announce the arrival of spring in Bismarck with their golden-yellow blooms. Planted along borders or as hedging, these vigorous bloomers create a visual spectacle, signaling the end of winter’s grasp in this unique part of North Dakota.
Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry trees are perfect for smaller yards, or planting underneath power lines. They’re covered with charming white flowers in the spring and have beautiful fall colors. They’re a great small shade tree with 3-season beauty.
Mt. Frost Pear is the hardiest ornamental pear available. It grows in a symmetrical upright oval shape and features stunning clusters of pink buds that turn into pretty white flowers with purple anthers in mid-spring. The leaves turn a beautiful burgundy in the fall.
You can’t beat Centennial Star Magnolia for zone 4. You might associate magnolia with warmer climates, but Star Magnolia is tough as nails. It’s a bit of a smaller tree, excellent for smaller yards. It puts out beautiful white star-shaped flowers in the spring, and they last quite a long time. In fall, its leaves turn coppery-yellow, and when they drop, they reveal the buds for next year’s flowers, adding delicate winter interest.
Trees for Summer Color
As the plains of North Dakota bask in the summer sun, this is the perfect time to infuse your outdoor space in Bismarck with the vibrant hues that define the season. Choosing trees that blossom in summer becomes an integral part of crafting an oasis where the colors of nature come alive.
Crape Myrtles take center stage in the summer drama, boasting an explosion of blossoms in shades of red, pink, and white. These versatile trees not only provide stunning blooms but also exhibit exquisite bark patterns, adding year-round interest to your Bismarck garden.
For a cascade of sunshine in your Bismarck garden, the Golden Chain Tree is an exquisite choice. Its pendulous clusters of golden-yellow flowers drape gracefully, creating a visual spectacle that captures the essence of a golden summer day.
While often associated with spring, some magnolia varieties continue to enchant with sporadic summer blooms. Their large, fragrant flowers add a touch of luxury to your Bismarck garden, making them a delightful choice for those warm summer evenings.
Hydrangeas are summer’s chameleons, offering a spectrum of colors from soft pinks to vibrant blues. Planted as shrubs or small trees, they become the embodiment of versatility, adapting to various garden styles and complementing the North Dakota summer palette.
Schubert Chokecherry adds rich color to the summer palette. Its leaves emerge green in spring, but they start to turn a dark reddish-purple in mid-summer. They maintain this rich color until they drop their leaves in late fall. The berries are tasty, though very tart, and they make delicious syrups and jams.
Ornamental Crabapples also offer multi-season interest. In spring, they’re smothered in pretty pink or white flowers, which bees love. Once the flowers fall, the leaves and pretty red or pink mini-apples start to appear. The apples look beautiful all summer long, and they even hang on through fall and winter after the leaves drop. The leaves on some varieties of ornamental crabapples turn a brilliant red in the fall.
The Royal Red Maple is a unique and striking Norwegian maple. It’s leaves are a brilliant crimson red throughout the summer, and in the fall they turn a rich dark purple, almost black. It is one of the hardiest Maples available. It has a balanced oval shape and may get as tall as 40 feet!
Trees for Fall Color
As the temperatures begin to cool on the North Dakota plains, the anticipation of fall colors heightens. Choosing the right trees becomes pivotal in crafting a landscape that mirrors the rich and warm tones of autumn.
Sweet Gum trees grace the fall landscape with star-shaped leaves that turn brilliant shades of red, orange, and burgundy. These deciduous beauties add a touch of whimsy to your garden, creating a mesmerizing display against the Bismarck backdrop.
Oaks, with their sturdy presence, bring enduring elegance to the autumn palette. Their deep red and russet-colored leaves linger longer, providing a backdrop of sophistication that stands out amidst the changing seasons.
While famed for their spring blooms, certain Dogwood varieties contribute to the fall spectacle with vibrant stem colors. Reds, oranges, and yellows characterize these shrubs, providing a unique and artistic element to your Bismarck garden.
River Birch is another multi-season tree. The River Birch grows quite tall, and in the autumn, their leaves turn a beautiful bright yellow before dropping. The white peeling park of river birch is gorgeous all year, but it adds an interesting contrast against a backdrop of evergreens during the winter.
The Sugar Maple is a classic, colorful fall tree that delivers beautiful maple leaves in orange and yellow shades. The bonus is that, once the tree is over 30 years old, they can be tapped for maple syrup!
Sumacs are a reliable, classic tree. There are several different varieties available, and they are each beautiful in their own ways. Fall leaves vary from type to type but are usually bright red, yellow, or orange.
Trees for Winter Color
As winter unfolds its icy embrace over North Dakota, the opportunity arises to adorn your outdoor haven with trees that capture the essence of the season. Choosing the right trees becomes a thoughtful process in crafting a landscape that radiates elegance in the midst of winter’s serenity.
Paperbark Birch trees shine in winter with their peeling, cinnamon-colored bark. Against a snowy canvas, these trees stand out as sculptures of elegance, adding a touch of warmth to the winter garden.
Winterberry Holly adds a splash of color to the winter scene with its bright red berries. These deciduous shrubs create a striking contrast against the snow, providing both visual interest and a food source for winter birds in Bismarck.
While often celebrated for their fall foliage, certain Japanese maple varieties offer an elegant silhouette in winter. The ‘Coral Bark’ Japanese Maple, in particular, showcases vivid red branches against the winter landscape.
Concolor Fir trees exhibit graceful branches and soft needles that retain their green hue throughout the winter. These evergreens bring a sense of tranquility and continuity to your Bismarck garden, even in the coldest months.
Colorado Blue Spruce is a popular and sought-after evergreen. It has large strong branches, and beautiful silvery-blue needles. This variety of spruce is tough and hardy, and has a balanced conical shape. If you want classic evergreen with unique coloring, this is an excellent choice! It works really well as a windbreak.
Mountain Ash is a hardy and easy-to-grow tree. They drop their leaves, but their large clusters of orange-red berries stick around through the winter, at least until the cedar waxwings arrive! The berries are a popular late winter food source for many Bismarck birds.
‘Winter Sun’ Mugo Pine is a hardy and dense evergreen shrub. It grows in a compact, rounded mound, and looks great in rock gardens. Its foliage is emerald green during the warmer seasons, but in the cooler months it features bold yellow shades. Its a very low-maintenance shrub, and creates beautiful soft pillow shapes when its covered in snow.
If you’re choosing new trees for your yard, you can’t go wrong with this list of options. Stop by the garden center to see what we have in stock.