12 Best Garden Trees for Zone 8 (Beautiful & Easy to Grow)

Discover 12 of the best garden trees for USDA Zone 8, plus simple tips to help you choose the right tree for your space, style, and growing conditions.

From purely decorative enjoyment to providing light shade for your more delicate plantings, garden trees can be a beautiful and beneficial addition to your landscape.

Tips for Selecting Garden Trees

When choosing a tree for your garden, carefully consider how well it will suit its intended location. A primary determinant of this is garden size. The following collection of trees are of various sizes, and vary widely in terms of litter production and root attributes. This might make them less or more suitable for your landscape, so make sure you do your research.

Some things you should consider when choosing a tree include, but aren’t limited to:

• Size
• Lifespan
• Water needs
• Sun exposure
• Soil preference
• Growth rate
• Litter production
• Root habit
• How much shade the tree provides and how that will affect your garden

All of these trees have special features or attributes that make them stand out in a garden setting. From graceful habit to attractive bark, from showstopping flower displays to striking fall color, we’re sure you’ll fall in love with these beautiful trees as much as we have!

If you’re looking for beautiful and effective shade trees, be sure to check out our post on The Best Shade Trees for Zone 8.

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 5-8
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Slow to moderate
• Height: 15-20 feet
• Width: 15-20 feet
• Sun Exposure: Partial to full sun
• Water Needs: Moderate water

With it’s airy and delicate structure, lacey leaves and beautiful color, it’s no wonder the Japanese Maple is a beloved garden tree! In general, Japanese Maples prefer filtered shade and protection from hot, dry winds, but they make a beautiful and enchanting addition to any garden.

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 5-9
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Height: 15-30 feet
• Width: 15-30 feet
• Sun Exposure: Partial to full sun
• Water Needs: Regular water

The Flowering Dogwood makes a lovely garden tree. It is practically covered with flowers in midspring with bright green, oval leaves turning glowing red in the fall. Mature trees are often wider than they are tall, and have a gently rounded or almost flat crown.

Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 4-9
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Height: 20-30 feet
• Width: 25-35 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
• Water Needs: Moderate to regular water

While all of the Redbud species are lovely, the Eastern Redbud is the largest and fastest growing of the redbuds. While other species tend to take on a shrub-like shape, the Eastern redbud is the most apt to take on a tree form. With it’s showy display of pink flowers in spring, handsome rich green foliage and graceful form, what’s there not to love?

Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 7-11
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Height: 15-30 feet
• Width: 10-20 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
• Water Needs: Little to moderate water

The Desert Willow has narrow, willow-type leaves and produces fragrant, trumpet-shaped blossoms. Flower color varies, but can be different shades of red, purple, pink or white. This tree grows rapidly at first, then slows, developing shaggy bark and twisting trunks with age. The Desert Willow is a great option for drought-prone areas.

Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 4-9
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Height: 20-30 feet
• Width: 25-30 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
• Water Needs: Regular water

While the entire family of magnolias are magnificent flowering plants (and there are many species to choose from!), the Saucer Magnolia is our favorite garden magnolia. It is a moderate growth rate, medium size tree that is adaptable to a wide range of soil types. Not to mention, its large, fragrant early spring blossoms, lush summertime foliage and silvery gray bark make it a stunning landscape tree.

Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 6-9
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Rapid
• Height: 20-40 feet
• Width: 20-50 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
• Water Needs: Regular water

Also known as Mimosa Tree, this beauty has showy, fluffy pink flowers resembling pincushions and fern-like, feathery leaves. Its exotic appearance paired with its fast growth and hardiness make it a popular choice as an ornamental tree.

Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 4-8
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Slow
• Height: 20-30 feet
• Width: 15-25 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
• Water Needs: Moderate to regular water

Noted for its beautiful reddish, peeling bark and striking fall color, the Paperbark Maple is a prized landscape tree. Its leaves are divided into three coarsely toothed leaflets, dark green above and silvery blue-green underneath. It is a small, spreading tree that is highly attractive year-round.

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 7-10
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
• Height: to 25 feet
• Width: to 25 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Water Needs: Moderate water

Crape Myrtle thrives in hot-summer regions. With its showy summer flowers, striking bark and brilliant fall color, this small tree or shrub is attractive year-round. When trained as a tree, it develops a graceful trunk and branch structure. Flower color varies by variety, but ranges from dark purple and red to lavender, light pink and white.

Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 3-8
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Fast
• Height: 35-70 feet
• Width: 25-35 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Water Needs: Moderate to regular water

With its pale to bright green, fernlike leaves adorning graceful arching branches, the Honey Locust is a lovely tree. It does best in areas with sharply defined winters and hot summers. Although the trunks and branches of honey locust are formidably thorny, there are several selections of thornless varieties available.

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 5-8
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Rapid
• Height: 90+ feet
• Width: 20 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Water Needs: Regular water

The Dawn Redwood is a pyramidal tree with small cones and soft, pale green needles creating a lovely feathery appearance. Foliage turns light bronze in autumn, then drop to reveal an attractive winter silhouette. Reddish bark turns dark and fissured with age, with a fluted trunk at the base. The Dawn Redwood was thought to be extinct until it was discovered in a few isolated sites in China during the 1940s. It is now grown worldwide.

Goldenchain Tree (Laburnum anagyroides)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 5-8
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
• Height: 20-30 feet
• Width: 15-20 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun in hotter climates
• Water Needs: Moderate to regular water

Goldenchain tree has attractive green bark and bright green leaves. It’s most striking feature is its yellow, sweet pea-shaped flowers that hang in clusters similar to those of wisteria. A weeping variety, ‘Pendulum’ is also available.

Japanese Snowbell Tree (Styrax japonicus)

Quick Facts:

• USDA Zones 5-8
• Foliage Type: Deciduous
• Growth Rate: Slow
• Height: 20-30 feet
• Width: 15-25 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
• Water Needs: Moderate water

Japanese Snowbell, also known as Japanese Snowdrop Tree, is a charming small tree. It has a slender, graceful trunk and broad, spreading habit. Its most celebrated feature is its lovely white, bell-shaped flowers hanging in clusters during spring.

Choosing the Right Garden Tree for Your Zone 8 Landscape

The best garden tree is one that fits your space, soil, and lifestyle. By considering size, sunlight, water needs, and long-term growth, you can choose a tree that will thrive for years to come. Take your time, plan thoughtfully, and you’ll be rewarded with a landscape that only gets better with age.