11 Trees and Shrubs to Plant in April

Some gardeners are experiencing spring and summer weather by April, while others are still in the throes of winter conditions! Rain, snow, or ice may still be common in your area throughout early spring. This isn’t good for veggie starts, but it’s superb for planting woody trees or shrubs.

In areas with warm weather, it may be best to delay planting until fall weather returns. Transplants need cool, moist conditions while they adapt to new sites. This is especially true for deciduous species; they’ll struggle to grow roots when their leaves and flowers are actively growing. 

For most gardeners, this month is ideal for planting thousands of beautiful specimens. If the soil is workable, you can transplant. Grab a shovel, your tree or shrub, and a watering can. It’s time to get digging! These 11 tree and shrub species are perfect for planting in April. 

Roseum Pink Rhododendron

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Roseum Pink Rhododendron

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Nova Zembla Rhododendron

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Nova Zembla Rhododendron

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Transplanter

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Transplanter

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Japanese Maple

	botanical name Acer spp.
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 15-30’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Japanese maples adorn gardens with lacy, palmate leaves and colorful seed pods called “samaras.” They flutter to the ground in spring and summer and plant seeds in the soil. In some areas, the seeds sprout into baby Japanese maple seedlings! 

Aim to plant these deciduous trees before their buds open in spring. You may plant them after they leaf out, though they’ll need extra care and watering while they grow new roots. If the leaves, flowers, or samaras are open, it’s best to delay transplanting until the fall.

Japanese maples benefit from shade more than most other woody trees. Grant them dappled sunlight or partial shade with protection from harsh afternoon sunlight. They’ll form long, winding limbs under the canopies of larger species. 

Crab Apple

	botanical name Malus spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 10-32’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Crab apples are ornamental trees with tart fruit, lovely flowers, and stunning structures. They’re picturesque but hardy specimens, growing well in most North American gardens. Get them in the ground while they’re still dormant; they’ll reward you with spring blooms and crab apple clusters in autumn. 

You may also plant apple trees in April unless they’re already blooming and leafing out. Crab apples are less fussy. You’re not growing them for fruit but rather for their ornamental qualities. If you planted late, consider removing their blossoms and some branches. This will help the crab apples redirect energy toward root formation. 

Though most gardeners grow these woody species for their blooms, you may also harvest and preserve the fruits! They’re extremely tart, so consider blending them in jams or jellies with added sugar to help combat the sourness. 

Ginkgo

	botanical name Ginkgo biloba
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 50-80’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Ginkgos are old, majestic, and historical specimens! This prehistoric tree grew next to now-extinct animals. It sprouts two-lobed leaves that look like fans. They’re green as they emerge, and they turn a buttery yellow color in autumn as the weather cools. 

Ginkgos are tough, resisting drought, frost, and ice. The one thing about them is their smell—the female varieties sprout foul-smelling fruits at summer’s end. If you’d rather not have smelly fruits, find male ginkgo cultivars for your garden. Some, like ‘Fastigiata’ or ‘Princeton Sentry,’ are upright and tall, fitting nicely into tight spaces. 

Katsura Tree

	botanical name Cercidiphyllum japonicum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 40-60’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Katsuras are native to China and Japan, where they reach towering heights of 100 feet tall! The specimens stay much smaller in gardens, between 40 and 60 feet. They sprout round, heart-shaped, and reddish leaves in spring.

As summer arrives, the leaves shift to a blue-green hue while they grow larger. Then, in the fall, they turn brilliant shades of orange, red, and yellow, creating stunning focal points in your yard. 

Though this species appreciates planting before its buds open, it’ll adapt well while temperatures are low and the weather is mild. Avoid planting these specimens in April if you’re experiencing high temperatures and low rainfall; it might be better to wait until autumn. 

Mimosa Tree

	botanical name Albizia julibrissin
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 20-40’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Mimosa trees are surprisingly tropical in appearance despite their tolerance for frost and cold weather. Their lacy, fern-like foliage is bipinnately compound, meaning the stems have many tiny leaves that separate into smaller leaves. They’re incredibly decorative! 

Not only is the foliage beautiful, but so too are the flowers. They have tons of silk-like fragments, which is why you’ll see this tree also labeled as a “silk tree.” They’re pinky-white, and they attract bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.

Though these woody specimens are spectacular, they’re also invasive in warm regions like the South and the Midwest. Avoid planting where they naturalize in states like Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida. 

Little Leaf Linden

	botanical name Tilia cordata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 50-60’
	hardiness zones 3-7

Little leaf lindens shade landscapes with their lush, green leaves. They form large, well-rounded crowns and thick, gray trunks. Their leaves are similar to katsura trees, with rounded heart shapes. Plant a small sapling this April, and you’ll enjoy watching it mature into a lovely shade tree for decades.

Popular for wildlife, little leaf lindens offer nectar for critters and habitat space for nesting birds. You’ll see bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects fluttering to the site in spring and summer. 

Though this linden is excellent for North American gardens, it’s native to Europe. Consider growing a native species like the American, Carolina, Florida, or white linden. Native plants are declining in numbers, and planting them in your yard is a great way to boost their populations. 

Hornbeam

	botanical name Carpinus spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15-65’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Hornbeams decorate streets, botanical gardens, and arboretums, and they’re abundant in the wild! Various species are native to Europe, Asia, and North America. They’re perfect for home gardens, as some species and cultivars are small or narrow for tight spaces. 

‘Firespire’ is an excellent cultivar to plant; it’s a variety of the American hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana. It grows to 20 feet tall and stays under 10 feet wide. Non-native hornbeams like the European and monkey tail species are giant—they may reach up to 65 feet in the air! 

Grant hornbeams rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Adding a two to three-inch-thick layer of compost or a similar organic mulch on top of the soil will help insulate, feed, and protect the roots underneath. 

Seven-Son Flower

	botanical name Heptacodium miconioides
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10-20’
	hardiness zones 5-9

The seven-son flower is a large shrub or small tree with decorative foliage, blooms, and bark. It has four seasons of interest! In spring, the white flowers emerge in clusters before morphing into small fruits with bright red petal-like structures. The flowers and the fruits are attractive, creating a spectacle in your yard. 

Below the blooms, lush, green leaves decorate the peeling, brown bark. You’ll see the bark more in winter after the leaves fall to the ground. They’ll turn golden yellow with cool, autumn temperatures before they drop off their stems. 

This shrub is extremely tough and can handle an April planting in mild or cold climates. Train your specimen as a single-stem tree or a multi-stem shrub. How to shape it depends on your tastes—you can keep it small or let it grow as large as you want it to! Prune in late winter or early spring before the buds open.

Rose Spirea

	botanical name Spiraea douglasii
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-6’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Rose spirea is a native shrub of the West Coast, from Alaska south through California and west to Montana. It grows along streams, rivers, and lakesides where constant moisture is present. The shrub loves wet conditions and is perfect for moist gardens.

After planting, the shrub will grow many suckers from the ground. It’ll form a thicket over time, stabilizing banks and stream sides. Prune the stems in winter or early spring when they’re naked—you can see them better without leaves, which helps you make ideal pruning decisions. You may also cut them in spring or summer if they’re unruly and dense.

Grow rose spirea for its gorgeous, pollinator-attracting blooms. They’re rosy-pink and dense, erupting into bloom off long spires. Watch butterflies, bees, and pollinating insects flock to the site when they open. 

American Cranberry Bush

	botanical name Viburnum trilobum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-12’
	hardiness zones 2-7

This U.S. native shrub is perfect for cold gardens! The American cranberry bush is incredibly ornamental, and it sprouts edible, red fruits that are tart, semi-sweet, and nutritious. Get to them before the birds do to try them! The flowers are also spectacular, blooming in large, open clusters with showy petals on the outer ring. The green leaves turn bright red in the fall, offering rich colors to the autumn garden. 

A similar bush, the European cranberry, sprouts inedible fruits. Because it’s common in gardens, it’s hybridized with the native bushes and created new hybrids in the wild with inedible fruit. Only collect the red fruits off of bushes that are American cranberries, Viburnum trilobum. 

American cranberry bushes grow in wild spaces where there’s rich, moist soil. They’re common near streams and riversides like rose spirea. Grant your specimens plenty of direct sunlight and moist but well-drained soil. They’ll appreciate annual or biannual helpings of compost. 

Azalea and Rhododendron

	botanical name Rhododendron spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 2-10’
	hardiness zones 4-11

Azaleas and rhododendrons are old favorites in U.S. gardens. Some originate from the U.S., while many hail from Asia in mountainous regions. A few, like Vireya rhododendrons, are tropical, growing in warm, humid climates! Others, like the Pacific rhododendron and western azalea, are cool-loving species that prefer moist, temperate climates.

No matter where you live, there’s sure to be an azalea or rhododendron for you. If you can’t plant one in your yard, consider growing it in a pot. Many dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties of azaleas exist that stay small, compact, and dense.