This deciduous conifer will grow pretty much anywhere you plant it, including standing water. Yet it’s also quite drought tolerant once established. Some can grow to be quite large, but the dwarfish ‘Peve Minaret’ rarely gets taller than 20 feet. I’ve got three of them, which is to say I love them. Fall color is basically rust, but in a good way.

You simply can’t go wrong with this tree. It grows at a pretty impressive clip, as in up to two feet a year, and tops out at around 35 feet. Fall color is rather variable, from yellow to orange-red, but it can be spectacular.

Reaching a height of around 50 feet at maturity, this is another outstanding choice. It’ll grow in moist bottomlands and dry, elevated sites with equal vigor. Fall color comes on a little late in the season, and is most often a respectable brownish red.

Also known as black gum, this is one of my favorite trees, especially the cultivars whose leaves emerge red, then mature to dark green, then turn yellow-orange to purple-red in fall. And talk about adaptable! It’ll grow in a swamp or a dry spot with no problem. Will reach close to 50 feet at maturity, and along the way the bark begins to look like alligator skin. What’s more, bees love the tiny white flowers that appear in spring, and birds love the fruit that follows.

Maxing out at around 25 feet, this is a great choice for smaller properties. Leaves start out reddish purple, then go green in summer, and in fall they appear yellow and orange, often with a splash of purple or red. Bark is interesting too, taking on the look of a cantaloupe rind as the tree ages.