Native Trees For The State of Wisconsin

Choosing native trees for your State means you will know your tree will thrive where it is well suited to climate and soil because they originated there! 

You’ll feed pollinators, provide seeds for songbirds, and create shelter, food, and forage for a wide variety of wildlife like the American Robin, which is the Wisconsin state bird. Native trees establish faster, and native selections need less water once established! They better tolerate the changing climate, and weather.

Find the best selection of indigenous species for the State of Wisconsin here at Nature Hills Nursery and support native wildlife and ecosystems!

Best Wisconsin Native Trees

Wisconsin is surrounded by Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, and the Badger State ranges from chilly USDA growing zone 3 in the northern part of the state to zone 5 closer to the Green Bay area.

Find your Hardiness Zone, and then choose any tree that has a range that includes yours! Check with your local County Extension Office for more information if needed and for the many microclimates within these zones.

Best Native Evergreen Trees For Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s forests in the north are a mix of hardwoods and conifers, then prairies, and the hardwood forests in the south. Check out these trees that keep their leaves year-round for privacy, slow down the wind, and stop the drifting snow, plus add much-needed winter interest.

• American Larch (deciduous conifer)
• Balsam Fir
• Black Spruce Tree
• Eastern Hemlock
• Eastern Red Cedar Tree (Redcedar)
• Eastern White Pine
• Possomhaw Holly
• Red Pine
• White Spruce Tree

Native Flowering Trees to Grow in Wisconsin

Flowering trees herald in the spring, feed pollinators and hummingbirds nectar and pollen they evolved alongside in your State! Many of these trees are host plants for native pollinator larvae too!

• American Basswood/Linden Trees
• Black Locust Tree
• Dogwood - Pagoda, Roughleaf & Gray
• Eastern Redbud Tree
• Pussy Willow Tree
• Witch Hazel (American Witchhazel)

What Are Native Shade Trees in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin has some humid summers and cold winters, so choose a good shade tree that can also handle snow load and the bitter Arctic air from the North. Get ready to tap your State Tree, the Sugar Maple, for the sweet, syrupy treat each spring!

• American Beech Tree
• American Chestnut
• American Elm Tree
• American Hornbeam 
• American Hop Hornbeam
• American Sycamore Trees
• Ash - Mountain, White & Green
• Birch Trees - River & Paper Bark
• Black Gum Tree
• Black Willow Tree
• Box Elder Tree (Boxelder)
• Buckeye Trees - Ohio & Yellow
• Cottonwood/Eastern Cottonwood Tree
• Hackberry/Common Hackberry Trees
• Kentucky Coffee Tree
• Maple Trees - Black, Silver, Red, & Sugar
• Northern Catalpa Tree
• Oak Trees - Black, Bur, Chinquapin, Northern Red, Pin, Scarlet, Swamp White & White
• Quaking Aspen Trees
• Sassafras Tree

Native Fruit & Nut Trees in Wisconsin

Have your garden and eat it too! We love edible landscaping trees that look great and feed you and your local wildlife.

• American Plum/Wild Plum Tree
• Black Cherry Tree
• Black Walnut Tree
• Hazelnut/Native American Filbert
• Bitternut, Butternut, Pignut, Red & Shagbark Hickory Trees
• Paw Paw (Pawpaw) Trees
• Red Mulberry Tree
• Allegheny & Downy Serviceberry

Much Needed Natives!

Help keep your State's native biodiversity intact by planting trees native to your area! Nature Hills is committed to helping you preserve your State’s unique beauty with plants and trees that are sure to do well in your garden without impacting your native landscape!

Whether you are adding shade or flowers, privacy, or a long-lasting legacy to your landscape, Nature Hills is here to help you find the perfect tree for your Wisconsin garden!