Best Trees to Plant in Your Long Island Backyard
Choosing the right tree for a Nassau County backyard is harder than it looks. Here's what actually works — and what to avoid planting.
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You just had a tree taken down — or you’re staring at a bare corner of your yard wondering what to put there. Either way, you’ve probably already discovered that the internet is full of tree planting advice that has nothing to do with Nassau County. Generic lists don’t account for sandy South Shore soil, the salt wind off the Atlantic, or what happens to a silver maple when a nor’easter rolls through.
We’ve spent over 22 years working in Nassau County backyards, and we’ve seen what survives and what doesn’t. Here’s what actually works.
Native Long Island Trees That Belong in Your Nassau County Backyard
The single most reliable filter for choosing a backyard tree in Nassau County is this: did it evolve here? Native trees aren’t just an ecological choice — they’re a practical one. They’re already adapted to Long Island’s variable soils, salt exposure, and storm patterns. They need less water, less fertilizer, and less intervention once they’re established.
And when a nor’easter hits, they’re far more likely to still be standing. Hurricane Sandy reshaped how a lot of Nassau County homeowners think about trees, and for good reason. The trees that came through it best were overwhelmingly the ones that belong here.
Which Native Trees Work Best for Nassau County Yards?
Red Maple is probably the most versatile native tree for a Long Island backyard. It grows three to five feet per year, handles both wet and dry soil, and turns a brilliant red in fall. For a county where lot sizes tend to run on the smaller side — most post-war Nassau homes sit on 6,000 to 10,000 square feet — Red Maple hits a sweet spot between meaningful canopy and manageable scale.
It’s not going to crowd your foundation or send roots through your sewer line the way a silver maple will.
White Oak is the long game. It grows more slowly, but it’s deeply rooted, structurally sound in high winds, and supports more wildlife than almost any other tree on Long Island. If you have the space and the patience, it’s one of the best investments you can make in a property. Realtors consistently note that mature trees have a strong impact on home salability — and a well-placed White Oak is the kind of tree that adds real value over decades.
Serviceberry is worth serious consideration for smaller Nassau lots. It tops out around 25 feet, offers spring flowers, summer berries, and strong fall color, and it’s completely at home in Long Island’s climate. Cornell Cooperative Extension Nassau County includes it on their recommended tree list, and for good reason — it’s a genuinely low-maintenance tree that delivers year-round interest.
For evergreen coverage, Eastern Red Cedar is the native answer that most homeowners overlook. It’s drought-tolerant, salt-tolerant, and handles coastal Nassau conditions — think Long Beach, Oceanside, Wantagh — better than almost anything else. American Holly is another native evergreen worth considering, especially if you want year-round screening with winter berries that birds love.
Both are far more reliable on Long Island than hemlock, which Cornell Cooperative Extension no longer recommends due to an ongoing pest infestation called Hemlock Woolly Adelgid that has made it effectively unviable as a landscape tree here.
Trees to Avoid Planting in Nassau County — and Why
This is the part most planting guides skip, and it’s the part that costs homeowners the most money. There are trees that look great at a garden center, grow fast for the first decade, and then become expensive problems. We’ve removed enough of them to know which ones to steer clear of.
Bradford Pear is the most common offender. It’s everywhere in Nassau County neighborhoods, and it’s everywhere for a reason — it grows fast, flowers beautifully in spring, and is cheap to buy. It’s also listed as a problematic species by Cornell Cooperative Extension Nassau County because its branching structure is inherently weak. The V-shaped crotches split under ice, wind, or their own weight. We get called out to clean up Bradford Pear damage after every significant storm.
Norway Maple is another one to avoid. It’s invasive on Long Island, crowding out native species in the understated way that only a very successful invasive plant can. Its shallow root system also causes real damage to pavement, driveways, and older infrastructure — which matters a lot in Nassau County’s established neighborhoods.
Silver Maple is fast-growing, and that’s its main appeal. But its wood is brittle, its roots are aggressive, and it’s one of the trees most likely to cause structural damage or fail in a storm. If you’re planting a tree near your house, pool, or any kind of hardscape, silver maple is not the answer.
The pattern here is consistent: the trees that are easiest to buy and fastest to grow are often the ones that create the most problems. A tree planted today that needs to be removed in 15 years isn’t a bargain — it’s a delayed expense.
Fast Growing Shade Trees That Actually Hold Up on Long Island
Shade is one of the top reasons Nassau County homeowners plant trees, and it’s a completely legitimate one. A well-placed shade tree on the west or south side of your house can reduce your summer cooling costs by 20 to 25 percent — and in a county where August humidity makes AC feel non-negotiable, that’s a real number.
The question isn’t whether to plant for shade. It’s which fast-growing trees are worth choosing and which ones will let you down. The answer isn’t always the tree that grows fastest. It’s the tree that grows fast enough to matter within a reasonable timeframe while still being structurally sound enough to survive what Long Island throws at it.
Fast Growing Shade Trees Worth Planting in Zone 7b
Zelkova is one of the best shade trees you can plant in a Nassau County backyard, and it’s consistently recommended by Cornell Cooperative Extension for Long Island sites. It grows into a broad, vase-shaped canopy — similar to the American Elm that used to line so many Long Island streets — and turns golden in fall. It’s resistant to Dutch elm disease, handles urban soil conditions well, and can reach 50 to 80 feet at maturity with a canopy spread to match.
For a larger lot in communities like Manhasset, NY or Garden City, NY, it’s an excellent choice.
Tulip Tree is another native fast-grower worth considering if you have the space. It puts on two to three feet of height per year and produces distinctive orange-yellow flowers in late spring. The caveat is size — Tulip Tree can reach 90 feet at maturity, which means it’s not the right call for a typical Nassau lot. But if your property can accommodate it, it’s one of the most structurally sound fast-growers available.
Bald Cypress surprises a lot of people. It’s not what most homeowners picture when they think “Long Island tree,” but it’s extremely well-suited to Nassau County’s conditions — particularly in lower-lying areas of the South Shore where drainage can be an issue. It grows one to two feet per year, handles wet soil that would stress most other trees, and has a feathery, graceful texture that looks genuinely distinctive in a backyard setting.
Red Maple deserves mention again here because it bridges both categories. It’s native, grows three to five feet per year, and is structurally reliable in storms. If you’re looking for one tree that checks the most boxes for a Nassau County backyard — shade, growth rate, storm resistance, fall color, soil adaptability — Red Maple is probably it.
Tree Planting Near Me: What to Ask Before You Plant Anything
Before any tree goes in the ground, there are a few things worth figuring out. The most common and costly mistake Nassau County homeowners make isn’t choosing the wrong species — it’s planting the right species in the wrong place. A tree that’s perfect for your lot can still cause serious problems if it’s too close to your foundation, your pool, your septic system, or your property line.
The general rule is a minimum of 12 feet from your home’s foundation for any tree with a significant root system, and at least 6 feet from patios, fences, and hardscape. For larger canopy trees, you need more. And in Nassau County specifically, you should also factor in overhead utility lines — many neighborhoods have above-ground power lines running through backyards, and a tree planted directly beneath them will either be topped repeatedly or removed eventually.
It’s also worth checking with your specific municipality before planting near a property line or public right-of-way. Nassau County’s individual towns and villages have varying tree ordinances, and what’s fine in one community may require a permit in another. This isn’t bureaucratic red tape — it’s the kind of thing that’s much easier to sort out before the tree is in the ground.
Deer pressure is another real consideration in Nassau County’s suburban zones. Arborvitae, for example, is a popular privacy tree but requires a repellent where deer are active — and deer are active in more Nassau neighborhoods than most homeowners expect. Eastern Red Cedar, Zelkova, and American Holly are more reliably deer-resistant options.
If you’re not sure where to start, that’s exactly what a site visit is for. Our arborists can look at your specific yard — your soil, your light, your lot size, your proximity to structures — and give you a straightforward recommendation rather than a generic list. We offer free estimates, and a conversation about what to plant costs you nothing.
Choosing the Right Tree for Your Nassau County Yard
The right tree for your backyard isn’t just the fastest-growing one or the cheapest one at the nursery. It’s the one that fits your soil, your lot size, your exposure to salt and wind, and the reality of Long Island’s storm seasons. Get that match right, and you’re looking at decades of shade, privacy, and real property value. Get it wrong, and you’re looking at a removal bill down the road.
Native species like Red Maple, White Oak, Serviceberry, and Eastern Red Cedar are the most reliable starting point for Nassau County homeowners. Fast-growers like Zelkova and Bald Cypress are worth considering when you need canopy sooner. And trees like Bradford Pear, Norway Maple, and Silver Maple are worth skipping entirely, no matter how appealing they look in spring.
If you’re ready to figure out what actually belongs in your yard, Competition Tree, Inc. is happy to take a look. We’ve been working in Nassau County backyards for over 22 years, and we’ve seen enough of what works — and what doesn’t — to give you a straight answer.
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- Competition Tree
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- October 8, 2026
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