Crepe Myrtle
Zones: 7 – 10
Height: 25′ to 30′
Width: 15′ to 25′
Light: Sun
The main reason that Crepe Myrtle is on my list for the best backyard trees is because they bloom late in the summer when most of the rest of my garden has wilted in the South Carolina summer heat.
As an added bonus, crepe myrtles are easy to grow (always a bonus in my book!) and they are deer-resistant plants.
They also have really interesting bark which makes them a good back drop for your garden even when they aren’t blooming. When I lived in Florida, they used to call them “tourist trees” because the colored, peeling bark looked like skin that had been sunburned.