11 Trees with Heart-Shaped Leaves to Add a Touch of Romance to Your Yard

Eastern Redbud

Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a beloved native tree with beautiful spring blooms that attract pollinators. Its smaller stature makes it perfect for limited spaces. Its trunk commonly divides near the ground, giving it the appearance of a multi-stemmed, super-sized flowering shrub.

Growing Conditions: Full to part sun and a wide variety of soil types

Size: 15-30 feet tall

Zones: 4-9

American Linden

American linden (Tilia americana), also commonly known as basswood, is a large shade tree native to North America east of the Rockies. It has fragrant flowers and heart-shaped leaves. Honey from bees visiting the tree’s flowers in spring is highly valued for its delicate aroma and flavor. Their leaves turn a yellow-gold in autumn, and their gray-brown bark is distinctive once you learn to recognize it, with long furrows and even ridges.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and rich, well-drained soil

Size: 80 feet tall and 50 feet wide

Zones: 3-8

Balsam Poplar

Balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) is a northern native deciduous tree that is extremely cold hardy. The resinous buds give off a fragrance that gives rise to the name. Young trees have smooth, grayish-green bark that becomes more gray and ridged as the tree matures. Large 4-6-inch leaves are heart-shaped and turn brilliant yellows and golds in autumn. Because this rapid grower prefers wetter areas, it’s an excellent choice for areas too damp for other trees.

Growing Conditions: Full to part sun and can tolerate wetter soil

Size: 80 feet tall

Zones: 1-7

Dove Tree

Dove tree (Davidia involucrata) is a small flowering tree native to China. Also called ghost tree or handkerchief tree, these names come from the unique spring flowers. Two large, white bracts (structures surrounding the flower) flutter delicately in a light breeze, reminiscent of white birds, spirits, or tissues in a tree. After flowering, the trees produce golf-ball-sized round fruits. Autumn colors range from yellow to orange and red.

Growing Conditions: Full to part sun and rich, well-drained soil

Size: 20-40 feet tall

Zones: 6-8

Little-Leaf Linden

Little-leaf linden (Tilia cordata) is a medium-sized tree with a botanical name that includes the Latin word for heart-shaped. Little-leaf lindens are also known as small-leaf lime trees, although they don’t produce tasty green citrus fruits. The heart-shaped leaves turn a chartreuse yellow in fall.

Growing Conditions: Full sun and loamy, well-drained soil

Size: 50 feet tall

Zones: 3-7

Southern Catalpa

Southern catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) is a medium-sized tree with light green, heart-shaped leaves that can be a whopping 12 inches long. Clusters of fragrant white flowers appear in early summer. Also known as bean tree or cigar tree, it produces long, bean-like seed pods that dangle from the tree. The loose, open, and somewhat random branching pattern is best for an informal yard or garden. Before you plant one, be warned that some people find the scent of the crushed foliage unpleasant.

Growing Conditions: Full to part sun and tolerates a range of soil conditions

Size: 40 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-9

Northern Catalpa

Northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) is the same genus but a different species from its southern cousins. Growing larger, northern catalpa grows rapidly when young and begins to slow as it matures. It doesn’t have the issue of unpleasantly fragranced leaves like southern catalpa. While making an attractive ornamental tree, northern catalpa can be brittle in wind and under snow load. Plant them away from driveways, structures, and septic systems.

Growing Conditions: Full to part sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 40-70 feet tall and 20-50 feet wide

Zones: 4-8

Katsura Tree

Native to Japan and Korea, katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) is a large tree with heart-shaped leaves that are deep green in summer but turn beautiful shades of gold and orange in fall. As the leaves change color, the tree produces a chemical called maltol. It’s why katsura trees give off the scent of cotton candy or burnt sugar in fall.

Growing Conditions: Full to part sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 40-60 feet tall and 30 feet wide

Zones: 4-8

Japanese Tree Lilac

Larger than its shrubby lilac cousins, Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata) is a beautiful small tree that can have multiple trunks or a single one. It blooms later in spring than a traditional lilac, in creamy white instead of lavender. The blooms are fragrant and attract pollinators.

Growing Conditions: Full to part sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 20-30 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide

Zones: 3-7

Italian Alder

Italian alder (Alnus cordata) is a medium to large tree that hails from Europe, in Corsica and southern Italy. Catkins appear before the glossy, heart-shaped leaves in early spring. The strobiles (fruiting cones) are the largest of the Alnus genus, resembling small pine cones. This fast-growing tree is a favorite for planting in wet spots, although this surprisingly adaptable tree also will grow well in drier sites.

Growing Conditions: Full to part sun and moist to dry soil

Size: 40-50 feet tall

Zones: 5-7

Quaking Aspen

For a yard tree, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is hard to beat. Native to much of North America, these rapidly growing trees are important to wildlife and beautiful when planted in small groups of three or more. Single-trunked and straight, their bark color ranges from almost white to light gray and is smooth except for horizontal striations of darker grays.

Quaking aspens are known for their display of fluttering, rustling leaves in the lightest of breezes. A breath of air sets their foliage to twisting and turning, making a characteristic rustle that is reason enough to plant them in the yard. Aspens turn yellow, golden, or a striking salmon color in autumn.

Growing Conditions: Full to part sun and average soil

Size: 60-80 feet tall

Zones: 1-7