--- title: Choosing Trees for Reno and Carson City Yards url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/blog/best-trees-to-plant-reno-carson-city/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [Blog](https://battleborntreeservice.com/blog/) - Best trees to plant in Reno and Carson City # Which trees do well in Reno and Carson City yards? Trees that suit the high desert tolerate cold, dry ground and wind, and the USDA zone for the site (6b to 7b across our area) narrows the choice. University of Nevada, Reno Extension has planting and species guidance, and fall is its recommended planting season. Key takeaways - USDA zones here run 6b to 7b: 7b in central Reno, 7a in Carson City, 6b in Minden and Genoa. - Extension says fall and early winter is the best planting time, and mature size matters more than looks. - Honeylocust, pinyon and juniper are drought tolerant; Austrian pine is only moderately so. - Blue spruce, aspen and weeping willow struggle in dry valleys. Battle Born Tree Service does not plant trees. We care for the ones already standing, so this post is a guide to the sources and to what we see on mature lots, not a planting service. ## What zone are you in? The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) puts Carson City (ZIP 89701), Sparks, Dayton and Fernley in 7a, central Reno, west Carson City (89703) and Spanish Springs in 7b, and Minden, Genoa, Incline Village and Zephyr Cove in 6b. Elevation runs from about 4,000 feet in Fallon to about 7,000 at Kingsbury, so zone and wind exposure both matter. ## What does Extension say about choosing a tree? University of Nevada, Reno Extension's planting guide says to select a species that will be the right size at maturity for the spot, to look up for power lines and to call the local utility about buried lines. It says the best planting time is fall and early winter, when soils are still warm, and that summer plantings in the 90s often lose their leaves. Dig a wide hole, no deeper than the root ball, and test drainage first. Most trees do not like wet feet. ## Which species hold up here? From the Forest Service species profiles and our tree guide: honeylocust is drought resistant and somewhat salt tolerant, and thornless forms are common in towns. Single-leaf pinyon is the most drought-tolerant pine in the country and grows where precipitation is about 8 to 18 inches. Utah juniper is native to dry hillsides, though ornamental junipers next to a house are on Extension's high-hazard plant list for fire. Incense cedar tolerates our cold, but dense evergreens near the house are a fire concern. Austrian pine copes with cold and wind but is only moderately drought tolerant. Siberian elm and green ash are common on older lots; both can shed limbs as they age. ## Which trees struggle? Colorado blue spruce is a mountain tree with shallow roots, and Extension-based profiles say it struggles in dry valleys. Quaking aspen is a mountain tree, short lived in valley yards, and cutting one triggers root suckers. Weeping willow survives only beside ditches, ponds and heavily watered lawns. Silver maple and Lombardy poplar grow fast and break or die back early. See our pages on [blue spruce](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/colorado-blue-spruce/), [aspen](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/quaking-aspen/) and [weeping willow](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/weeping-willow/). ## What can Battle Born do? We do not plant trees and cannot recommend a nursery list. We can advise on trees you already have: pruning, cabling and bracing, and removal when a tree has reached the end. A certified arborist assesses every job before work begins; Battle Born Tree Service has two ISA Certified Arborists on staff, including ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A. If you are removing a tree to replant, see [planting after stump grinding](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/planting-after-stump-grinding/). Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) for a free estimate. ## Where should you start? Start with the Extension planting guide, then ask a local nursery about stock for your zone. Check the mature size against wires and the house. A tree planted too close to a building also becomes a fire and root question later; see [tree roots, sidewalks and sewer lines](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-roots-sidewalks-sewer-lines/). Whatever you choose, plan for the next 40 years, not the first two. Mature height, spread and drop zone decide whether a tree will ever need a crane, a permit or a root barrier. Many of the large removals we see are trees that were planted too close to a house or a line decades ago, and the species profiles on our [tree guide](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/) describe how each one ages here. ### Sources - [University of Nevada, Reno Extension: Planting Trees in Northern Nevada Landscapes](https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=2754) (read October 17, 2026) - [USDA Agricultural Research Service: Plant Hardiness Zone Map](https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/) (read October 1, 2026) - [USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System: Gleditsia triacanthos](https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/gletri/all.html) (read October 17, 2026) - [USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System: Pinus monophylla](https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/pinmon/all.html) (read October 17, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Northern Nevada tree guide](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/) - [Honeylocust](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/honeylocust/) - [Single-leaf pinyon](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/single-leaf-pinyon/) - [Austrian pine](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/austrian-pine/) - [Watering mature trees in the high desert](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/watering-mature-trees-high-desert/) - [Arborist consultation](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/arborist-consultation/) ### Terms on this page [Hardiness zone](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/hardiness-zone/) [Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [Drop zone](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/drop-zone/) [The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/) ## More from the blog Pruning and care October 17, 2026 5 min read ### What should you do with your trees in October in Carson City and Reno? In October, finish watering while the ground is open, look over your trees for dead or hanging limbs, and clear leaves and needles away from the house. Save most live-wood pruning for the dormant seas Pruning and care October 17, 2026 6 min read ### Young trees in new subdivisions: the first ten years A young tree in a new subdivision needs very little pruning in its first two or three years, then steady structural pruning to build one strong central trunk and well-spaced branches. The ISA says tre Removal and equipment October 17, 2026 6 min read ### Where tree debris and green waste go in Reno and Carson City Green waste has a few legitimate homes in our area: the landfill or transfer station if the load is only wood and green waste, a fire district drop-off day or curbside chipping program if you qualify, [All posts](https://battleborntreeservice.com/blog/) ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). Phones are answered seven days a week. ### Does Battle Born plant trees? No. We care for and remove existing trees. We can advise on trees you already have. ### When is the best time to plant here? Extension says fall and early winter, when soils are still warm. ### What zone is Reno? USDA's 2023 map puts central Reno in 7b. Carson City is 7a and Minden is 6b. ### Are pines a good choice? Single-leaf pinyon is the most drought tolerant. Austrian pine is only moderately so. Ask a nursery about your site.