It's a lot easier to choose a variety that has a chance to fight off pests on its own than to spend hours every summer choking on toxic sprays or picking off bugs by hand. Make sure your tree was grown in your climate, at a nursery within a couple hundred miles. This is important even for native trees, which are generally tougher, says Taylor. Eastern redbud, for instance, is native to much of the United States, but a redbud grown in Tennessee isn't likely to make it through Chicago winters. Look for a northern strain.
Patience pays off.
A big tree may provide more immediate gratification, but the larger a tree is, the more of its roots must be cut off when it is transplanted. Buy a tree young and small and it will recover from the transplant trauma much more quickly, says Taylor. A small tree, with a lighter root ball, is also easier for a homeowner to plant and less expensive. Before you buy a particular tree, examine it carefully. Make sure the trunk and branches aren't scraped or broken and the roots haven't been allowed to dry out.