>>1827334I live in the desert, so for me many of our native trees are neat but I have a few I really like. First up would be Cottonwoods. They grow big, change colors nicely in the fall, and most importantly are indicator of water nearby. If you see a cottonwood you know that either there's a seep/spring or a creek bed nearby that has surface water or can be easily dug into to get water. Not the best wood and they can be messy (seeds) or dangerous (limb drop) but seeing a cottonwood usually means something interesting is nearby.