Planting trees on your property gives you plenty of benefits: shade, windbreaks, protection from noise, and beautifying the yard, to name a few. However, when most people think of trees, they might think of large trees with big boughs, which may not work for every garden. What do you do when your garden is too small to accommodate a large tree?
There are more choices when you’re looking for a small tree for a small garden. In fact, there are plenty of small and dwarf varieties of trees, some of which can even grow in containers. You can find plenty of trees to fit even a tiny space. Whether you’re looking for an ornamental tree or one for shade or privacy, there’s a tree for you somewhere. Try getting one of these trees to add something to your garden. These trees are particularly suited for small gardens thanks to a combination of compact size, hardiness, and convenience in cultivation.
Japanese Maple (acer palmatum)
Japanese maples are a generally common landscape tree thanks to their small stature and bright colours. They can easily fit in small spaces, and feature a variety of options for leaf types, growth habits, and colours. These trees do well in partially-shaded locations (keep them out of direct sunlight) and tend to grow slowly. Japanese maple leaves tend to change colour throughout the year, especially during fall. Come the autumn season, the leaves change colour to eye-catching shades of red, orange, and even purple to spice up your garden.
Crape Myrtle (lagerstroemia indica)
Crape myrtles can reach up to 4 – 10 metres in height, but they can also come in smaller varieties if you’re looking for more compact shrubs. These plants need a long, warm growing season, but it’s more than worth it. During the summer and fall, crape myrtles come into bloom, producing flowers in a variety of colours (including pink, purple, red, white, and lavender). In winter, these trees also have an “exfoliating” bark to contrast the rest of your yard. Myrtles are suited to full sun locations; plant your trees where they can get plenty of sunlight to help them grow.
Apple Trees (malus domestica)
Full-sized apple trees can grow quite large, but there are small and dwarf varieties of apple trees that can fit in a small yard. Dwarf apple trees can grow to around 2 metres while also producing a consistent crop of regular-sized fruit for you to eat. The different types of trees include variants that can grow fruit even late in the growing season to suit most eating preferences. As a bonus, apple trees also boast a lovely spring blossom, and eye-catching summer leaves to give you something to watch in the garden. Some dwarf apple trees can grow larger than intended; prune your trees regularly to keep the growth in check.
Dogwood (conus florida/conus kousa)
There are several types of dogwood, one of the most common of which is the flowering dogwood. You can find dogwoods in several sizes, from shrub-sized to tree-sized, to suit the size of your garden. These trees feature very eye-catching flowers in white, pink, or red to add some colour to your yard. Dogwoods can also lend a striking horizontal appearance to the garden. A tree’s lower branches grow horizontally, while those higher up are more vertical. Thinning out the crown of the tree can strengthen this effect, and give the yard a more intriguing aesthetic.
Magnolias (magnolia grandiflora/magnolia soulangeana)
Magnolias are beautiful plants to have, with their distinctive goblet-shaped flowers that bloom in spring. Some species of magnolias can be large, but many varieties can fit within a small garden. Saucer magnolias are an especially stunning type to include in your landscape. During late winter, the plants grow large pink and white flowers that appear before the leaves start to show. If you’re lucky, magnolias can produce these flowers again in summer or fall.
Peach Trees (prunus persica)
If you’re in the market for fruit trees in your home garden, you have other choices than apple trees. Peach trees are relatively small and hardy trees that can fit in a more compact yard. Plant your trees somewhere warm and sunny to get them to grow strong and healthy. Give them plenty of protection from the elements; frosty areas can increase the risk of damage to your flowers and affect the fruits you pick.
Hawthorn (craetagus viridis)
Hawthorns are dense, thorny plants which can work well as a screen to give your home some extra security. Some varieties can fit well in small gardens where space is a premium. These plants also bring eye-catching colour to the garden. In spring hawthorns feature dark green leaves and white blossoms. In fall, the leaves turn red, gold, or bronze to give the garden some colour variety before winter. When winter comes, the bark peels off in sections to reveal an inner orange bark to add more colour to your landscape. The blossoms also develop into orange or red fruits that last through the winter, making your hawthorns more striking during the cold months. Hawthorns prefer sunny locations and do well in most soil types.
Rowan (sorbus)
Rowans are a popular choice for small gardens because of their appropriate size and eye-catching colours of their leaves and flowers. The sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ in particular has small divided leaves that turn a fetching orange-red and purple in the fall. During autumn, the tree also features bright butter-yellow berries. In spring, rowans have white flowers to make your garden feel alive and fresh now that everything’s growing again. These plants prefer moderately fertile and slightly acidic to neutral soil, with sunny or partially shaded areas.
Redbuds (cercis canadensis)
With careful pruning, a redbud can be an excellent addition to your garden. In early spring, redbuds tend to start flowering. The flowers can be red, pink, white, or purple, giving your yard some colour as spring comes along. Redbuds are also great for the environment. The seeds are good forage for local wildlife, while the flowers are a source of pollen for bees and other insects. For good results, plant your redbud in a place with well-drained soil, with either full sun or part shade.
When you start planting your small trees, there are a few things to remember to help you get the most out of them. Try:
- Grouping miniature trees together in their own bed if you have the room
- Trees with open canopies can fit in the garden bed
- Trees with more dense canopies make it hard to grow anything under them
- Put them in the background to give other plants their own space
- If you’re short on space, use your trees as lawn or stand-alone trees
For ideal results, contact a licensed arborist to help find a tree suited to conditions in your garden. Different trees have different needs, and it can help to get a professional opinion on which one would work best given the soil and sun you have at home.
Having a small garden isn’t necessarily an obstacle to planting trees. You can still have trees in your yard to spice things up and make your exterior more beautiful. For full tree service, call Dave Lund Tree Service & Forestry Co. Ltd. at (905) 884-0511. We offer a wide range of services to help you with all your tree-related needs.