There are many trees widely available for smaller gardens, in all shapes and sizes, evergreen and deciduous.
Given that many of us have limited space in which to garden, it becomes most important that any trees chosen are right for their surroundings, in terms of proportion as well as for their decorative value.
Practical considerations
Suitable plants
Practical considerations There are many factors to take into consideration when choosing a tree for a small garden. Here are some of the more important ones:
Height and spread: This is probably the most important factor. Even small ornamental trees may, over time, reach a height of 6-7m (18-21ft) or more. If this is too much, consider a weeping form, as these rarely increase much in height. Spread is not normally such a problem, unless in a very restricted area, in this case consider a columnar tree, as these do not spread appreciably.
Season of interest: Consider when you want your tree to look good, thinking about flowering time, foliage, fruit and bark. If you only have room for one tree ideally look for one with more than one season of interest such as fruit or autumn colour following on from flowers.
Deciduous or evergreen: Both types of trees have their advantages, the obvious one for evergreens being that they keep their leaves. But you don’t get the lovely autumn colours with evergreen trees.
To help you choose, you may find it useful to visit gardens where a good range of well-established and mature ornamental trees can be seen and evaluated.
Buying and choosing trees
Planting trees and shrubs
Tree pruning
Suitable plants Flowering Trees
Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul’s Scarlet’ AGM – dark red flowers in May and June. Height 8m (24ft).
Genista aetnensis AGM – yellow flowers in July. Height 8m (24ft).
Magnolia loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ AGM – lilac-pink flowers in April and May. Height 8m (24ft).
Malus baccata ‘Lady Northcliffe’ – pinkish-white flowers in May, with yellow/brown crab apple in autumn. Height 6m (18ft).
With particularly attractive fruits:
Malus ‘Evereste’ AGM – white flowers in late April followed by yellow fruits. Height 7m (21ft).
Prunus ‘Accolade’ AGM – soft pink flowers, which are 4cm (1½in) across, in May. Height 8m (24ft).
Prunus ‘Pink Perfection’ AGM – double pale pink flowers 5cm (2in) across in March and April. Height 8m (24ft).
Flowering trees with autumn colour
Small for neutral to acid soil:
Cornus kousa – white bracts in June. Height 7m (21ft).
Cornus kousa var. chinensis AGM – white bracts in June, but taller than the one mentioned above. Height: 7.5m (23ft).
Small for any soil pH:
Prunus ‘Shirofugen’ AGM – double pale pink flowers 5cm across in April or May. Height 8m (24ft).
Prunus ‘Shôgetsu’ AGM – double white flowers 5cm across in April or May. Height 5m (15ft).
Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ AGM – blush pink flowers 2cm across from November to March. Height 8m (24ft).
Medium for any soil pH
Cercis siliquastrum AGM – rose-purple flowers in April to May. Height: 10m (30ft).
Koelreuteria paniculata AGM – yellow flowers in July and August. Height 10m (30ft).
Malus floribunda AGM – red in bud, opening pink then white, and red/yellow fruits. Height 10m (30ft).
Trees with coloured foliage in spring and summer
Small:
Acer negundo ‘Auratum’ – golden yellow leaves, turning paler in summer. Height 8m (24ft).
Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Brilliantissimum’ AGM – pink leaves in spring that turn yellow by summer. Height 6m (18ft).
Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ AGM – silver grey leaves and a weeping habit. Height 5m (15ft).
Medium:
Sorbus aria ‘Lutescens’ AGM – silver-grey foliage, and yellow autumn colour and fruits. Height 10m (30ft).
Trees with autumn colour for neutral to acid soils
Small:
Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’ AGM – deeply-lobed leaves, turning ruby-crimson in autumn. Height 5m (15ft).
Crataegus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’ AGM – crimson fruits and good foliage colour. Height 8m (24ft).
Sorbus vilmorinii AGM – rose-red to white fruits and good foliage colour. Height 5m (15ft).
Medium:
Amelanchier lamarckii AGM – white flowers in April. Height 10m (30ft).
Styrax japonicus AGM – white flowers in June. Height 10m (30ft).
Acer griseum AGM (paperbark maple) – peeling bark; red and scarlet foliage in autumn. Height: 10m (30ft).
Medium trees with autumn colour for any soil pH
Malus zumi ‘Golden Hornet’ AGM – yellow fruits, 2.5cm (1in) across. Height 10m (30ft).
Prunus ‘Pandora’ AGM – shell pink flowers 3cm (1.2in) across in March or April. The young leaves are bronze-red, colouring richly in autumn. Height 10m (30ft).
Malus moerlandsii ‘Profusion’ – pink flowers in April; red/orange fruits in autumn. Height 10m (30ft).
Autumn colour and fruits
Small:
Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ – bronzy-crimson leaves. Height 8m (24ft).
Medium:
Sorbus commixta ‘Embley’ AGM – orange-red fruits and good foliage colour. Height 10m (30ft).
Sorbus sargentiana AGM – scarlet fruits and good foliage colour. Height 10m (30ft).
Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’ AGM – dark purple leaves. Height 10m (30ft).
Coloured stems and bark plus autumn colour
Small for neutral to acid soil:
Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ AGM – coral-red young branches. Height 6m (18ft).
Medium for neutral to acid soils:
Acer capillipes AGM – bright red young growth, and branches streaked green and white. Height 10m (30ft).
Coloured stems and bark
Small:
Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila AGM – mottled green, grey, cream bark. Height 6m (18ft).
Acer griseum AGM – dark, flaking bark to reveal orange underneath. Height 10m (18ft).
Evergreen
Small:
Arbutus unedo AGM – flowers white in spring and fruits red in October and November. Height 8m (24ft).
Cotoneaster salicifolius ‘Rothschildianus’ AGM – a semi-evergreen with yellow berries. Height 5m (15ft).
Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila AGM – grey-green leaves and a patchwork-bark. Height 6m (18ft).
Medium:
Ligustrum lucidum AGM – white flowers in August and September. Height 10m (30ft).
Tall and Narrow (fastigiate or columnar)
Small:
Prunus ‘Amanogawa’ AGM – columnar, with erect branches. Pink blossom in spring. Height 8m (24ft).
Sorbus aucuparia ‘Fastigiata’ – a slow growing, columnar small tree with closely erect stems. Height 8m (24ft).
Medium:
Prunus ‘Spire’ AGM – a vase-shaped tree with orange/red autumn foliage. Height 10m (30ft).
Weeping
Malus ‘Royal Beauty’ AGM – reddish-purple flowers and dark red fruits. Height 2m (6½ft).
Prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’ AGM – pink flowers in April. Height 3m (10ft).
Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’ – a neat, compact tree with small green leaves. Height 8m (24ft).
Practical considerations
Suitable plants
Practical considerations There are many factors to take into consideration when choosing a tree for a small garden. Here are some of the more important ones:
Height and spread: This is probably the most important factor. Even small ornamental trees may, over time, reach a height of 6-7m (18-21ft) or more. If this is too much, consider a weeping form, as these rarely increase much in height. Spread is not normally such a problem, unless in a very restricted area, in this case consider a columnar tree, as these do not spread appreciably.
Season of interest: Consider when you want your tree to look good, thinking about flowering time, foliage, fruit and bark. If you only have room for one tree ideally look for one with more than one season of interest such as fruit or autumn colour following on from flowers.
Deciduous or evergreen: Both types of trees have their advantages, the obvious one for evergreens being that they keep their leaves. But you don’t get the lovely autumn colours with evergreen trees.
To help you choose, you may find it useful to visit gardens where a good range of well-established and mature ornamental trees can be seen and evaluated.
Buying and choosing trees
Planting trees and shrubs
Tree pruning
Suitable plants Flowering Trees
Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul’s Scarlet’ AGM – dark red flowers in May and June. Height 8m (24ft).
Genista aetnensis AGM – yellow flowers in July. Height 8m (24ft).
Magnolia loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ AGM – lilac-pink flowers in April and May. Height 8m (24ft).
Malus baccata ‘Lady Northcliffe’ – pinkish-white flowers in May, with yellow/brown crab apple in autumn. Height 6m (18ft).
With particularly attractive fruits:
Malus ‘Evereste’ AGM – white flowers in late April followed by yellow fruits. Height 7m (21ft).
Prunus ‘Accolade’ AGM – soft pink flowers, which are 4cm (1½in) across, in May. Height 8m (24ft).
Prunus ‘Pink Perfection’ AGM – double pale pink flowers 5cm (2in) across in March and April. Height 8m (24ft).
Flowering trees with autumn colour
Small for neutral to acid soil:
Cornus kousa – white bracts in June. Height 7m (21ft).
Cornus kousa var. chinensis AGM – white bracts in June, but taller than the one mentioned above. Height: 7.5m (23ft).
Small for any soil pH:
Prunus ‘Shirofugen’ AGM – double pale pink flowers 5cm across in April or May. Height 8m (24ft).
Prunus ‘Shôgetsu’ AGM – double white flowers 5cm across in April or May. Height 5m (15ft).
Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ AGM – blush pink flowers 2cm across from November to March. Height 8m (24ft).
Medium for any soil pH
Cercis siliquastrum AGM – rose-purple flowers in April to May. Height: 10m (30ft).
Koelreuteria paniculata AGM – yellow flowers in July and August. Height 10m (30ft).
Malus floribunda AGM – red in bud, opening pink then white, and red/yellow fruits. Height 10m (30ft).
Trees with coloured foliage in spring and summer
Small:
Acer negundo ‘Auratum’ – golden yellow leaves, turning paler in summer. Height 8m (24ft).
Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Brilliantissimum’ AGM – pink leaves in spring that turn yellow by summer. Height 6m (18ft).
Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ AGM – silver grey leaves and a weeping habit. Height 5m (15ft).
Medium:
Sorbus aria ‘Lutescens’ AGM – silver-grey foliage, and yellow autumn colour and fruits. Height 10m (30ft).
Trees with autumn colour for neutral to acid soils
Small:
Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’ AGM – deeply-lobed leaves, turning ruby-crimson in autumn. Height 5m (15ft).
Crataegus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’ AGM – crimson fruits and good foliage colour. Height 8m (24ft).
Sorbus vilmorinii AGM – rose-red to white fruits and good foliage colour. Height 5m (15ft).
Medium:
Amelanchier lamarckii AGM – white flowers in April. Height 10m (30ft).
Styrax japonicus AGM – white flowers in June. Height 10m (30ft).
Acer griseum AGM (paperbark maple) – peeling bark; red and scarlet foliage in autumn. Height: 10m (30ft).
Medium trees with autumn colour for any soil pH
Malus zumi ‘Golden Hornet’ AGM – yellow fruits, 2.5cm (1in) across. Height 10m (30ft).
Prunus ‘Pandora’ AGM – shell pink flowers 3cm (1.2in) across in March or April. The young leaves are bronze-red, colouring richly in autumn. Height 10m (30ft).
Malus moerlandsii ‘Profusion’ – pink flowers in April; red/orange fruits in autumn. Height 10m (30ft).
Autumn colour and fruits
Small:
Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ – bronzy-crimson leaves. Height 8m (24ft).
Medium:
Sorbus commixta ‘Embley’ AGM – orange-red fruits and good foliage colour. Height 10m (30ft).
Sorbus sargentiana AGM – scarlet fruits and good foliage colour. Height 10m (30ft).
Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’ AGM – dark purple leaves. Height 10m (30ft).
Coloured stems and bark plus autumn colour
Small for neutral to acid soil:
Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ AGM – coral-red young branches. Height 6m (18ft).
Medium for neutral to acid soils:
Acer capillipes AGM – bright red young growth, and branches streaked green and white. Height 10m (30ft).
Coloured stems and bark
Small:
Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila AGM – mottled green, grey, cream bark. Height 6m (18ft).
Acer griseum AGM – dark, flaking bark to reveal orange underneath. Height 10m (18ft).
Evergreen
Small:
Arbutus unedo AGM – flowers white in spring and fruits red in October and November. Height 8m (24ft).
Cotoneaster salicifolius ‘Rothschildianus’ AGM – a semi-evergreen with yellow berries. Height 5m (15ft).
Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila AGM – grey-green leaves and a patchwork-bark. Height 6m (18ft).
Medium:
Ligustrum lucidum AGM – white flowers in August and September. Height 10m (30ft).
Tall and Narrow (fastigiate or columnar)
Small:
Prunus ‘Amanogawa’ AGM – columnar, with erect branches. Pink blossom in spring. Height 8m (24ft).
Sorbus aucuparia ‘Fastigiata’ – a slow growing, columnar small tree with closely erect stems. Height 8m (24ft).
Medium:
Prunus ‘Spire’ AGM – a vase-shaped tree with orange/red autumn foliage. Height 10m (30ft).
Weeping
Malus ‘Royal Beauty’ AGM – reddish-purple flowers and dark red fruits. Height 2m (6½ft).
Prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’ AGM – pink flowers in April. Height 3m (10ft).
Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’ – a neat, compact tree with small green leaves. Height 8m (24ft).
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