Owners of small gardens have to be extremely careful with the selection of trees. Otherwise, the dense, wide crowns will shade the entire space around them. But there are many beautiful and small trees that will effectively transform a small garden.
For small areas, it is recommended to choose plants, the height of which does not exceed 5-6 m.
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If the garden area is very limited, pay attention to the following options:
- Fruit trees of column-shaped forms
- Compact bough trees with spherical crowns
- Dwarf fruit trees and forestry varieties
- Weeping trees
Here is a selection of small trees that are suitable for a small garden and will delight you with their beauty.
Contents
1. Cercidiphyllum japonicum
A small but very beautiful tree that can change its leaves color several times a season. The tree has a narrow vertical crown. It grows up to 5 m tall.
In spring the leaves are purplish pink when they open. By summer the coloring changes to a dark green with a bluish or blue cast. In fall, the leaves turn purple or golden yellow. At this time, the tree exudes a subtle aroma of vanilla and ginger that lingers in the garden until the leaves begin to fall.
The crop grows well in lighted, moderately moist areas. Does not like the wind and stagnant water. In harsh winters it can freeze, so it needs to be covered.
2. Prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’ (Japanese Flowering Cherry)
A variety of Japanese cherry trees (sakura) with weeping branches and an openwork crown, which is characterized by a small growth.
The tree reaches a height of no more than 3-5 m. The diameter of the crown is 3-4 m.
It blooms in April-May, the flowers are swollen, pink, up to 6 cm in diameter, gathered in lush bunches.
Grows in both sun and penumbra. Loves moist, well-drained soil. It survives frosts as low as -28°C, but in the conditions of the middle zone it is better to cover it up for the winter.
3. Ornamental apple trees
Replace the familiar apple tree with a low tree of an unusual variety.
In gardens grow plants with purple foliage, carved leaves and flowers in various shades, from white to red. Crowns of ornamental apple trees can be weeping, rounded or columnar.
Fruits are small, 1 to 3.5 cm in diameter. In some varieties they are edible, in others they do not have a pleasant taste and may even cause symptoms of poisoning. Such apple trees are grown not for the sake of harvest, but for decorative purposes.
In height, ornamental apple trees usually do not exceed 4 m. They like sunny places, moderate moisture and well-drained soil.
4. Acer negundo Flamingo – ‘Pink Flamingo’ Maple
A delightful tree up to 5 m tall. Its leaves are bright pink in spring and white-green with a slight pink tint in summer. By autumn the foliage acquires a mottled white-yellow color.
The plant is a light-loving plant, the deficit of light badly affects the decorative coloring of leaves. In dry summer it needs sufficient watering. Well amenable to shaping and pruning.
The culture is frost-resistant, but it is better to cover the above-ground part of young specimens for winter with burlap or spunbond, and mulch the roots with peat, leaves or straw.
5. Louiseania triloba (Prunus triloba)
Louiseania is considered a relative of three crops – plum, apricot and almond.
The tree blooms in late April to May, at which time it looks magical. Flowers are pink, terry or semi-major, up to 4 cm in diameter, densely covering the branches. In autumn, the foliage acquires a yellow-bronze hue.
The tree is planted in the sun or in the penumbra, in a place closed from the wind. Louiseania likes moist, fertile, well-drained soils.
The plant is sufficiently frost-resistant, but in low-snow and harsh winters it is still better to cover it, and the soil around the trunk should be mulched with dry leaves, straw or peat.
6. Tamarix
Incredibly beautiful shrub tree also called Kalmyk incense, bisernik.
The height of an adult plant is 1.5-2.5 m. In spring it is covered with small pink flowers, its flowering is fascinating!
The culture is undemanding in care, but needs pruning and likes sandy soils. A fragrant honeycomb, tamarisk willingly attracts bees. It is not afraid of drought and is quite frost-resistant. To make the tree survive the winter better, you can cover it with fleece or a layer of mulch.
7. Ulmus glabra Pendula
In nature they grow up to 30 m, but the weeping form of Pendula grows very slowly and barely reaches 5 m in 10 years.
The crown of the tree is dense, like the roof of a tent. The branches grow almost perpendicular to the trunk, forming an umbrella-like shape.
The plant is shade-tolerant, but looks favorably on open plots. It is hardy, unpretentious and requires almost no care. Only occasionally needs a little crown shaping. Grows better on sandy damp and fertile soils.
Looks great as a solitary tree or in group plantings. Used to create arches and tunnels.
8. Conifers
A nice addition to the garden will be low conifers.
There are many varieties of conifers of low height:
- Canadian spruce (Picea glauca);
- Common spruce Pusch (Picea abies Pusch);
- Spruce prickly spruce (Picea pungens);
- Serbian spruce (Picea omorica;)
- Juniperus horizontalis
- Juniperus sabina
- Balsamic fir (Abies balsamea);
- Weymouth pine (Pinus strobus);
- Thuja western Danica (Thuja ocidentalis Danica), etc.
They are easy to look after, they are frost-resistant (young specimens require covering), they can be grown in containers.
