Chris is a gardening writer and nature enthusiast. He graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 2022 with an MA in Psychology. Chris works with the Leeds Green Action Society, helping their food cooperative by growing various fruit and vegetables on their two allotments in Hyde Park, Leeds.
Reviewed By ROY NICOL
Roy is a Professional Gardener and Horticultural Consultant, specialising in large garden year-round maintenance and garden development. He is an RHS Master of Horticulture and uses his research in the application of no-dig methods in ornamental garden settings. Roy has been a Professional Gardener for more than six years and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, Professional Gardener's Guild and Association of Professional Landscapers (Professional Gardener).
Contributions From DANNY CLARKE
Danny Clarke ('The Black Gardener') is a British Horticulturist and Garden Designer. He is probably best known for his TV presenting roles on the BBC's Instant Gardener, his time on the ITV This Morning team and Filthy Garden SOS aired on Channel 5. He also co-directs CIC Grow 2 Know, a charitable organisation encouraging diversity in horticulture.
With 20 years of commercial growing experience under his belt, Ben Raskin is now the Head of Horticulture & Agroforestry at the Soil Association. He is also the author of several gardening books, including Zero Waste Gardening and The Woodchip Handbook. Ben is a full member of the Garden Media Guild.
IN THIS GUIDE
- How Do You Choose A Tree For A Small Garden?
- What Are The Best Trees For Small Spaces?
- 1) Japanese Apricot
- 2) Weeping Purple Willow
- 3) Cherry Amanogawa
- 4) Cootamundra Wattle
- 5) Koehne Mountain Ash
- 6) Eastern Redbud ‘Forest Pansy’
- 7) Paperback Maple
- 8) Hemsley Snowball
- 9) Red Windsor Apple
- 10) Rocky Mountain Juniper ‘Blue Arrow’
- 11) Cockspur Coral
- 12) Flamingo Willow
- 13) Japanese Maple ‘Elegans’
- 14) Redbud ‘Ruby Falls’
- 15) Blue Fan Palm
- 16) Mediterranean Fan Palm
- 17) Kousa ‘Miss Satomi’
- 18) Star Magnolia ‘Jane Platt’
- 19) Spindle ‘Red Cascade’
- Why Plant A Tree In A Small Garden?
- Key Considerations
If you’re looking for a tree to plant in a small garden, you probably want something that will stay small throughout its whole lifespan.
Because all tree saplings start small – the problem starts when they begin to get too big, and need to be cut down or relocated to prevent damage to paths or even property.
“Do not clutter small space with small items,” says Garden Designer Manoj Maldé.
“Be selective and go big with pots and plants.”
What’s more impressive than a tree?
This guide explores the best trees for small gardens: ones that can be planted near a house, and that won’t wreak havoc when they hit full size.
How Do You Choose A Tree For A Small Garden?
There are a few key features to look for when deciding on a tree for an especially small garden.
You’ll want something that’s easy to grow, that stays small, and, most importantly, that is safe to plant near a house.
“As with anything, there are different ways of finding a tree for a small space,” shares Horticulturist Ben Raskin.
“You can choose the trees that you then prune to shape (apples or pears are a classic for this) or coppice (like hazel or willow) or choose large shrubs or small trees.”
It’s worth bearing in mind the eventual shape of the tree.
Columnar trees and fastigiate trees are good for small spaces: they are both narrow varieties with height to width ratios of about 5-to-1 and 10-to-1 respectively.
You’ll probably be interested in how the tree will look, especially considering you’re working with a space that may not be able to fit any others.
Choosing one with bright colours or an interesting shape can be a great way to maximise the aesthetic contribution it brings to your space.
Luckily nature paints a very pretty palette, and the range of trees suitable for small gardens includes many that are exceptionally colourful and beautiful.
What Are The Best Trees For Small Spaces?
We spoke to TV Personality and Professional Garden Designer Danny Clarke about his favourite trees for small spaces.
“Some trees I would recommend for a small garden are Acers, Silver Birches, or Prunus serrula.
“Silver birches and P. serrula have interest even when they haven’t got their leaves.
“The silver birch has a lovely white bark and the P. serrula has a peeling bark, so you get interest and excitement all year round from those.”
Here are nineteen other small flowering trees suitable for small spaces, each of which ticks all of the boxes outlined above.
All trees in this list – with the exception of the cherry Amanogawa – have received the Award of Garden Merit by the RHS, which recognises the ability of a plant to thrive in the growing conditions typical to the UK.
That means any tree in this list is acknowledged as being decorative, easy to grow, and resistant to disease.
They are sorted by likely maximum size, with the smallest at the top.
1) Japanese Apricot
- BOTANICAL NAME: Prunus mume
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- PREFERRED ASPECT: SHELTERED; FULL SUN or partial shade
- MAX HEIGHT: 9M
- MAX WIDTH: 2.5M
This tree – also called ‘beni-chidori’, an English transcription of its Japanese name – is a popular choice for gardeners thanks to its bold pink flower blossom in spring.
It provides light shade making it ideal for planting under and smells lovely while blooming.
This tree is great for pollinators, meaning it will attract bees, butterflies, and more to your garden.
Over 10-20 years it will grow to a maximum size of 9m by 2.5m.
2) Weeping Purple Willow
- BOTANICAL NAME: Salix purpurea ‘Pendula’
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- PREFERRED ASPECT: FULL SUN
- MAX HEIGHT: 4M
- MAX WIDTH: 2.5M
“A weeping willow is way too big for my garden!” you may be thinking, but it’s OK: this variety doesn’t grow anywhere near as big as its popular counterpart.
Over a period of 10-20 years, you can expect the tree to reach a height of 2.5-4m with a spread of 1.5-2.5m.
The droopy canopy offers a nice difference to the more traditional tree foliage, but expect to pick catkins off of your lawn.
3) Cherry Amanogawa
- BOTANICAL NAME: Prunus ‘Amanogawa’
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- PREFERRED ASPECT: FULL SUN
- MAX HEIGHT: 8M
- MAX WIDTH: 4M
This tree boasts a lovely colour spectrum: its yellow foliage with pink blossoms in spring moves through green in the summer to a lovely orangey-red in autumn.
The RHS notes that this tree lends itself particularly well to city and courtyard gardens as its form is narrow and columnar.
It will grow to a height of 4-8m, and to a spread of 2.5-4m, over 20-50 years.
4) Cootamundra Wattle
- BOTANICAL NAME: Acacia baileyana
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- PREFERRED ASPECT: SHELTERED; FULL SUN
- MAX HEIGHT: 8M
- MAX WIDTH: 4M
This tree – also called the golden mimosa – is an evergreen shrub that flowers vibrant yellow in late winter and early spring, providing a splash of colour to any space it inhabits.
It will reach a similar size to the cherry Amanogawa blossom over a time span of 10-20 years.
5) Koehne Mountain Ash
- BOTANICAL NAME: Sorbus koehneana ‘C.K. Schneid’
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- PREFERRED ASPECT: ANY
- MAX HEIGHT: 8M
- MAX WIDTH: 4M
A tree with a quintessentially autumnal palette of brown and red foliage with white fruit.
This is another tree that lends itself well to city gardens and will grow to a similar size as the cherry Amanogawa and the Cootamundra wattle over a period of 10-20 years.
6) Eastern Redbud ‘Forest Pansy’
- BOTANICAL NAME: Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- PREFERRED ASPECT: ANY
- MAX HEIGHT: 8M
- MAX WIDTH: 8M
This tree is captivating with its heart-shaped leaves that remain a deep red-purple for most of the year, presenting more autumnal shades of bronze and orange as the year progresses.
The eye-catching colours, and the fact that the leaves are never green, make this a popular choice for gardeners wanting a tree that makes a design statement.
Over 10-20 years this tree will grow to a maximum height and spread of 8m.
7) Paperback Maple
- BOTANICAL NAME: Acer griseum
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- PREFERRED ASPECT: SHELTERED
- MAX HEIGHT: 10-12M
- MAX WIDTH: 6M
This tree originally hails from China, and its name comes from bark that peels off in papery layers.
It boasts green throughout most of the year with yellow flowers in spring and red foliage in autumn.
The paperback maple will grow to a maximum height of around 12m, and a spread of up to 8m.
This will take 20-50 years.
8) Hemsley Snowball
- BOTANICAL NAME: Styrax hemsleyanus
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- PREFERRED ASPECT: SHELTERED; SOUTH OR EAST FACING
- MAX HEIGHT: 8M
- MAX WIDTH: 4M
Another tree originally hailing from China, called “one of the loveliest of small trees” by the RHS.
You can expect to see pleasant white flowers in summer.
Over a span of 20-50 years, the tree will reach its maximum height and width of 8m and 4m respectively.
9) Red Windsor Apple
- BOTANICAL NAME: Malus domestica ‘Red Windsor’
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- PREFERRED ASPECT: SHELTERED; FULL SUN
- MAX HEIGHT: 2.5M
- MAX WIDTH: 2.5M
10) Rocky Mountain Juniper ‘Blue Arrow’
- BOTANICAL NAME: Juniperus scopulorum ‘Blue Arrow’
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- PREFERRED ASPECT: ANY
- MAX HEIGHT: 2.5M
- MAX WIDTH: 0.5M
11) Cockspur Coral
- BOTANICAL NAME: Erythrina crista-galli
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- PREFERRED ASPECT: SHELTERED; FULL SUN
- MAX HEIGHT: 2.5M
- MAX WIDTH: 1.5M
12) Flamingo Willow
- BOTANICAL NAME: Salix integra ‘Hakuro-nishiki’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- PREFERRED ASPECT: FULL SUN
- MAX HEIGHT: 2.5M
- MAX WIDTH: 2M
13) Japanese Maple ‘Elegans’
- BOTANICAL NAME: Acer palmatum ‘Elegans’
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- PREFERRED ASPECT: SHELTERED
- MAX HEIGHT: 2.5M
- MAX WIDTH: 2.5M
14) Redbud ‘Ruby Falls’
- BOTANICAL NAME: Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- PREFERRED ASPECT: FULL SUN
- MAX HEIGHT: 2.5M
- MAX WIDTH: 2.5M
15) Blue Fan Palm
- BOTANICAL NAME: Brahea armata
- HARDINESS RATING: H1C
- PREFERRED ASPECT: SHELTERED; FULL SUN
- MAX HEIGHT: 12M
- MAX WIDTH: 4-6M
16) Mediterranean Fan Palm
- BOTANICAL NAME: Chamaerops humilis
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- PREFERRED ASPECT: SHELTERED; PART SHADE
- MAX HEIGHT: 2.5M
- MAX WIDTH: 1.5M
17) Kousa ‘Miss Satomi’
- BOTANICAL NAME: Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- PREFERRED ASPECT: ANY
- MAX HEIGHT: 4M
- MAX WIDTH: 4M
18) Star Magnolia ‘Jane Platt’
- BOTANICAL NAME: Magnolia stellata ‘Jane Platt’
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- PREFERRED ASPECT: SHELTERED
- MAX HEIGHT: 2.5M
- MAX WIDTH: 3M
19) Spindle ‘Red Cascade’
- BOTANICAL NAME: Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- PREFERRED ASPECT: ANY
- MAX HEIGHT: 4M
- MAX WIDTH: 2.5M
Why Plant A Tree In A Small Garden?
“No garden is too small for a tree”, says the Royal Horticultural Society.
So while you may feel like your garden is too small for a tree, the likelihood is that there will be something suitable and that you won’t have to go without.
Plants and bushes are great, but there’s nothing quite like the majesty of a tree to bring an outdoor space to life.
Whether you go for one that bears fruit or something purely ornamental, a tree will contribute something quite special to your garden.
They are also great for providing shade and privacy – shade can be useful when planning seating areas and similar, or for growing plants that do not thrive in full sunlight.
Key Considerations
When planting a sapling, leave enough space around it for the fully grown tree.
This ensures that it won’t cause any problems as it grows.
You should double-check that the full size of the tree – including canopy, trunk, and roots – won’t interfere with nearby property or structures.
A good guideline is to plant the tree away from any buildings, one and a half times further away than its expected maximum height (so if your tree’s maximum height is 8m, plant it 12m away).
It’s worth following this piece of advice even when that seems like a lot of extra space: though the width of the tree may fit comfortably into the space around it, the roots are prone to spread way beyond the confines of the canopy.
Having to dig up and relocate a tree that has begun to establish itself is a big job!
Despite what you might think initially, a small garden doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the majestic presence of a tree.
There are many trees that lend themselves well to small spaces, and these span a range of shapes, sizes, colours, and histories.
The nineteen trees in our list are just a small sample of the trees available for a garden where space is at a premium.
Happy planting!
