The Best Small Trees for Landscaping
Choosing the right size tree for landscaping in a small space can make all the difference between success and failure. Finding trees amenable to restricted growing areas, pruning, and flexible climactic conditions can mean a successful planting that provides years of enjoyment for the whole family. Luckily there are quite a number of small ornamental trees that are popular for use in landscaping across the country. Many provide lush shade, gorgeous flowering in spring and summer, and dramatic fall colors as the leaves turn. Consider these popular varietals when planning to add small trees to your landscape design.
The Crape Myrtle Tree
The Crape Myrtle is always one of the favorite small trees for use in ornamental landscapes. Crape Myrtle trees produce a wide range of bark types, from cinnamon shaded to nearly white. The blossom coloration can also vary from tree to tree, often appearing in white, pink, lavender, mauve or red hues. Crape Myrtle will continue to produce blossoms throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Crape Myrtle trees can reach heights of 20 feet.
The Amur Maple Tree
The Amur Maple is also known by its botanical name of Acer ginnala, and because of its diminutive height and unique proportions where width outweighs height, is considered to be a form of shapeable bonsai tree. The Amur Maple will produce spring flowers followed by a deep crimson summer fruit. It will grow to 15 feet high and 18 feet wide if left un-pruned.
The Japanese Stewartia Tree
The Japanese Stewartia has a fantastic multi hued bark that has begun to make it a popular favorite year round as a small ornamental landscape tree. Bark will peel away, showing patches of white, brown, reddish purple, and near black, making the trunk appear like nothing so much as a painter's canvas. This tree is seasonally lovely year round, but can grow to heights of 40 feet, which is a consideration where overhead obstructions may be an issue.
The Dogwood Tree
The Dogwood Tree produces blossoms that have been deemed the state flower for North Carolina, and have a whole festival named after them. The Dogwood tree can grow up to 20 feet high and produces lovely red tipped white blossoms that are actually leaves, with the true flowers, small green yellow blooms, protected in their centers. Foliage only appears following the introduction of the spring blooms.
The Flowering Crabapple
Flowering Crabapple trees are flowering and fruiting, and they are some of the most popular of all Northern grown ornamental landscape trees. Blossoms range from white to deep red and even bordering on purple, fruits are delicious to birds and humans, and they are also easy on the eye in shades of gold, red, and orange. Certain varietals are known to be more disease resistant. The Flowering Crabapple Tree can reach heights in excess of 20 feet.
The White Fringe Tree
The White Fringe Tree is nicknamed snowflower because of its feathery appearance. It grows to 20 feet in height and produces beautiful clusters of low hanging white blossoms. Songbirds also enjoy the bluish black fruits which appear in late summer.
