Deciduous Trees for Smaller Urban Gardens

Trees for Small Gardens

There’s something special about Deciduous Trees. They tend to give a soft, romantic feel to any garden and many are relatively quick to grow. There is a real sense of seasonal definition as you observe their natural cycles –  bringing fabulous colours and textures in Autumn before shedding leaves by Winter, with Spring and Summer bringing beautiful blossoms and fresh foliage.    Planted for Summer shade, they provide a cooling effect in the home and garden, and in  Winter, when dormant, can let much needed sunlight into living areas providing natural warmth.  Many deciduous trees like flowering plums, silver birches and also Frangipanis provide an eye catching silhouette when planted with a fence or wall as a backdrop.

Here’s a small list of smaller trees growing in the Nursery. This list will be updated as we get new trees growing! If you’re after any tree in particular, contact us and we’ll see where if we can source it.  Have a look at this for Evergreen Trees for small urban gardens

 Acer palmatum – Japanese Maple

Graceful and elegant, the Green Japanese maple, has delicate green foliage with red tones  emerging in Spring, followed by lovely red Autumn colours. Japanese Maple is a small tree that soften the garden with  soft, feathery foliage.     Plant in a protected spot in the garden, away from hot sun and drying winds. In our experience, the Green Jap Maple is more robust compared to other Red Varieties.

Betula alba – Silver Birch

Silver Birch is a beautiful tree with small, dainty leaves that twinkle gracefully in the summer breeze. Has striking white bark in the winter time. Plant these in a copse of 3 or 5, you’ll achieve a naturalised look  which also has the benefit of  smaller tree growth.  Install some garden lights for a spectacular night time display – which will highlight the character of the white trunk.

Cercis canadensis – American Redbud

This is a lovely, ornamental large shrub or small tree. Lots of gorgeous pink blossoms occur in Spring time, followed by sweet heart shaped foliage. This lovely small tree can grow multi-stemmed or into a single trunk to around 5m  tolerating a wide range of soil conditions – from sandy soils to clay, but  it will be happiest planted in improved, conditioned soil with adequate drainage.

 

Malus –  Ornamental Crab Apple

Gorgeous Spring Blossoms on a lovely small tree with a spreading, fibrous root system. Can get to 4m.    Bears small mini apples used for making jams, but mostly used as a beautiful Spring flowering ornamental tree with spectacular Autumn foliage.   Crab Apples can help pollinate other fruiting apples as it has a long flowering period and produces lots of pollen.

 

 Lagerstroemia – Crepe Myrtle

Brilliant summer show off with a long flowering period.  These small trees love the heat and sun and come in a range of spectacular colours. Grows approx to 4m – good for a small or narrow spaces. These are one of our favourite shrubs.

 

Prunus nigra –  Ornamental, Flowering Plum

Prunus nigra is an ornamental small tree with a deep burgundy, purpley foliage that emerges in Spring with spectacular pink blossoms.  It makes a nice tree for smaller gardens, growing to around 5m. Looks great contrasting against shrubs and trees of varying shades of green or with a wall or fence as a backdrop.

 

 Prunus nigra fastigiata – Upright Flowering Plum

This upright, small tree has a natural column shape and is a great addition to an urban landscape. Use in narr

ow passages for a screen, along fence lines

or as a feature tree contrasting with other green foliage. Has gorgeous pink spring blossoms too!

 Pyrus ussuriensis – Manchurian Pear

This beautiful upright tree with masses of white blossoms in early Spring, glossy green foliage in Summer with gorgeous Autumn foliage.   Manchurian Pear is a tree growing to around 8-10m It’s often used as a feature tree, for street or avenue lining, screening/hedging or even pleaching – (which is a like a hedge on stilts)

Deciduous Fruit Trees

Apples, Apricots, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Nectarines, Nashi. All are considered small trees, all are very ornamental and productive as well! You can do lots with these. Have you ever tried to espalier

– ie training branches so they grow flat against a fence or a wire. Or simply keep them in pots?  You can even plant a few of them in the same hole which will keep them small.  We also have double grafted trees – for example, 2 varieties of apples grafted onto one rootstock.

Weeping Mulberry

Pendulous branches with large, glossy foliage and yummy berries in Spring time make this a garden favourite.  The tree produces small, delicious, sweet, berries that start out a light pink, turning red, before developing into a deep red/black colour.    A really nice, handsome feature tree with the bonus of berries!

 

Weeping Silver Birch

This elegant ornamental feature tree adds so much character. Its got striking white trunk contrasting with dainty foliage on weeping, pendulous branches.  Each year, it develops more branches, becoming fuller and wider and even more lovely.

Prune in summer or autumn for best results.

Chinese Tallow

Chinese tallow is a fast growing, deciduous tree that shows off its beautiful reddish, orange, purpley autumn colours, even in warmer coastal areas.   Quite a robust tree with a good growth rate,  Chinese tallow can grow up to 8m, which is considered a small tree. Chinese Tallow would make a lovely shade tree  – good for urban gardens.

 

 

Acer Negundo Flamingo  

Very beautiful small tree with variegated leaves on pendulous branches.  Foliage emerges pinkish with green and cream variegation.Grows 4/5m x 3/4m.  Would make a gorgeous feature tree for a smaller yard.

 

 

Japanese Maple Green

Japanese Maple is a graceful and elegant tree with delicate green foliage with hints of red tones . Emerging green in Spring, followed by lovely red Autumn colours. Jap Maples are a small tree that soften the garden with it’s soft, feathery foliage. Grows usually around4-5m

 

 

Japanese Maple Bloodgood

A beautiful small tree with blood red foliage emerging Spring, right through to Autumn. Plant in a relatively sheltered position that receives plenty of sunlight. A semi shaded spot is ok, but it colours up best in the sun.

Tree grows to around 4-5m, into a round shape.

 

 

Chinese Elm

 

The Chinese Elm tree grows into a medium sized, beautiful round classic tree shape. A gorgeous shade tree with lots of character – Developing a spotted trunk as it matures, it’s branches are slightly pendulous.

 

 

 

Chinese Elm GreenMist – Variegated

This tree is a small/medium sized tree that grows up to 6-8m x 5m. It is one of the first deciduous trees to grow new foliage in very early Spring. It is even considered semi-evergreen – the older it gets, it tend to keep some foliage on year round

 

 

 

 

Cercis Canadensis – Forest Pansy

Forest Pansy is a deciduous small tree growing around 5m x 5m. Plum coloured foliage emerges in Spring following masses of tiny pink blossoms. The foliage then changes to classic orange, red colours in Autumn. There’s also plenty of Winter interest from dark, zig-zaggy shaped, multi-stemmed branches.

 

 

 

Cercis Chinensis – Avonview