Before diving into this list of perfect trees for smaller spaces, why plant a tree in the first place? And why plant one now?
Autumn is the perfect time to plant a tree. It requires less water (as trees demand lots in their first year) and so using this damper time of year means the tree stands a far better chance of survival and reaching maturity. It also has, like any planting at this time of year, all winter to establish a strong root ball giving it increased chances of ultimate success come spring. There is honestly no better time to plant a tree.
Planting a tree is also an excellent thing to do for the environment. They contribute dramatically to cleaning the air, attract wildlife into your garden and improve the soil too – increasing its capacity to absorb water. Fallen leaves also create new organic matter in the soil which is an important part of topsoil creation. On top of that, they also help reduce temperatures in urban environments.
When it comes to design, trees add structure, height and provide interest throughout the seasons. They can transform a space, providing colour with leaves and flowers, a focal point for a garden or terrace – working well in pots for many smaller varieties – and add interest through dappled sunshine, movement and the gentle noise of breeze moving through their branches. They are a wonderful multi-sensory addition to many outdoor spaces.
With so many trees to choose from though, it can be difficult to know how to choose an appropriate tree for your space. If left unchecked, large shrubs or trees can reach full height and spread, causing damage, or simply dominating other plants. There are plenty of options for smaller spaces however, and methods too for limiting the expansion of medium varieties. You will always have to keep an eye on trees in your garden – in much the same way that you will have to monitor everything in your garden to keep it at its best, but to help remove some of the doubt, here are some trees and shrubs that are suitable for smaller gardens which each add interest in different ways, many of which also feature in our Dig garden themes – for what it’s worth!
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Amelanchier lamarckii
An extremely popular tree with garden designers due to its capacity to grow in many conditions and to provide year-round seasonal interest. The multi-stem specimens (trees with multiple main trunks) are architecturally beautiful and tend not to overpower smaller spaces.
Seasonal interest:
Spring: Flowers appear
Summer: Leaves turn to yellow-green and red berries appear
Autumn: Leaves change to scarlet and crimson before falling
Maximum size: 6m spread // 10m height
Great for: Full sun / partial shade
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Arbutos unedo
Technically a shrub, this evergreen plant will maintain interest the whole year round and is wonderful for attracting pollinators into the garden.
Seasonal interest:
Autumn: Red fruits and white flowers appear
Maximum size: 8m spread // 8m height
Great for: Full sun
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Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’
This shrub provides colour throughout the year and is relatively hardy. Fun fact – traditionally the wood of this large shrub was used for making spindles.
Seasonal interest:
Spring: Green ovular leaves appear
Summer: Small yellow-green flowers begin to emerge
Autumn: Leaves turn scarlet and bright pink fruits appear. These open to reveal orange seeds which remain on the tree even when the leaves have fallen
Maximum size: 2.5m spread // 3m height
Great for: Full sun / partial shade
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Heptacodium miconioides
This is a unique and hardy shrub with striking and interesting bark that turns yellowish-brown and peels off when the tree matures.
Seasonal interest:
Summer & Autumn: Small white flowers with a beautiful fragrance appear
Autumn: Leaves turn crimson and flowers transform into small pink and purple fruits
Maximum size: 3m spread // 4m high
Great for: Full sun / partial shade
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Acer palmatum ‘Seiryu’
An unusual variety, this is the only green dissected Japanese Maple tree (Japanese Maples with beautiful split leaves) with upright growth habit (instead of the usual weeping or domed forms).
Seasonal interest:
Spring: Small red flowers appear
Summer: Green leaves remain
Autumn: Leaves transform from green to orange, yellow and red
Maximum size: 4m spread // 4m high
Great for: Full sun / partial shade
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Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’
A very small Fuji Cherry tree that has unusual zig-zagging branches and masses of flowers.
Seasonal interest:
Spring: White or pale pink flowers appear
Maximum size: 2.5m spread // 2.5m height
Great for: Full sun
