A growing concern in many residential areas and towns is the desire to plant trees, but something that doesn’t grow too overly large or take up too much space. There are a number of trees that are petite and take up very little room, yet at the same time will add beauty and enhance your landscape. The following 10 plants can be considered “small trees” or “large shrubs” depending on your point of view. All are easy to grow and widely available.
1. Buffaloberry- Buffaloberries are native to the prairies and are best suited to hot, dry areas with poor soil. They grow anywhere from 10-18 ft. tall and up to 10 ft. wide. The foliage is silver and attractive, and the bright red berries they produce make excellent jams and jellies.
2. Japanese Tree Lilac- Japanese tree lilacs are unlike other lilacs in that these are true trees rather then shrubs. They grow 15-18 ft. tall and 10-12 ft. wide. They have shiny, attractive bark and large clusters of soft yellow or creamy flowers in June. Increasingly popular.
3. Amur Maple- A lovely little maple, Amur maples will only grow about 12 ft. tall and 8-10 ft. wide. They are very fine textured with slender, attractive branches and flaming red fall color.
4. Nannyberry- A little used member of the cranberry family, nannyberries grow 12-18 ft. tall and up to 10 ft. wide. They have clusters of creamy white, attractive flowers in spring followed by blue-black edible berries in late summer. (They taste like raisins.) The fall color on these small trees is incredible and long lasting- anywhere from dark red to brilliant plum purple!
5. Tatarian Maple- Similar to the Amur maple, but grows a little bit larger and has something of a different leaf shape. Fall color is more of an orange-red then the Amur maple. Beautiful and uncommon.
6. Serviceberry- A very close relative of the Saskatoon berry, serviceberries grow 15-20 ft. tall and produce clouds of white flowers in the spring. The flowers are followed by berries which the birds love, and the fall color is usually a vivid red.
7. Pincherry ‘Mary Liss’- This is a gorgeous selection of the native pin cherry that reaches a height of 12-15 ft. Attractive bark, fragrant white flowers in spring, and tons of bright red fruit which is not only beautiful, but also makes excellent jams and jellies. Fall color can be red, orange, or gold and is usually spectacular.
8. Hawthorn- Hawthorns are gorgeous, lovely small trees reaching 15-20 ft. They bloom spectacularly in spring and have wonderful fall color. ‘Snowbird’ and ‘Toba’ are the most popular cultivars.
9. Sumac- Sumacs are large shrubs or small trees depending on what part of the country you live in. The smooth sumac has lush, divided, lacy foliage and grows about 10 ft. The staghorn sumac is more irregularly shaped and grows a bit shorter. Both have excellent fall color.
10. ‘Sester Dwarf’ Blue Spruce- A shrub that’s shaped like a tree! The ‘Sester Dwarf’ is very dense with bright blue needles and only reaches 6-8 ft. tall, yet maintains a perfect tree shape! Ideal for small yards and gardens.
