A few times we have posted an article titled Great Landscapes Have Three Levels. In the article, we mention the use of small trees as one of the ways to create three levels.

Wintertime, with fewer lawn and landscape maintenance activities dominating your time, is the perfect time to evaluate your landscape. Let’s spend a few minutes learning about the importance of small trees in the landscape.

Reasons For Using Small Trees

Small trees often are the punctuation points of your landscape. They are the anchor plants that give the landscape balance.

Small trees are the stars of the landscape with the rest of the landscape playing a supporting role.

Often, they are the first to be placed in the design and commonly the first to be planted.

Small trees add height, color, and texture to the landscape.
They complement the landscape.
They direct the eye to key features or views.
Small trees can frame a house or an entry.
They can be used to create privacy or screen an undesirable view.
Small trees give the landscape balance.

Small trees are defined as those that have a mature height of 12-30’.

Small trees are typically multi-stemmed but can be a single trunk plant as well.

The list of small trees is long.

Here are a few to consider:

Redbud – There are many varieties, but the Oklahoma Redbud stands out as a great landscape specimen with vibrant pink-purple flowers on bare branches in the early spring and glossy heart-shaped leaves during the growing season. 15-20’ tall and wide.

Japanese Maple – A favorite small tree for the north or east side of a house. There are weeping, upright, and spreading varieties. Varieties with red leaves, purple leaves, green leaves, and yellow leaves. Their color and texture create interest in any shady to dappled sun area. 10-25’ high and wide.

Saucer Magnolia – Large saucer-shaped blooms of white, pink, or purple in the early spring on spreading multi-trunk branches. 20’ tall and 20’ wide.

Crape Myrtle – Our longest summer blooming plant with so many colors and growth habits to choose from there has to be one just right for any landscape. 12-30’ tall and 10-20’ wide.

Dogwood – White or pink blooms in the late spring. Great for areas protected from the afternoon sun or as an understory accent tree. 15’-20’ tall and wide.

Rose of Sharon – A graceful vase-shaped small tree that adds a tropical look to the landscape. A mid-summer to fall bloomer available in shades of white, red, pink, lavender, and blue. 15’ tall and 10’ wide.

Chaste Tree – Also known as Vitex, has summer lilac-colored blooms with grayish-green foliage on a broad, spreading multi-trunk frame. 15-20’ tall and wide.

Smoke Tree - Varieties of purple or yellow foliage with airy smoke-like plumes in the summer. 15’ tall and 10’ wide.

Taylor Juniper - Narrow columnar evergreen with bluish-green foliage creating a formal elegant look. Also, can be used to create screening or privacy. 25-30’ tall and only 3’ wide.

These are only a few small trees to consider. The list could go on and on.

How have you used small trees in your landscape?

What small trees do you have in your landscape?

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873