Small trees for small gardens
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Golden ElmBox Elder (Acer negundo)Chinese Banyan (Ficus Microcarpa)Sweet Acacia (Acacia Auriculiformis)Silver Birch (Betula Pendula)Italian Cypress (Cupressus Sempervirens)Golden Privet (Ligustrum Aureum)Japanese Pagoda Tree (Sophora Japonica)Oriental Arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis)Dwarf Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo 'Nana')What trees have non-invasive roots?Weeping Willow (Salix spp.)
20 March 2023 · Last updated on 20 March 2023
The best small trees for small gardens help to provide privacy, serenity and beauty. Adding a small tree that is well suited for the conditions of Australia will definitely increase the curb appeal of your home and functionality as it provides much needed shade and cover. Dragon tree Dracaena draco is a slow glowing tree that is beautiful. Ornamental pear, Queensland bottle tree and ornamental pear attract birds and can be planted in tiny gardens in early spring. There are different kinds of trees for even smaller spaces as well. There are fruit trees and flowering trees that you can choose to grow in outdoor space, small garden, small courtyard or garden beds. These trees can grow up to specific lengths of meters. This depends on your requirement that how many metres high or metres tall trees you want for your place. Low summer humidity can attract pollinating insects and glossy foliage in the late summer and early summer. White blooms and full bloom trees are a living feature and nectar eating birds love these trees. Deciduous species are generally a slender shape and good for well drained soil or well draining soil. Japanese maple trees can be planted with flowering gum in late spring in dappled shade. A stunning feature of blueberry ash trees are their beautiful flowers and many benefits such as upright habit. You can add trees on the edges of your gardens to add a focal point area. You can grow flowering trees with flowers of many colours such as pale pink, cream, rose pink and yellow.
Golden Elm
The Golden elm, also known as 'small leaved' elm or 'lacebark' elm is an ornamental plant with dense foliage and golden twigs making this one of the best small trees for small gardens in Australia. The golden colour makes this a real standout when planted around homes, offices or other landscaping areas where they are sought after for their gorgeous yellow colour which helps to increase the curb appeal of any property. When young, this deciduous tree has a pyramidal shape but as it grows older, it becomes more open and vase-like which is perfect for small gardens with limited space. It provides great shade early in the morning and late afternoon and tolerates most soil types except for poorly drained areas.
Box Elder (Acer negundo)
When looking for one of the best small trees for small gardens in Australia, look no further than the box elder. This fast-growing, medium-sized deciduous tree has a rounded canopy and matures to around 15m high by 14m wide with dark green leaves that turn bright yellow during autumn months. It is also very drought tolerant making it an ideal small tree for small gardens with little watering. It's tolerant of most soil types and has a moderate growth rate so provides great shade from mid-morning through the afternoon, perfect for those summer months when you want to be out in your garden but need some coolness from the shade that is provided by this beautiful deciduous tree.
Chinese Banyan (Ficus Microcarpa)
The Chinese banyan is a popular choice as one of the best small trees for small gardens in Australia because it can withstand a range of growing conditions which makes it perfect for those looking for low maintenance plants. It can tolerate compacted or rocky soils as well as dry soils making it ideal for many small gardens. This evergreen tree also tolerates salt spray making it perfect for coastal conditions. It has a dense canopy and is fast-growing which makes it an ideal choice for larger small gardens where the owner wants to give it some time to grow into the area.
Sweet Acacia (Acacia Auriculiformis)
Not only does this deciduous, ornamental tree have stunning flowers but they attract pollinators to the garden too! The sweet acacia is one of the best trees for bees in Australia which can be great if you are looking at landscaping that attracts wildlife into your yard. This small tree provides great shade from late morning through mid-afternoon which means that this will be perfect for any garden in Australia. It does require pruning to keep it in shape if desired and is very tolerant which means you can forget about having to water this one during the summer months.
Silver Birch (Betula Pendula)
This lovely silver birch provides not only great shade but also gorgeous white bark that is extremely popular with gardeners in Australia. The best thing about this small tree for smaller gardens is that not only is it deciduous, but it's also fast-growing. You will have plenty of light when in leaf but can enjoy the shade when in dormancy so provides both function and beauty all year round. This small tree has a vase-like habit when young but forms a narrow pyramidal shape as it matures which is great for fitting into small spaces. It also tolerates most soil types including dry, sandy or clay soils which are common in many small gardens so will not have to worry about this one needing re-potting.
Italian Cypress (Cupressus Sempervirens)
This evergreen tree is not only a great small tree for small gardens in Australia, it's also low maintenance and drought tolerant which makes it the ideal choice. It provides lovely dark green foliage all year round but does have a nice yellow fall colour to add interest in autumn months. It has rigid branches that give this tree a vertical shape so provides a lot of shade from early morning through the late afternoon which means it is a perfect shady spot during summer months.
Golden Privet (Ligustrum Aureum)
This tropical-looking deciduous tree has glossy golden leaves which gives off an exotic look when planted around homes and landscaping areas. It is very adaptable and will grow in most soil types including sandy, loamy, clay and even slightly acidic which makes it a great choice. It has a round form which makes it perfect for use as a small screen or corner plant and looks lovely when grouped together to create your own little forest. Golden privet (Ligustrum Aureum) not only has golden leaves but golden bark which is something you don't see very often. It is deciduous so gives the garden some serious shade during the summer months and will look lovely in pots on your deck or patio area. This is another fast-growing tree so will grow into most small gardens quickly which means that it requires little to no pruning.
Japanese Pagoda Tree (Sophora Japonica)
This lovely flowering tree has a dense, narrow habit which makes it the ideal choice to use as a small screening tree. It's fast-growing and can be pruned into various shapes if desired or simply left to grow as a small tree. The bright red fruit provides fantastic autumn colour and is very non-invasive so will not spread through your garden.
Oriental Arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis)
This evergreen conifer has a nice pyramidal shape that makes it perfect for growing as a small screen or feature plant. It does require pruning to keep the shape if desired but it's generally slow-growing, making it ideal for small gardens where you want something that will grow into your space. It has beautiful blue-green leaves which are very dense and provide good shade during the summer months.
Dwarf Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo 'Nana')
This dwarf conifer will grow to a maximum height of just 1m so is perfect for those who have a small space to fill in their garden. It has a mounded habit which will require some light pruning from time to time although this can be done after flowering as it blooms on new wood so there isn't any concern of removing the current year's growth. It doesn't get too big so is perfect for pots on decks and patios, as it provides some lovely evergreen interest during the year.
What trees have non-invasive roots?
Trees that are considered invasive spread quickly and easily by sending out runners, called stolons or rhizomes, which can form new plants away from the parent tree. These trees typically need to be dug up if you wish to control the spread. The following is a list of several popular invasive trees along with their less invasive counterparts which can be used for landscaping purposes. The following is a list of several common invasive trees.,
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
This is a fast-growing deciduous tree with beautiful white bark which provides wonderful shade during the summer months. It requires little to no pruning but does grow quickly which means that you can end up with quite a large shrub by the time it reaches maturity. Being an invasive species, it will spread underground via its roots and runners so need to be dug up if you wish to keep it under control.
Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)
Although similar in appearance to silver maple, this is another fast-growing deciduous tree with lovely green leaves that turn yellow/golden brown during the autumn months. Spring flowers are showy but provide little to no benefit so avoid planting this particular species if you wish for something that provides nesting habitats or cover for birds. It has invasive roots and will spread into your garden quickly which means that it needs to be dug up if needed.
Weeping Willow (Salix spp.)
This is a fantastic looking deciduous tree with beautiful, almost fern-like foliage. The branches droop downwards gracefully which make them great items for hanging baskets or bird feeders as they provide ample room underneath the canopy to place various items. Despite its lovely weeping habit, this tree can grow quite large and quickly take over much of your garden area which makes them non-ideal for small spaces.
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