Small trees contribute positively to any yard as their shade retains moisture on the ground which provides natural cooling for surrounding plants during high summer heat. New lots often feature nothing but bare dirt and new home owners don’t even know where to start with developing their landscape. Does this require to hire one of the busy landscape companies which can easily drain a budget ? The answer is simple – the purchase of just one small tree can be a good start. And where huge landscape projects can feel overwhelming, a good strategy is to beautify small areas and then to sprawl from there.
Small trees should be hardy enough to sustain the local climate of summer heat and winter’s cold. Growing size at maturity may also play an important role when it comes to privacy from neighbouring properties. Luckily, all important criteria can be met with widely available tree specimen and varieties. Spring blooming tree flowers including the scarlet foliage of fall colours greatly enhance any landscape with their spectacular appearance.
Crimson Cloud Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata ‘Crimson Cloud’)
Adaptable to a wide range of soil types and best grown in full sun, the Crimson Cloud Hawthorn with its spectacular prolific single bright red flowers, star-shaped white in the center, makes for a striking specimen tree in any landscape. This thornless and fragrant variety grows up to 20 feet in height and up to 15 feet in width at maturity. Fully established, this tree can bloom up to three weeks in spring. Hardiness zone 4.
Amur Maple (Acer ginnala)
A hardy deciduous tree or shrub with distinctive 3-lobed leaves and red fall colour, the Amur Maple tree is is a small deciduous tree or shrub native to northeastern Asia. It is valued for its cold hardiness, attractive fall colours, and adaptability to various soil types. It grows typically 20 feet tall and wide at maturity. Hardiness zone 3 to 8.
Sweetheart Mayday (Prunus padus ‘Sweetheart’)
Also known as Birdcherry, the Sweetheart Mayday is a deciduous tree with a shapely oval form. Early leaves are followed by pendant clusters of tiny but fragrant white or pale pink blooms. Introduced throughout North America from Saskatchewan, this hardy tree grows up to 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide with an open crown structure. Narrow dark-green leaves feature deep purple undersides which make this plant a spectacular sight throughout the growing season. Hardiness zone 4.
Showy Mountain Ash (Sorbus decora)
A hardy accent tree for small landscapes, featuring showy clusters of white flowers in spring and attractive compound leaves that turn red and orange in fall. Orange fruits are held in abundance in spectacular clusters from early fall until dark-red in following spring when they are harvested by swarms of cedar wax wing birds. This hardy, native tree grown 15 to 20 heet in height and about 15 feet wide. Hardiness zone 3.
Hot Wings Tatarian Maple (Acer tataricum ‘Gar Ann’)
A spectacular addition for smaller home landscapes, this tree features blazing red hot seeds in late summer and the fall colour is an excellent mix of yellows and reds.. It is drought-tolerant once established and can grow in sandy, clay and dry soil conditions. It blends well into various landscapes and can be used as an accent, screen, or for mass planting. At maturity, this tree is about 15 feet tall and wide. Hardiness zone 3 to 6.
Cornelian Cherry Dogwood (Cornus mas)
Native to Asia, this tree features tight clusters of small star-shaped yellow flowers bloom that in early spring, covering the tree before leaves emerge. It thrives in well-drained urban conditions as a specimen plant, in masses, near a patio, or as a hedge. Tolerates full sun or part shade and can grow in alkaline soil. Grows up to 25 feet in height and width at maturity. Hardiness zone 4.
Newport Flowering Plum (Prunus cerasifera)
The most cold hardy of Purple leaf Plum varieties, ‘Newport’ is a small tree 15 to 20 feet tall and wide featuring deep purple leaves that retain their colour throughout the season. In spring, rose-pink buds open to soft-pink flowers that contrast beautifully with the deep reddish-purple stems and the new reddish-purple leaves that begin to emerge with the bloom. Ideal for use as a specimen, in groupings or straight and staggered rows to line a drive, walkway, property line or landscape border. Also nice to frame the corners of tall homes and to provide beauty and some shade around patios, porches and other outdoor living spaces. Hardiness zone 3 to 5.
Hi, I am Matt – the owner of Chasing Sprouts website. The blog, resources and plant database segments feature a wealth of information to master all sorts of gardening projects. Feel free to share my articles with your world. Bookmark Chasing Sprouts to stay in the loop! |
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