Small ornamental trees with roots that are not aggressive and that do not sucker, so they can be planted near a path, a driveway or a terrace. Still keep at least 1.5 metres from paving; each plant page gives the distance to keep from buildings.
20 plants from our verified database, by name. A plant is only listed when the data this list relies on is not in doubt. How our data is made
Crataegus pinnatifida 3.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A hawthorn grown as a fruit tree: gardens get the large-fruited form (var. major) and its cultivars, whose glossy red, apple-flavoured fruits of 2…
Malus 'Evereste' 5 m × 3 m after 10 years
'Evereste' is a small flowering tree with abundant spring blossom and colourful little apples that often remain on the branches into winter. Give it a…
Cercis canadensis 3.5 m × 3 m after 10 years
Eastern redbud is a small, often multi-stemmed ornamental tree: in spring, before the leaves, rosy pink to purple pea flowers cover the bare…
Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata' 6 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A dense hornbeam with upswept branches that is a slim column when young, which makes it a good vertical accent in a border and, planted in a row, a…
Koelreuteria paniculata 5 m × 4 m after 10 years
A heat and drought tolerant small tree that carries large yellow flower panicles in midsummer, when few other trees bloom, followed by papery…
Cryptomeria japonica 3 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
An evergreen with soft, feathery foliage and reddish-brown peeling bark, at its best as a specimen or in a Japanese-style garden. Gardens grow its…
Acer palmatum 2.5 m × 2 m after 10 years
A slow, graceful small tree or mounded shrub grown for its finely cut leaves and vivid autumn colour; it suits small gardens, entrances and large…
Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' 2.5 m × 1.8 m after 10 years
Its burgundy, palm-shaped leaves and bright red autumn colour make it a useful garden focal point, and it can also grow in a large container. Choose a…
Pinus parviflora 1.5 m × 1 m after 10 years
A slow, picturesque five-needle pine: short, twisted needles striped blue-white sit in tufts at the branch ends, and the small cones stay on the…
Cercis siliquastrum 6 m × 4 m after 10 years
Pink-purple flowers appear on bare branches and even the trunk in spring, followed by rounded, heart-shaped leaves that provide light summer shade.…
Cornus kousa 3 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
An elegant, slow small tree or large shrub that carries white, star-shaped bracts for weeks in late spring, then turns red in autumn and bears…
Crataegus laevigata 4 m × 3 m after 10 years
Midland hawthorn is sold almost only as the red-flowered 'Paul's Scarlet': a small ornamental tree with a rounded crown that is completely covered…
Parrotia persica 4 m × 3 m after 10 years
A slow-growing, usually multi-stemmed small tree with a wide crown, planted for its foliage: the leaves open flushed with purple, turn glossy green in…
Magnolia × soulangeana 4.5 m × 4 m after 10 years
A broad, multi-stemmed large shrub or small tree that covers itself in huge, lightly scented goblet flowers, pink or purplish outside and white…
Magnolia stellata 2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A slow, compact small tree or large shrub that covers itself in white, star-shaped, scented flowers in early spring before the leaves appear. It…
Acer tataricum 3.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
A tough native small tree or large multi-stemmed shrub with a rounded crown and unlobed, toothed leaves that fits into small gardens too.…
Cupressus sempervirens 'Totem' 3.5 m × 50 cm after 10 years
An extremely slim, dark green form of the Mediterranean cypress that needs hardly any ground yet instantly gives a garden a southern feel. It wants…
Prunus × eminens 'Umbraculifera' 3 m × 1.5 m after 10 years
A small-leaved ornamental cherry grafted on a tall stem whose compact ball crown stays regular without pruning and only gets 1.5 to 2 metres wide,…
Cornus controversa 3 m × 2.5 m after 10 years
Its horizontal branches arranged in tiers make it one of the most beautifully shaped small trees: in late May and June flat plates of white flowers…
Sorbus aria 5 m × 3 m after 10 years
A native small tree with a dense, rounded crown whose oval leaves are dark green above and white-felted beneath, so the whole crown flashes silver…
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