A tree is the single most important plant in a small garden. It gives height, privacy, shade and a sense of permanence, and it attracts birds and insects. Choosing the right one is worth taking time over, because it will be there for decades.
What to look for
- Size at maturity. Check the height and spread after 20 years, not the size in the nursery.
- A light canopy. Trees with small or finely cut leaves cast dappled rather than dense shade, so you can still grow plants underneath.
- More than one season. In a small garden every tree should do at least two things: blossom and fruit, or leaves and bark, or autumn colour and a good winter shape.
- Non-invasive roots. Avoid willows, poplars and large species close to buildings.
Multi-stemmed or single-stemmed?
Multi-stemmed trees have several trunks from the base. They feel sculptural, give a broad, airy canopy at head height and are excellent for screening overlooking windows. Single-stemmed trees with a clear trunk take up less space at ground level, leaving room for planting or seating underneath.
Ten small trees we love
- Amelanchier lamarckii: white spring blossom, summer berries, fiery autumn colour.
- Malus 'Evereste' or 'Gorgeous': crab apples with blossom and fruit that lasts into winter.
- Acer palmatum: Japanese maples for sheltered, partly shaded spots.
- Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy': heart-shaped purple leaves.
- Betula utilis var. jacquemontii: white bark that glows in winter.
- Prunus serrula: polished mahogany bark.
- Cornus kousa: starry bracts in early summer, autumn colour.
- Sorbus vilmorinii: ferny leaves and pink berries.
- Arbutus unedo: an evergreen with peeling bark and flowers and fruit together in autumn.
- Parrotia persica: some of the best autumn colour of any tree.
Where to put it
Think about where shade will fall in summer, which windows it will screen and how it will look from the house. A tree placed off-centre, partway down the garden, often works better than one in the far corner, because it divides the space and creates depth.
When to plant
Autumn and winter, when trees are dormant, is the best time. Bare-root trees are cheaper and establish well if planted between November and March. Water through the first two summers.
Trees are central to how we design town gardens and courtyards.
