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There is not always enough space for a large house tree. If you still want to plant a tree in your garden, you have to switch to small species or varieties. These 24 small trees grow up to 3 meters high.
In a nutshell
- Dwarf varieties of ordinary deciduous trees are suitable for small gardens
- small trees can often be pruned well as topiaries
- almost all types of fruit are also available in dwarf forms
- small garden trees are easier to care for
Small trees from A to F
Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)
- Origin: Asia
- Size and crown shape: Size depends on the variety, good trellis tree for south-facing walls
- Flowers: March and April, white
- Fruits: Harvest from July
- Properties: loves warmth, susceptible to illness in old age
- Location: sunny, warm, sheltered from the wind, nutrient-rich, dry soil
Chinese Judas Tree (Cercis chinensis)
Cercis chinensis 'Avondale'
- Origin: China
- Size and crown shape: mostly shrubs, but can also be grown as small trees
- Flowers: end of April, purple-red
- Properties: somewhat sensitive to frost, winter protection for young plants
- Location: sunny and warm, without special soil requirements
- Variety recommendation: 'Avondale', 'Shirobana', 'Don Egolf' (all small trees)
Vinegar (Rhus typhina)
- Origin: North America
- Size and shape of crown: Small tree, but also shrub-like, spreading crown
- Flowers: June and July, greenish, inconspicuous inflorescences
- Fruits: Infructescences turn red as the fruits ripen, stand erect
- Characteristics: pinnate leaves, strong red autumn colors, fruits stay on the tree for a long time
- Location: sunny, without special soil requirements
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'
- Origin: Asia, especially Japan
- Size and shape of crown: Tree grows very large in its homeland, remains small as a dwarf form, spreading crown, umbrella-like
- Flowering: May, red flowers
- Characteristics: maple-like leaves, red autumn colour
- Location: sunny, possibly also partial shade, without special soil requirements
Lilac (Syringa)
Syringa meyeri 'Palibin'
- Origin: Southeast Europe to East Asia
- Size and crown shape: can be grown with one or more stems, grafted varieties usually remain smaller
- Flowers: End of April to mid-May, flowers in white, pink, purple or blue, rarely yellowish, has a strong scent, suitable for vases
- Properties: forms many root suckers
- Location: sunny, dry, in the shade without flowers, prefers clay soil
- Varieties recommendation: Preston hybrids, dwarf lilac
From G to H
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata Robusta' is a popular topiary
- Origin: local
- Size and crown shape: very large in nature, remaining small in the garden when cut, good topiary
- Flowers: March to April, yellowish to green, inconspicuous
- Fruits: pink
- Properties: evergreen, very robust
- Location: without special location or soil requirements, prefers shade when young
Attention: The yew is poisonous, especially the seeds and needles present in the berries. Children are not allowed to snack on it!
Serviceberry (Amelanchier ovalis)
Fruits of the pear
- Origin: local
- Size and shape of crown: up to 2.5 m tall, shrub-like, but also small trees with one trunk, overhanging
- Flowers: April to May, white, slightly fragrant
- fruits: small, roundish, bluish to black, edible
- Properties: hardy
- Location: undemanding, does not tolerate waterlogging
laburnum
- Origin: Central and Eastern Europe
- Size and crown shape: Shrub-like or small trees, there are varieties that stay small and are also suitable for tubs
- Flowers: May to June, yellow, butterfly flowers
- Properties: poisonous in all parts, hardy
- Location: sunny, the more shady it is, the worse it blooms, well-drained soil
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
Carpinus betulus is one of the most popular hedge plants
- Origin: local
- Size and crown shape: Small tree, hedge plant, can become very large, with the right pruning they are suitable as small trees for the garden
- Flowering: April, inconspicuous catkins
- Properties: yellow autumn colour, very tolerant of pruning
- Location: sunny to semi-shady, without special soil requirements
Hanging catkin willow (Salix caprea 'Pendula')
- Origin: original local variety
- Size and crown shape: small trees up to 2.50 m tall, overhanging branches
- Flowering: March to April, yellow catkins
- Properties: hardy, refined form, cannot be propagated in the garden, suitable as a container plant, tolerates pruning well
- Location: sunny to semi-shady, no special soil requirements
Harlequin Willow (Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki')
- Origin: East Asia
- Size and crown shape: up to 3 m tall, tree grows spherically or bushy, remains small when grafted as a standard
- Flowers: March to April, yellow
- Characteristics: variegated leaves, hardy
- Location: sunny to semi-shady, not demanding on soil
Elder (Sambucus)
Dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus)
- Origin: local
- Size and crown shape: actually a shrub, but can also be grown as a small tree with a single stem
- Flowers: Spring, white umbrella panicles, edible
- Fruits: ripen in summer, poisonous raw, edible cooked
- Properties: hardy, sometimes not long-lived, often colonized by lice
- Variety recommendation: red elderberry, black elderberry
- Location: partially shaded, moist, nutrient-rich soil
From J to O
Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata)
- Origin: Japan
- Size and crown shape: Shrubby or single-stemmed, easy to shape
- Flowers: March to April, yellow
- Fruits: red, poisonous
- Properties: evergreen, hardy
- Care: without special soil and site requirements
Japanese maple (Acer japonicum)
Acer japonicum with autumn leaves
- Origin: Japan
- Size and shape of crown: short trunk or multi-stemmed, upright and spreading
- Flowers: April to May, red
- Properties: red autumn colour, hardy
- Location: sunny, also south-facing slopes, moist, well-drained soil
Magnolia (Magnolia)
Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata)
- Origin: East Asia, America
- Size and crown shape: loose, spreading, beautiful house trees
- Flowers: from March, white, yellow, pink, red
- Characteristics: hardy, but early flowers may freeze, shallow roots, mulch after planting
- Location: sunny, sheltered, humus-rich soil
- Varieties recommendation: star magnolia (Magnolia stellata), summer magnolia (Magnolia sieboldii), purple magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora) (all stay small)
Almond tree (Prunus triloba)
- Origin: China
- Size and crown shape: grown as a shrub or as a standard, bushy habit
- Flowers: March to May, pink
- Properties: yellow-orange autumn colour, tolerates neither waterlogging nor drought, regular pruning keeps the tree vital
- Location: sunny, nutrient-rich, well-drained soil
Mirabelle plum (Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca)
- Origin: Near East
- Size and crown shape: rounded crown
- Flowers: April to May, white
- Fruits: from August, yellow and round, edible
- Characteristics: mature trees hardy
- Location: sunny, sheltered from the wind, loose, well-drained soil, rich in nutrients
fruit bushes
Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa)
- Origin: predominantly native cultivated forms
- Size and crown shape: berry bushes grown as a standard
- Flowers: spring, white or greenish
- fruits: in summer, edible
- Properties: high-maintenance, water and fertilize regularly
- Location: sunny, nutrient-rich soil
- Species: Currant (Ribes) and Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa)
From P to Z
Peach (Prunus persica)
- Origin: China
- Size and crown shape: rounded
- Flowers: March, dark pink
- Fruits: July and August
- Properties: flowering endangered by late frosts
- Location: sunny, sheltered from the wind, nutrient-rich, moist soil
Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata)
- Origin: local
- Size and shape of crown: spreading as a shrub, as small trees with a rounded crown
- Flowers: May to June, red
- Properties: hardy, thorny branches
- Location: sunny, loamy soil
columnar fruit
pillar pear
- Origin: native cultivated forms
- Size and crown shape: also spindle trees, bush trees and low trunks
- Flowers: Spring, white to pink
- Fruits: from summer to autumn
- Characteristics: high-maintenance, water when dry, fertilize regularly, small cultivated forms not as long-lived as standard trees
- Location: sunny to semi-shady, airy but sheltered from the wind, protection from late frosts
- Species: apples (Malus), pears (Pyrus), cherries and plums (Prunus)
Holly (Ilex)
Ilex crenata 'Convexa'
- Origin: local, but also from Asia
- Size and crown shape: partly shrubs, can be grown in tree form
- Flowers: May and June, white
- Fruits: yellow, red, brown or black, berry-shaped
- Properties: slightly toxic, prickly leaves, evergreen, hardy
- Location: semi-shady to shady, acidic, well-drained, moist soil
Notice: Holly also grows well in the shade of larger trees. The berries remain as birdseed well into winter.
ornamental cherry (Prunus)
Dwarf cherry (Prunus fruticosa)
- Origin: Asia
- Size and crown shape: columnar or spherical, overhanging
- Flowers: March to May, white, pink
- Characteristics: some with bright red or yellow autumn colors
- Location: sunny to semi-shady, without special soil requirements
- Variety recommendation: dwarf cherry (Prunus fruticosa)
Dwarf Birch (Betula nana)
- Origin: Northern Europe
- Size and shape of crown: up to 1 m tall, upright
- Flowering: April to May, catkins
- Properties: hardy
- Location: sunny but cool, acidic, slightly moist soil
frequently asked Questions
How much care do small trees need?Most of the house trees presented are easy to care for after the first few years. Only after planting do they need water and possibly some fertilizer. Regular pruning provides an attractive crown shape when it doesn't naturally grow the way you want it to. Exuberant species get a root barrier as soon as they are planted.
Which garden trees are not suitable for small gardens?There are some tree species that always grow very large and where pruning does not make sense. These include, for example, walnut trees or many deciduous trees that form very spreading crowns, such as lime trees.
Do all low house trees remain small even without pruning?If they grow in tubs, all trees remain small because the crown adapts to the root system. Outdoors, some garden trees need regular pruning to keep them from growing too tall.