Landscaping with small ornamental trees adds color, liveliness, and wildlife to your flower beds. They don’t crowd other flowers or shrubs because little and dwarf blossoming or weeping trees are planted. Moreover, since a tiny ornamental tree does not block out light, it may harm other landscape plants.
Trees that are less than ten feet tall may be found in abundance, and they will not outgrow a small yard or garden. Weeping Japanese maple trees, crabapple trees that are flowering, and dwarf evergreen conifers, for example, stay small and manageable. A modest decorative tree in the appropriate spot can serve as a wonderful focal point in your front or backyard, and it may also be lovely all year.
Many dwarf cultivars thrive in pots, even if you don’t have a flowerbed to plant one. In a container garden, patio, balcony, or deck area, you might still have a tiny blooming tree. Choosing the finest decorative trees that aren’t taller than 10 feet (3 meters) is discussed in this article. These tiny flowering deciduous and evergreen trees make a lovely addition to any flower bed or container garden.
How to Select Small Trees for Flower Beds
Your garden’s hardiness zone, sun exposure, kind of soil, and surrounding plants all need to be taken into account when selecting an ornamental tree. In addition, to ensure that the plant fits in with the scenery and aesthetics, you should consider its mature size. After that, consider how much care the ornamental tree needs.
Small Ornamental Weeping Trees Under 10 Feet Tall (With Pictures)
Little ornamental weeping trees are perfect for beautifying your yard landscape with their lovely limbs and lovely leaves. You may either place them to create a focal point or increase the height of the flower bed.
‘Red Dragon’ Weeping Japanese Maple Tree (Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Red Dragon’)
The exquisite weeping red-purple foliage of the tiny decorative Japanese maple tree is vivid crimson to crimson. The maple leaves, which are crimson and feathery, may grow up to 5 inches (12 cm) long. The little ornamental weeping Japanese maple tree grows to a height of 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters).
To prevent the crimson red leaves from fading, the deciduous weeping small maple tree performs best in partial shade. The weeping tree’s canopy, which spreads up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall, resembles an umbrella. USDA zones 5 through 8 are suitable.
Dwarf Weeping Mulberry (Morus alba ‘Chaparral’)
A weeping mulberry tree adds a focal point to the front or back of your home, whether it’s used as a decorative accent. Dense foliage consisting of glossy, dark green leaves cover this small cascading tree. The tree produces large clusters of white berry-like fruits after blooming.
The weeping mulberry grows to be 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall when grown as a tiny specimen tree. In USDA zones 4 through 8, growing a weeping mulberry is simple. The ornamental weeping tree works well in full sun to partial shade and adapts to most soils. It has attractive deciduous foliage that forms a mound.
Japanese Weeping Cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kiku-Shidare-Zakura’)
Japanese dwarf weeping cherry trees, often known as sakura, feature lovely pink flowers with ruffled petals. The umbrella-like tree canopy is covered in dense leaves, which include cherry. The leaves become golden yellow with orange and bronze hues in the autumn. The year-long appeal comes from the pendulous branches.
Japanese dwarf weeping cherry trees have a glossy, polished bark that is copper in color. In the winter months, when the droopy branches are bare, this feature gives the weeping dwarf cherry tree a lot of interest. In USDA zones 4 through 9, Japanese ornamental dwarf weeping cherry trees require full sun. These cherry trees reach a height of around 10 feet (3 meters).
Small Flowering Trees Under 10 Feet Tall For Small Yard Spaces (With Pictures)
Flower beds in your garden can be colorful and interesting with little flowering trees. Throughout the spring and autumn, they create lovely, fragrant blooms. Little and dwarf flowering trees offer the same appeal as huge ones, but in a smaller package.
Sargent Crabapple (Malus sargentii)
The ‘Sargent’ crabapple is a small decorative landscape tree that grows to be less than 10 feet tall. It’s ideal for limited areas. In the spring and summer, the little superb tree has a spreading crown with zigzag branches covered in white blooms, and in the fall it has dense foliage.
The flowering crabapple is suited for growing near flower beds because of its small size. Between 6 and 10 feet (1.8 and 3 meters) high, and up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) broad, the modest blooming crabapple tree can be found. The little crabapples, the size of cherries, are produced in clusters by the slow-growing deciduous fruit tree.
Lollipop Crabapple (Malus ‘Lollizam’)
Crabapple trees with compact dense growth and fragrant white flowers in the spring are known as lollipop crabapples. With its straight thin trunk and rounded growth, the upturned branches give the small crabapple tree a lollipop shape. In zones 4 to 8, the dwarf crabapple tree Compact grows up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall and spreads thanks to little pruning.
Star Magnolia Ornamental Flowering Tree (Magnolia stellata)
In early spring, the little flowering star magnolia tree produces masses of star-shaped brilliant white flowers. It is a remarkable landscaping tree. Flowers with up to 18 petals and a diameter of 4″ (10 cm) are eye-catching and gently fragrant. Glassy green leaves emerge after the white blooms have faded, lasting through the summer and into fall.
The star magnolia is a good decorative tree for tiny gardens because it is less than 10 feet tall and has shrub-like growth. The magnolia star tree is around 6.5 feet (2 meters) tall and broad. Plant the tree in a location that gets plenty of sun or light shade.
The magnolia ‘Susan’ is another dwarf magnolia that produces cup-shaped crimson flowers as a miniature flowering tree or shrub. It reaches a height of 10 feet (3 meters) and a width of 6.5 feet (2 meters).
Small Flowering Crape Myrtle Trees
Due to their small stature, many types of crape myrtle trees are suited for flower bed planting. Also, depending on the climate, the bushy, dwarf trees have deciduous or evergreen leaves.
The decorative tree’s papery flowers make it look lovely when it blooms, producing beautiful flower spikes. Compact landscaping needs may be met with these crape myrtle cultivars. Most cultivars in USDA zones 7 to 10 grow outdoors all year.
Tonto Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei ‘Tonto’): In the autumn, it produces brilliantly colored pinkish-red blossoms and purple-red leaves, growing to be 10 feet (3 meters) tall.
Acoma Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei ‘Acoma’): Clusters of pure white showy blooms with ruffled petals make up the dwarf bushy crape myrtle tree. This tree, which blooms at ten feet (3 meters) tall, is a dwarf.
Rhapsody in Pink Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica ‘Whit VIII’): The foliage is rich and dark green, and the flowers are light pink in color in the spring. The tiny tree grows to be 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 meters) tall.
Pink Velour Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica ‘Pink Velour’): From mid-summer until late autumn, the shrub-like tree is a long-blooming cultivar that produces ruffled pink blossoms. The bushy tree, which grows to be about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall, is ideal for USDA zones 6 through 9.
Amelanchier ‘La Paloma’ (Dwarf Serviceberry)
The upright deciduous shrub or small tree with shiny bronze-red leaves that turn dark green then brilliant hues of orange in the autumn is known as the dwarf serviceberry tree, which has delightful ornamental value. The dwarf flowering tree is noted for its profuse fragrant white blossoms that bloom in the spring and turn red or purple-black in the early summer.
The dwarf serviceberry tree thrives in full sun to partial shade and grows to be around 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall. In USDA zones 4 through 8, you may plant the tree as a specimen plant in moist, well-drained soil.
Purple Leaf Sand Cherry (Prunus × cistena)
Purple leaf sand cherries with pink blooms and gorgeous foliage are ideal small ornamental trees for flower beds, container gardens, and tiny yards. Throughout the spring, this gorgeous tree features crimson, purple, or red leaves that contrast beautifully with pinkish-white blooms.
The tree grows to a height of about 6.5 feet (2 meters). Cluster of strong-tasting edible berries are produced by the purple leaf sand cherry tree. As a specimen tree, the attractive tree is ideal. You may also cultivate the tree as an evergreen or deciduous hedge because of its spreading nature. The lush foliage of colder climates turns bronze in color.
Plumeria
Plumeria is a group of exotic semi-evergreen dwarf trees that grow in tropical or subtropical settings and are commonly known as frangipani trees. Plumeria trees, which bloom with beautiful, exotic, and showy red, white, pink, and yellow pinwheel flowers have a rounded crown.
These trees reach a height of 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters). USDA zones 9 through 12 are ideal for growing plumeria trees. In Florida and other hot, humid places, fast-growing trees are perfect. In temperate areas, you may cultivate plumeria as a tiny potted plant and overwinter it indoors.
Small Decorative Trees For Landscaping (With Pictures)
With colorful fall foliage, lovely spring and summer blooms, and some height and visual appeal in a flower bed, dwarf decorative trees growing in a garden landscape add year-round appeal.
Hibiscus Tree
Hibiscus syriacus, or single stemmed hibiscus trees. A hibiscus tree is a small decorative plant with big funnel-shaped tropical blooms that may be trained to grow as a multi-stemmed shrub. In summer, their huge tropical flowers bloom in a variety of pink, red, lilac, purple, and white colors. Train your Hardy hibiscus plants to grow into a tree. You can also cultivate an evergreen braided hibiscus tree in warm areas.
Since they grow up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall, hibiscus trees are ideal for flower beds. You can even purchase 4 to 5 ft. (1.2 – 1.5 m) tall dwarf hibiscus cultivars if you want to buy something smaller. The hibiscus tree thrives in sunshine and produces gorgeous flowers all summer long, even if it gets little.
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Several tiny cultivars of the eastern redbud tree are available for landscaping small gardens. Beautiful, variegated foliage and spectacular floral displays of white or pink blooms are common characteristics of many redbud cultivars. Green leaves with pink or white borders may be seen on this attractive heart-shaped plant.
The ‘Ace of Hearts,’ with pea-like reddish-purple flowers, the ‘Merlot,’ with tiny bright pink blossom clusters, and the ‘Tennessee Pink’ with brilliant pink blooms on bare branches are some of the dwarf eastern redbud tree varieties. The decorative trees, which grow up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall and are ideal for USDA zones 5 through 9, are shrub-like in appearance.
Powderpuff Tree (Calliandra haematocephala)
The powderpuff tree is a quickly growing decorative tree with shrubby growth that produces unusual-looking fuzzy blooms in red or pink. The crimson blooms of this decorative dwarf tree, which range from 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm), are a spectacular feature.
In USDA zones 9 and above, you can grow the flowering tree in flower beds. Powderpuff trees reach a height of 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 meters). Nonetheless, it’s simple to keep its height at around 8 feet (2.4 meters) with periodic trimming. The pinnately compound arrangement of glossy green leaves contrasts with the fuzzy red or pink globose blossoms on this attractive spreading tree.
Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)
The pinnate palm fronds of the pygmy date palm arching, and clusters of little black fruits identify it as a kind of tiny palm tree with a spiky trunk. The landscaping palm tree may reach a height of 10 feet (3 meters) and an breadth of eight feet (2.4 meters).
The tree will not produce excessive shade beneath it because of its feathery, light foliage. The arched fronds of the ornamental pygmy date palm are a appealing feature. Each palm leaf is made up of many thin light green leaflets that may grow to be 3 feet (1 meter) long. In zones 9 to 11, the palm is capable of growing in the ground and thrives in gardens across Florida.
Shaina Small Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Shaina’)
The Shaina Japanese maple, which thrives in full sun to partial shade, features bright leaves. The Japanese maple has cascading branches and a bushy mounding growth habit, making it a compact deciduous decorative tree. Palmate red leaves and little reddish-purple blooms characterize the maple tree.
The Japanese maple grows 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) tall in eight years and is suitable for USDA zones 5 through 9. In moist, well-drained soils, the little bushy tree thrives in full sun to partial shade. The tree’s exposed branches create a lovely silhouette throughout the winter.
Small Evergreen Trees For Flower Beds and Small Spaces (With Pictures)
Little evergreen trees offer a year-round hue to your surroundings. Moreover, during the winter months when other plants seem bare, ornamental evergreen trees are preferable anchor plants in landscapes. They provide height, vertical focus, and visual appeal.
Irish Yew ‘Fastigiata’ (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’)
In tiny areas and flower beds, the dwarf columnar Irish yew requires minimal area. It may take a decade or more for a popular coniferous tree to grow to 4.5 feet (1.4 meters). The pencil-like conifer, on the other hand, will not take up space in a flower bed because of its columnar growing habit.
In USDA zones 6 to 8, the hardy Irish yew thrives in full sun and shade and is cold-hardy. The dense evergreen foliage makes the conifer tree ideal for a hedge, foundation planting, or privacy screen, apart from being planted as a vertical accent in flower beds.
Sky Pencil Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’)
The holly is a tiny narrow evergreen decorative tree that grows no more than 10 feet tall. It has a thin growth habit and isn’t very tall. Little, glossy green leaves, black berry-like drupes, and a pencil-thin growth habit distinguish the slender ‘Sky Pencil’ holly. Because it grows 4 to 10 feet (1.2 to 3 meters) tall and broad, the evergreen holly tree is an excellent choice for small, space-limited beds.
USDA zones 5 through 8 tolerate full to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil, which supports the sky pencil holly tree. Because of its upright, columnar development, this holly plant won’t need much area in a flower bed. Without the need for pruning, it retains its narrow, columnar shape.
Dwarf Pencil Point Juniper (Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’)
The dwarf pencil point juniper is a tiny evergreen tree that grows to less than 5 feet tall and is ideal for small areas in your garden. If you want a tall, yet compact tree, planting the dwarf pencil point juniper is a suitable option for your yard, garden, or container.
Just around 1 foot (30 cm) broad and no more than 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall, the adult upright tree is barely a foot (30 cm) broad. Since it thrives in a variety of soils, many gardeners adore this tiny accent tree. It’s also a tough tree that can tolerate temperatures as low as -50°F (-45°C).
Dwarf Hinoki Cypress Tree (Chamaecyparis obtusa)
In small flower beds with limited space, dwarf Hinoki cypress is a gorgeous tiny evergreen tree that adds charm. Soft feathery needles, dark green leaves, and globose brown cones are all characteristics of the miniature evergreen tree. Dwarf cypress trees that grow between 3 and 6 feet (1 and 2 meters) are an excellent way to add vertical emphasis and year-round greenery to a small garden landscape. ‘Kosteri,’ ‘Nana,’ ‘Nana Gracilis,’ and ‘Spiralis’ are some of the most popular dwarf Hinoki cypress evergreen trees.