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Small trees in the perennial garden?

14 years ago

I would like some suggestions for small ornamental trees to put into my perennial gardens. I see some here and there that have flat tops and they grow kind of weeping.

I had Japanese maple but they die after a couple winters here in winter wonderland. Besides they would get to big. I haven't had any luck with dogwoods either.

Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks

Nancy

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Comments (17)

alina_1
14 years ago
Sambucus, especially 'Black Lace' is fantastic. The look similar to Japanese Maples, very hardy, wonderful color and blooms.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
please define 'small' and 'too big' ....

and what is your goal???? ... shade .. or a vertical element .. etc

and anything else that might help us.. help you

ken in adrian mi
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mori1
14 years ago
Nancy, not all Japanese maples get big. The one I had before my neighbor killed it, was slow growing and would have been 5 ft tall once it reach maturity.
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keriann_lakegeneva
14 years ago
Japanese lilacs are beautiful.

They will take heavy prunings to keep a manicured shape (if that is what you desire), they are lovely both with and without flowers and they are a fast grower. I keep some of mine 10-15 feet, my largest one is 20 ft tall and about 6 years young.

Keriann~
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nancykvb
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the suggestions. I have a Sambucus black lace and I love it. The color of the folage is wonderful.
The Japanese maples just do not winter over well here, I think we are to out in the open, no shelter from the cold winter winds.
Definetly want a true tree form, one trunk, 10 to 12 feet or so tall. Ken, I am looking for a vertical element, and I have been thinking about the weeping cherry, the small variety.
Also is there such a thing as a dwarf crabapple tree?
Thanks again,

Nancy
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hydrangeasnohio
14 years ago
Crabapples are nice, but I personally dislike the Cherrys for two reasons. Every 5 or so winters here in zone 5b NE Ohio most of the blooms are damaged by the winter conditions. Second you haven't seen Japanese Beetles till you plant a cherry.

In are area Golden Chain Trees thrive. I have noticed the young ones have damage to there blooms across bad winters like the Cherrys but the older Chains seem to still do well, unlike the mature Cherrys. The Chains have very uniquie leaves and green bark. Along with reaching around 15 feet tall and 10-12 wide at maturinty. Quite the center piece in my opinion.

My second choice would be a Molten Lava Crabapple. A local nursery has one and it is a knock out! It expired me to buy one also a couple years ago and has grown like a weed. It has the semi weeping look to it and will have pink,white and dark red colors on the blooms all at one time. It is a very reliable heavy bloomer every year with orane yellow fruit later in the year. New growth has a red hue and only reaches 12-15 feet tall and 10 wide.

There are many new Smaller Magnolia varities out now also! Hope this helps and Good Luck!

H
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kimcoco
14 years ago
Rose of Sharon (trimmed to tree form, you can buy these in larger form at nurseries, small box stores carry the small shrubs, they are slow growing).

I've also had bad luck with japanese maples, they seem to require winter protection, at least until established, and very particular about siting. But, some do stay small, need pampering.

I have a large lilac shrub trimmed up to a tree form, it forms a canopy over my patio where I have a rocking chair beneath the canopy. Very cozy.

Some shrubs are sold on "standards" - grafted to a long stem to grow as a tree form.
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hydrangeasnohio
14 years ago
Forgot Hydrangeas tree also!
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dhable
14 years ago
Double flowering plums are nice, trained as single trunk trees. They get to be maybe 10 feet tall, bloom early, before the foliage is out. In full sun, they'll be covered with white-to-pink (or vice-versa) flowers.
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laceyvail 6A, WV
14 years ago
Xanthoceras sorbifolium (Yellowhorn) is quite small-8-10 feet, with stunning early spring bloom and feathery foliage that looks good all season. No fragrance or fall color though.
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thisismelissa
14 years ago
I just bought a new "small tree" for my bed.
I ended up with a Diablo Ninebark tree form. VERY COOL! Love love love the dark foliage.

I considered a few others too. I wanted either a lollipop or a weeping form, so here are some I considered.

Lilac Miss Kim
Crabapple Louisa and Ruby ??? (new this year... FRUITLESS)
Weeping Caragana or Larch
Willow.... Hakuro Nishiki or Arctic Blue.

My neighbor has Willow Arctic Blue tree form and it's lovely. It's probably 10-12' tall and a canopy of about 6'. Perfect ball sitting on a stick, and it moves sooo nicely in the wind.

Hakuro Nishiki is SOOO BEAUTIFUL, but here in zone 4a, it's questionable hardiness. In zone 5, you should do great with it. LOTS OF WATER though!
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anitamo
14 years ago
Crabapple 'Tina' is beautiful and stays on the smaller side.
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woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
14 years ago
What about a heptacodium grown as a tree? I love this plant. It blooms in September for me and there're not many/any other trees that flower that late. It is also interesting in winter - very pale tan colored stems that show particularly well if planted in front of an evergreen. It also has exfoliating bark. A great plant that should be in more gardens. This is one of my favorite garden scenes - this picture is from Sept. 25 2009:
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felisar (z5)
14 years ago
How about a dwarf conifer. One of the most beautful is abeies koreana 'Silberlocke'. Check it out. A small crabapple to consider is malus sargentii 'Tina' It is wider than high (6-8 ft H x 8-10 ft wide)
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nancykvb
Original Author
14 years ago
Oh my gosh...You all have given me so much to look up and consider. Like opening up a whole new plant world. Thank you.

Nancy
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mxk3 z5b_MI
14 years ago
Hydrangea paniculata trees are lovely if the area is full sun.

I'm not up on the newer cultivars of crabapples, and the reason I won't get one is almost every crab I've seen in my neck of the woods loses the majority of its foliage by mid-summer and look absolutely terrible. Perhaps the newer cultivars are immune to whatever causes this, no clue, but thought I'd mention it so you can do your homework on crabs.

A dwarf dogwood might work, as would a Virbirnum trained as a standard, and they can take some shade.
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NHBabs z4b-5a NH
14 years ago
Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) grows well where I am and is hardier than rgular flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). It has nice winter branch strucure & fall color. It has spring flowers that look a bit like Queen Anne's lace and dark, almost black August berries that the birds love. Kousa dogwoods are in general healthier than regular flowering dogwoods, though they may get a bit bigger than you want. They have similar looking flowers to C. florida and mine have good fall color and seem to be fully hardy here in a windy exposed spot.

I know that there are weeping crabapples that can be pruned to stay relatively small, though I don't know any specific variety names. You can get grafted weeping Siberian pea shrub (Caragana arborescens), including one with quite finely cut leaves called 'Walker' or 'Walkerii'. They are very hardy (zone 3, I think) and have yellow pea-like flowers. You may have to trim back stem suckers, though.

I'm not sure how big it gets, but the Japanese maple 'Emperor I' is supposed to be hardier than other Japanese maples.
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