Dependable Eye-Catching Trees for Limited Spaces
For limited spaces next to a home, in a parking strip, or in a narrow yard, any tree you plant needs to be smaller. The small trees presented in this Better Homes and Gardens video are dependable eye-catching choices that grow under 20 feet tall:
Crabapple: Hardy to Zone 4; the crabapple blooms beautifully in the spring and produces colorful fruit in the fall and winter. Be sure to buy a disease-resistant variety.
Japanese Maple: With an attractive form even when the leaves drop, this well-loved tree produces beautiful foliage from spring through fall. The purple leaf variety is the most popular. Coral Bark Maple is prized for its colorful stems, while the Full Moon Maple is less used but is a spectacular plant for the garden. Hardy to Zone 5, Japanese Maples grow in full sun but often do better if given afternoon shade. They come in a huge range of leaf and plant forms and even work well in containers.
Amur Maple: A reliable tree known for its dramatic purple and red fall colors, it is hardy all the way to Zone 4.
Dogwood: The Flowering Dogwood is one of the most prized spring bloomers, but it also has incredible fall colors. It is hardy down to Zone 5, but in the north it’s important to buy trees from northern sources. Dogwood can tolerate sun but will enjoy some shade during the hottest part of the day.
Pagoda Dogwood: An American native tree valued for its stunning branch form, it is not tall but is rather wide, something to keep in mind when planting. The Golden Shadows variety has spectacular variegated foliage.
Crape Myrtle: A staple of southern gardens, with age the crape myrtle can grow somewhat large but tolerates cutting back to control size. This heat lover is hardy in Zones 6-10 but often dies back to the ground in Zone 6.
Redbud: This fabulous spring bloomer grows well in both full sun and shade. Choose the Forest Pansy or Burgundy Hearts variety for purple leaves. The Rising Sun variety features apricot-orange leaves in the spring that turn lime-green in the summer.
