Small Trees for Small Spaces
For the past few weeks I’ve been giving you some deciduous and coniferous tree species to think about adding to your yard if you have the space to accommodate them. All of the trees we’ve already discussed are large, spacious trees that need room to grow and expand, sometimes up to 60m tall. And that’s not even going into the root system that necessarily accompanies such a large tree to hold it in place.
To all you urbanites, don’t think I’ve forgotten about you. This week, I’m happy to share ten great small trees and shrubs that don’t grow to such great heights as the previously mentioned species. Again, I’m using this Hardiness Map to give you an idea of where it will grow but for specific ranges, delve a little further into specific information for your area.
I’ve arranged these trees by height starting with the smallest.
|
Tree Name |
Native Range |
Preferred Growing Conditions |
Growth Habits |
| Highbush Cranberry | Across Canada in Zones 2a – 7b | Soil: medium to moist but can stand mildly droughty conditions
Light: Sun and partial shade |
Height: to 4m
Trunk Diameter: 12cm Crown: shrubby round bush; dense leaves |
| Witch-hazel | Ontario eastward to Nova Scotia, Zones 5a – 7a | Soil: cool, moist, acidic
Light: full sun to partial shade |
Height: 8m
Trunk Diameter: 15cm Crown: light, open, airy |
| Choke Cherry | From BC to Newfoundland in Zones 0a – 8a | Soil: disturbed, rich, moist soils
Light: full sun to partial shade |
Height: 9m
Trunk Diameter: 15cm Crown: slender and fairly dense |
| Crabapples:
Wild Crabapple (in the east) Pacific Crabapple (in the west)
|
East: Ontario in Zones 5b – 7b
West: coastal BC in Zones 2b – 8a |
Soil: tolerant of a wide variety of soils
Light: can tolerate part shade and sun |
Height: 9m
Trunk Diameter: 30cm Crown: fairly open and if left unmanaged can become shrubby |
| Alternate Leaf Dogwood | Eastern North America; in Canada, you will find it in Manitoba east to Newfoundland in Zones 1b – 6b | Soil: well-drained but moist
Light: shade tolerant; prefers partial shade |
Height: 10m
Trunk Diameter: 15cm Crown: flat and layered, giving an airy, open appearance |
| Striped Maple | Eastern North America; in Canada, you will find it in Ontario east to Nova Scotia in Zones 1b – 6b | Soil: acidic, well-drained but moist
Light: very shade tolerant |
Height: 10m
Trunk Diameter: 25cm Crown: rounded and symmetrical, fairly dense |
| Sweet Virbunum | Saskatchewan east to New Brunswick in Zones 2b – 7b | Soil: dry to moist soil
Light: full sun to shade * extremely versatile tree |
Height: to 10m but usually growing 4-5m
Trunk Diameter: 15cm Crown: irregular, rounded, dense |
| Pawpaw | Currently found in Southern Ontario, Zones 5a – 7a | Soil: rich, moist
Light: shade, partial shade, sun |
Height: up to 11m
Trunk Diameter: 30cm Crown: broad and spreading, fairly dense |
| Native Willows (a few examples here):
Shining Willow Pacific Willow Sandbar Willow |
There are a number of different native willow species available throughout Canada. All of which are hardy to their respective zones. Many native varieties are available on the Pacific coast and are a good option for a small deciduous tree/shrub | Soil: varies
Light: varies |
Height: 4-12m
Trunk Diameter: varies Crown: varies |
| Serviceberry Species:
Western Serviceberry Downy Serviceberry Mountain Serviceberry Pacific Serviceberry Smooth Serviceberry Roundleaf Serviceberry
|
There are a number of serviceberry varieties so look for ones that can tolerate the specific climate for your area. | Soil: varies
Light: varies |
Height: 4-12m
Trunk Diameter: 20cm Crown: varies |
I hope this three part series has been helpful for you and if you do decide to plant a tree this year, share it with me. I’d love to see the before and after pictures. It’s so easy to take for granted what trees actually do for us and pass by without even noticing they’re there. Sometimes it’s just nice to see the difference one tree can actually make.
