What looks more majestic in a landscape than a mighty oak tree or a tall, spreading magnolia? But put one in a small front yard and the house looks diminished and unimpressive. If you would like to up curb appeal with a high-end look, you’re better off installing a smaller tree, one that is interesting, elegant, and won’t outgrow its welcome.
Small trees for gardens come in many varieties but not every one will add value to your home and upgrade its look. I’ve pulled together a list of the top trees that do both – creating a strong first impression and adding a touch of elegant beauty that attracts all eyes.
Check out these small trees that will make your yard look like it was designed by a high-end landscaping company, but you can buy and plant them yourself for a fraction of the price.
1. ‘Little Gem’ Magnolia
We all know and love the southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), those evergreen trees with shiny leaves and a crop of what might be the world’s most beautiful blossoms in springtime. But these trees grow to 90 feet (30 m) tall, totally overpowering a small front yard.
Opt for the tidy, compact option: a dwarf southern magnolia cultivar called ‘Little Gem’. This elegant tree has smaller foliage that is just as glossy and the same lovely shade of dark green as the big trees. Plus, it has the same large fragrant white saucer-shaped flowers that bloom from spring into summer.
These cultivars need a full sun location, thriving in USDA hardiness zones 7-9. When planted, they require regular watering, but they become more drought tolerant as they mature.
Little Gems top out at 20-25 feet (7-8 m) tall and offer a very compact, narrow form. They are appealing, upscale trees that give a home a polished, established look. This naturally small tree is especially captivating when it is trained as espalier against a wall or fence.
You can find Little Gem magnolia trees for sale at the Home Depot.
2. ‘Cherokee Brave’ Dogwood
Native trees take the cake for easy-care beauty, so if this is your preference, who can blame you. Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), which is native to the eastern half of the continent, is your best choice.
Flowering dogwood is a small deciduous tree that carries a big impact in the landscape. The trees grow to 15-30 feet (5-10 m) tall with low, broad branching. Dogwood fans call it the most beautiful of the native American trees.
It blooms in early spring, often in April. The actual flowers of the dogwood are small and insignificant, compacted into button-like clusters. But each one is surrounded by four showy, white, petal-like bracts which open flat, giving the appearance of a single large white flower.
‘Cherokee Brave’ dogwood has all of these attributes, but its flowers are a particularly lovely, deep crimson with contrasting white centers. Spring growth is also a stunning burgundy and the leaves turn glorious shades of red in fall. The late summer fruits are also bright red and beloved by birds.
The classic look of the horizontally-tiered branches as well as the vibrant maroon fall foliage add immensely to the curb appeal of your home. Dogwood trees thrive in USDA zones 5-8 in a full sun to part shade location. Prevent the root zone from getting hot by adding a thick layer of organic mulch.
You can find Cherokee Brave dogwood trees online from Trees.com.
3. Paperbark Maple
Cool and classy, the paperbark maple (Acer griseum) boosts front-yard curb appeal with its rich cinnamon and chestnut-colored exfoliating bark. The bark peels back naturally, providing exceptional architectural and textural interest right through the winter.
Here’s a small tree with multi-season interest. The exfoliating bark that curls and clings to the trunk makes a stunning contrast with the glowing dark green summer leaves, and fiery orange-red autumn foliage.
Paperbark maple is a slow-growing and compact tree, topping out at 20-30 feet (7-10 m). It thrives in USDA hardiness zones 4-8 and prefers a location with partial or full sun and well-draining soil. Site this somewhere it can be seen from the street in every season.
4. ‘Blue Arrow’ Juniper
With tight silvery-blue foliage and a sleek narrow form, a line of ‘Blue Arrow’ juniper trees (Juniperus scopulorum ‘Blue Arrow’) along an entryway offers a clean, modern touch to a front yard.
Each tree grows into a compact column, no higher than 15 feet (5 m) tall and only a few feet wide, making it an elegant and space-saving alternative to the Italian cypress, often found on large estates.
These trees are very hardy, thriving in USDA zones down to zone 4. It does need a full sun location but, once mature, the tree doesn’t require much water. Only irrigate when the top few inches of soil dry out.
Did we mention how tough this little evergreen can be? It resists deer, drought, urban pollution, and harsh winter weather.
