Trees for small gardens

When planting a tree in a garden, it is really important to know how big the tree is eventually going to get. While this is undoubtedly true, trees are living things, not artefacts, and they are not predictable to that degree. The vagaries of soil, aspect, site, rainfall etc all influence the final size of a tree.

That said, there are some guides and recommendations that can be made. In our listings we describe trees as small, medium or large. Of course, to repeat, these categories have been dreamt up by humans without consulting the trees, and many trees do not sit neatly in a size band. Sometimes, out in the real world, we find trees that surprise us with their growth in a particular spot. So we can make general suggestions and estimates, but not guarantees. We can indicate the eventual size that we would expect a tree to attain under average conditions in the British Isles.

A small tree would not be expected to exceed 10 metres high.

A medium tree would be expected to reach 10 - 20 metres high.

A large tree would be expected to grow to more than 20 metres eventually.

Hover over the images in the catalogue to view a larger size.

Acacia dealbata

Silver Wattle or Golden Mimosa. Small tree. Silvery feathery leaves, fragrant golden flowers in spring. Sunny position.

Acer davidii

Small snake barked tree. Striking cream and green striations, with rich autumn colour and plentiful attractive fruits.

Acer griseum

Paperbark maple. A small tree, easy to grow. The bark is a beautiful peeling cinnamon brown, very characteristic and attractive. The typical small maple leaves turn good autumn colours.

Acer platanoides Crimson Sentry

Narrow upright tree, purple red leaves, retaining its excellent columnar shape with age. Becoming a firm favourite

Amelanchier lamarckii + cultivars

Amelanchier lamarckii (multistem) Snowy mespilus. A fabulous small deciduous tree, surprisingly tough. The young leaves are copper red, then green and finally a rich orange in autumn. Masses of racemes of white flowers in spring, with black fruits later. A fine choice for a medium to small garden.

Betula pendula Youngii

Betula Youngii Young's weeping birch. A small strongly weeping tree, steadily attaining great character with its gnarled white bark. A fine focal point. Tolerant of most soils.

Cercis siliquastrum

Judas tree. A small to medium tree, thriving in well drained soils. The leaves are heart-shaped and attractive. They are preceded by the flowers, covering the branches in sensational lilac-coloured bunches. Attractive deep-rose pods follow in summer.

Cornus mas

Cornelian cherry. Small tree or large shrub, easy to grow. Very early yellow flowers, later followed by cherry red edible fruits. Deep red autumn colour.

Cotoneaster Cornubia

Cotoneaster Cornubia A small to medium sized tree. A semi-evergreen with narrow leathery leaves. Tolerant of nearly all soils and sites. Following the masses of white flowers that clothe the branches in spring, festoons of scarlet berries weigh down the boughs in autumn and winter, providing a treat for hungry birds

Crataegus lavallei + varieties

A small ornamental thorn tree, tough and tolerant. The glossy oval leaves are dark green, and hang on well into winter. White flowers are born abundantly in May, followed by good sized scarlet red berries in autumn and winter.

Cytisus battandieri

A small deciduous tree, tolerant of all but the most extreme soils and sites. Oval silver leaves, similar to those of the laburnum, make a good foil for the bright yellow very fragrant flowers born in early summer.

Gleditsia Sunburst

Gleditsa Sunburst Honey locust, golden form. A medium deciduous tree, lacking the fierce thorns of the common type, tolerant of polluted air. The whole tree is a marvellous clear golden yellow in spring. A truly elegant specimen.

Laburnum watereri Vossii

Laburnum Watereri Vossii Golden rain. A small deciduous tree, tolerant of most soils. The round, trifoliate leaves have a silky, downy texture. Abundant long racemes of bright yellow flowers are born in May. All parts of the tree are poisonous, especially the seeds.

Malus varieties

Malus Floribunda

Malus Golden Hornet

Malus hupehensis Flowering crab. A small deciduous tree, easy to grow. In spring the white or pink buds burst into garlands of white or rosy flowers, which later turn to crab apples, often brightly coloured.

Prunus Pandora

Prunus Pandora A smaller tree, with tidy ascending branches. Shoals of big, piercing pink flowers cover the branches in spring. Coppery young foliage turns a fresh mid green, before turning yellow and bronze in autumn.

Prunus serrula

Prunus Serrula

Prunus Serrula A small to medium-sized tree. Small pale flowers appear in spring with the slender delicate leaves. The glory of the tree is the bark: polished mahogany layers peel away in spiralling strands, revealing more vivid and shiny copper surfaces beneath. This is a fantastic tree for winter interest.

Pyrus salicifolia Pendula

Weeping willow-leaved pear. A small easy-going tree. The habit is weeping or arching, the narrow leaves are silver-grey. Charming small white flowers come out in spring, followed by small buff fruits. A good choice for long season interest.

Robinia pseudoacacia Frisia

Robinia Frisia

Robinia Frisia A small to medium tree, not fussy about site. The leaves are a clear, golden yellow throughout the growing season, standing out in any planting scheme. Makes a great contrast with purple-leaved plants.

Sorbus aria Lutescens

Whitebeam. A symmetrical selection of our native tree. Medium-sized, tolerant of draughty or polluted locations, with oval silver green leaves, downy beneath, velvety silver above, this tree is particularly attractive in spring. Panicles of white flowers form scarlet berries in autumn.

Sorbus hupehensis

Sorbus aucuparia section. A smaller but vigorous tree, with ascending branches. The leaflets are bluish and distinctively oval. The white flowers turn to white fruits, that are smudged with mauve. Good autumn colour.

Sorbus vilmorinii

Sorbus aucuparia section. A small, graceful tree, with a spreading habit and fine deep green leaflets, which turn nicely in autumn. The rose pink flowers fade to a translucent mother of pearl later.

Our Trees

Our Nursery