Even in a small garden you don’t have to do without trees, they should just be a little smaller. No matter whether they are evergreen, flowering, shapely or small trees with colorful foliage.
Table of Contents
Small deciduous trees
True laurel (Laurus nobilis)
- small trees with a beautiful, compact habit
- between 150-250 cm high
- dark green, leathery foliage, margins wavy
- blooms from May to June
- single, yellowish-white, umbel-shaped flowers
- shiny black berries
Rosskastanie ‚Monstrosa‘ (Aesculus hippocastanum)
- real rarity with bizarre deformations of the shoots (bandages)
- Branches of these garden trees are usually curved, twisted and flat
- dwarf growth up to 200 cm high
- Leaves in clusters and relatively small
- beautiful yellow fall color
- white, slightly fragrant flowers from May
Dwarf Swamp Oak ‘Swamp Pygmy’ (Quercus palustris)
- conical, loose growth, stays small
- ordinary heights of 200-300 cm
- Leaves deciduous, deeply lobed
- orange-yellow, copper-brown to reddish autumn colour
- Garden trees with yellowish flowers in May
- decorative fruits in autumn
Tip: The most important thing when caring for these garden trees is an adequate water supply.
Small trees with leaf decoration
Variegated fan maple ‘Oridono nishiki’ (Acer palmatum)
- slow-growing ornamental tree
- slender, upright, small trees up to 300 cm tall
- Leaves bright pink, creamy white and intense green
- Autumn color yellow, orange, red
- small, red, umbel-shaped flowers in May
Fächerahorn ‚Orange Dream‘ (Acer palmatum)
- upright, loosely overhanging growth, 200-300 cm high
- early, colorful shoots
- constantly changing color play of the leaves
- bright yellow-orange to reddish
- fresh shade of green in the middle of the leaf
- small reddish flowers in May
Fächerahorn ‚Shaina‘ (Acer palmatum)
- densely bushy, well-branched growth, remains small
- between 125 and 150 cm high
- deeply dissected, dark red foliage
- early beautiful sprouting
- small red flowers in May
Green Maple ‘Dissectum’ (Acer palmatum)
- broad, bushy, arching overhanging growth
- Garden trees with spreading branches
- Growth heights of 100-200 cm
- green, deeply and finely dissected foliage
- bright golden yellow to orange in autumn
Tip: This Japanese maple needs a good location right from the start, because it doesn’t like transplanting at all.
Schlitzblättrige Rosskastanie ‚Laciniata‘ (Aesculus hippocastanum)
- weak, narrow-crowned growth, remains small
- Branches sagging
- between 180 and 250 cm tall
- showy, mid-green foliage
- very narrow, deeply slit, often filiform
With an interesting flower
Blumenhartriegel ‚Rosabella‘ (Cornus florida)
- upright growth, slightly layered structure
- Crown spreading broadly at the top
- in old age up to 300 cm high
- Foliage green, reddish in autumn
- Flowering period from May to June
- single, radial, rose-red flowers
- red, raspberry-like fruits, edible
Borstenakazie ‚Macrophylla‘ (Robinia hispida)
- grows loosely branched, broadly upright
- Forming runners, drooping shoot tips
- Growth heights of 150-300 cm
- deep green, pinnate, broadly elliptical foliage
- blooms from May to June
- single, racemose, lilac-pink flower clusters
Japanese lotus tree (Clerodendrum trichotomum)
- exotic small tree or shrub
- with growth heights of 200-300 cm
- Forming runners, multiple shoots
- Leaves long, heart-shaped, light green to intense green
- blooms from August to September
- fragrant white flowers, pink calyx
- black berries in autumn
Mandelbäumchen (Prunus triloba)
- grows as a small tree or shrub
- Growth height between 150-200 cm
- ovate leaves, serrate edge
- flowers from March to April
- double pink flowers, wonderfully fragrant
Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata)
- slow, densely branched growth
- small trees up to 300 cm high
- Leaves obovate, light green
- early flowering from March to April
- pure white, radiating, pleasantly scented
Dwarf Bloodfly (Prunus cistena)
- loose, upright growth, up to 250 cm high
- small tree or shrub
- striking dark red foliage and bark
- pointed lanceolate, ovate leaves
- blooms from late April to May
- single, radial, pink-white flowers
- bright red fruits in autumn
Dwarf Cherry ‘Brilliant’ (Prunus kurilensis)
- Dwarf form of the ornamental cherry , stays small
- Roundish, loose structure, up to 200 cm high
- Abundant flowering from March to April
- simple plate-shaped flowers
- initially pink, later pure white
- fruit set in warm years
With an overhanging crown
Hanging catkin willow ‘Pendula’ (Salix caprea)
- Ornamental tree with a small, overhanging crown
- Growth height depends on trunk height
- Leaves oval, round dull green
- yellowish autumn colour
- Flowering time from March to April
- single, yellow and silvery white catkins
Harlekinweide 理 Hakuro Nishiki’ (Salix integra)
- grows as a stem, bush or shrub
- dense, bushy growth, willow-typical rods
- with growth heights of 150-300 cm
- small oblong, white-green leaves
- pink when sprouting
- flowers from March to April
- simple yellow catkins, inconspicuous
Small spherical trees
Globe ginkgo tree ‘Mariken’ (Ginkgo biloba)
- one of the last living fossils
- small tree with a dense, rounded crown
- almost spherical in nature
- dense, short and stiff spherical shape
- slow, compact growth, 100-150 cm high
- leaf-shaped needles, fan-shaped, lobed
Ball Trumpet Tree ‘Nana’ (Catalpa bignonioides)
- slow growing, densely branched small tree
- spherical, broadly domed crown
- fresh green, heart-shaped foliage, softly hairy
- yellow autumn leaves
- neither flower nor fruit
Lollypop Birke ‚Magical Globe‘ (R) (Betula pendula)
- bushy, compact, robust standard
- spherical crown
- Growth height 60-120 cm
- deciduous, toothed, ovate-lanceolate foliage, light-colored bark
- Suitable as a house tree and container plant
Steppenkirsche ‚Globosa‘ (Prunus fruticosa)
- picturesque small tree with elegant foliage
- grows slowly, bushy, conspicuously short shoots, up to 300 cm high
- elliptic to obovate green leaves
- Autumn color yellow-orange
- small single white flowers from April to May
- dark red, pea-sized cherries, edible
Swamp Oak ‘Green Dwarf’ (Quercus palustris)
- slow, densely branched growth
- erect, bushy, spherical
- Growth heights of 150-200 cm
- elongate oval, pointedly toothed, mid-green to dark green leaves
- Light green or pale red when they shoot, orange-red in autumn
- Flowering time in May
- simple, golden yellow umbels
dwarf fruit trees
‘Early Dalmatian’ fern (Ficus carica)
- Mediterranean, well-branched small tree or shrub
- particularly vigorous, 100-300 cm high
- very large, green, toothed leaves
- beautiful yellow fall color
- blooms from early July to late August
- typical fig fruits, edible
- Winter protection required in the first few years
Pfirsich (Prunus persica var. Persica)
- Dwarf form with slow, squat growth, high-yield
- between 100 and 120 cm high
- pink flowers from March to April
- yellow-red to red, juicy fruits
- Harvest from mid to late August
Dwarf apple trees ‘Alkmene Linus’ (Malus)
- Growth height 150-250 cm
- small to medium-sized fruits
- bright crimson colour
- aromatic apple with fine acidity
- Ripening time from September to October
Zwergaprikose ‚Compacta‘ (Prunus armeniaca)
- new high-yielding variety with stocky growth
- about 200 cm high
- medium-sized, very juicy, sweet and fresh fruit
- Stone easy to remove
- ready to eat from July to August
Tip: This dwarf apricot does not need a pollinator plant, it is self-fertile. However, one more plant could increase the yield.
Zwergbirne ‚Helenchen ‘ (Pyrus)
- pear that stays small , up to 180 cm high
- upright compact growth
- rich harvest, juicy, aromatic fruits
- large, green-skinned, red body colour
- Harvest early October to early December
Dwarf Mirabelle ‘Nancy’ (Prunus domestica)
- extremely productive variety
- low, sparse growth, thornless
- between 50-160 cm high
- Harvest from August to September
- small yellow fruits with reddish spots on the sunny side
- sweet and aromatic pulp
Zwergsauerkirsche ‚Piemont‘ (Prunus avium)
- upright, compact small trees
- Growth height of 100-150 cm
- Plenty of flowers in spring from March
- medium-sized, bright red, sour-sweet fruits
- Ready for consumption June and July
Small conifers
Blue dwarf larch ‘Blue Dwarf’ (Larix kaempferi)
- Ornamental trunk with a compact crown structure
- about 150 cm high and wide
- brown-orange shoots
- beautiful soft, blue-green needles
- deciduous, yellow autumn colour
Note: This dwarf larch is one of the few deciduous conifers.
Japanese Yew ‘Nana’ (Taxus cuspidata)
- grows broadly upright, columnar, closed
- very weak growth
- Growth heights of 100-200 cm
- Color of the needles is green
- fresh green when they shoot, later shiny dark green
Japanese hanging larch ‘Pendula’ (Larix kaempferi)
- special ornamental form of the larch
- Garden trees with a straight trunk and strongly overhanging shoots
- Growth height depending on location up to 150 cm
- fresh green, soft needles, about three centimeters long
- deciduous, yellow autumn colour
Tip: With this hanging larch, a thinning cut is recommended from the third to the fifth year of growth.
Krummholz-Kiefer (Pinus mugo var. mughus)
- slow, bushy growth
- from 175-300 cm tall, prostrate stems
- Knee-shaped, then ascending branches
- very good leaf health
- conical, cinnamon brown cones
East Asian dwarf pine ‘Glauca’ (Pinus pumila)
- slow-growing, broadly bushy, densely branched, remains small
- after ten years about 100 cm high
- Needles silvery blue, dense
- arranged in clusters of five needles
- male flowers strikingly deep red
Dwarf Balsam Fir ‘Nana’ (Abies balsamea)
- spherical fir, up to 100 cm high
- wind resistant, slow growing
- in old age up to 250 cm wide
- conspicuously short, dense needles
- dark green with white underside
Tip: Only diseased and damaged branches should be cut off in summer, otherwise no further pruning measures are necessary.
Dwarf Pine ‘Radiata’ (Pinus strobus)
- stocky, spherical, compact growth
- up to 300 cm high
- in old age up to 400 cm wide
- Dwarf form with blue needles, five needles
- Needles long, soft, brush-like
Dwarf cork fir ‘Compacta’ (Abies lasiocarpa)
- upright, densely bushy, heavily branched small trees
- squat, pyramidal up to 300 cm high
- Needles oblong, green to silvery grey
- Bark corky, greyish
- elongated brown cones
Dwarf colony ‘Compressa’ (Juniperus communis)
- compact, columnar growth, stays small
- fully grown hardly wider than 30-40 cm
- Growth height of 80-120 cm
- Garden trees with very fine, light green-silver colored needles
- yellow cones, inconspicuous
Attention: The purple juniper berries can be slightly poisonous depending on the dosage. Because of this, excessive consumption should be avoided.
