Trees for Smaller Gardens
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The Royal Horticultural Society HORTICULTURAL ADVISORY LEAFLET NUMBER 181 MARCH 2000 Trees for Smaller Gardens (excluding conifers) The following lists are by no means exhaustive. Nurserymen’s lists will contain other genera and many other cultivars. This is simply a selection of small or medium-sized trees for general garden use that are usually widely available. Some of them have received the Society’s Award of Garden Merit in recognition of their good garden qualities. Ultimate height and dimensions may be influenced by soil type and situation, but the categories Small, Medium and Large have been included to give some indication of their eventual likely size under average conditions. Key: S M L ‡ * = = = = = = SE = AGM Small: up to 8m (27ft) in eventual height Medium: up to 12m (40ft) in eventual height Large: ultimate height usually over 12m (40ft) Lime-hating Good autumn colour Evergreen Semi-evergreen (may drop some leaves in exposed areas or in a hard winter) = Denotes plants which have received the Society's Award of Garden Merit. Flowering Trees M‡ M S S S S S S M S S S S M‡ S‡ S M S M M M M S S S M S Amelanchier lamarckii AGM 10m Cercis siliquastrum AGM 10m Cornus kousa 7m Cornus kousa var. chinensis AGM 7.5m Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul’s Scarlet’ AGM 8m Crataegus laevigata ‘Plena’ 8m Crataegus laevigata ‘Rosea Flore Pleno’ AGM 8m Genista aetnensis AGM 8m Koelreuteria paniculata AGM 10m + Laburnocytisus ‘Adamii’ 8m Laburnum watereri ‘Vossii’ AGM 8m Magnolia loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ AGM 8m Magnolia loebneri ‘Merrill’ AGM 8m Magnolia salicifolia AGM 10m Magnolia soulangeana 6m Malus baccata ‘Lady Northcliffe’ 6m Malus coronaria var. dasycalyx ‘Charlottae’ 9m Malus ‘Evereste’ AGM 7m Malus floribunda AGM 10m Malus hupehensis AGM 12m Malus moerlandsii ‘Profusion’ 10m Malus purpurea ‘Neville Copeman’ AGM 9m Malus ‘Van Eseltine’ 8m Prunus ‘Accolade’ AGM 8m Prunus ‘Kursar’ AGM 8m Prunus ‘Pandora’ AGM 10m Prunus ‘Pink Perfection’ AGM 8m white flowers, April rose-purple flowers, April-May white bracts, June white bracts, June, slightly taller than above dark red flowers, May-June double white flowers, May-June double pink flowers, May-June yellow flowers, July yellow flowers, July-August yellow and purple flowers, May yellow flowers, May lilac-pink flowers, April-May white flowers, April white flowers, April white-purplish flowers, April pinkish-white flowers, May, yellow/brown fruits pink flowers, late May white flowers, late April, yellow fruits red in bud, opening pink then white, red/yellow fruits white flowers, May–June, small red fruits pink flowers, April, red/orange fruits pink in bud, then white, late May, small, red fruits red flowers, April, red fruits soft pink flowers 4cm across, May pale pink flowers 2cm across, April deep pink flowers 3cm across, March double pale pink flowers 5cm across, March-April Flowering Trees (continued) S S S S S S M M‡ Prunus amygdalopersica ‘Pollardii’ 7m Prunus ‘Shirofugen’ AGM 8m Prunus ‘Shôgetsu’ AGM 5m Prunus ‘Ukon’ AGM 8m Prunus persica ‘Klara Mayer’ 8m Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ AGM 8m Pyrus nivalis 12m Styrax japonicus AGM 10m pale yellowish flowers 5cm across, April double pale pink flowers 5cm across, April-May double white flowers 5cm across, April-May double white flowers 4 cm, April-May double peach-pink flowers, 4cm across, April blush pink flowers 2cm across, November-March white flowers in April, woolly new shoots white flowers June Autumn Colour Foliage and Fruits M‡ S‡ M‡ S‡ M‡ Acer griseum AGM 10m Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’ AGM 5m Acer maximowiczianum 12m Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’ AGM 6m Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala AGM 10m M‡ Amelanchier lamarckii AGM 10m S Crataegus lavalleei ‘Carrierei’ AGM 7m S S M S M Crataegus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’ AGM 8m Malus robusta ‘Red Sentinel’ AGM 7m Malus robusta ‘Yellow Siberian’ AGM 12m Malus transitoria AGM 8m Malus tschonoskii AGM 12m M Malus zumi ‘Golden Hornet’ AGM 10m M‡ Nyssa sinensis AGM 10m M Prunus ‘Pandora’ AGM 10m L Prunus sargentii AGM 20m L S M M S M M S Sorbus aucuparia ‘Aspleniifolia’ 15m Sorbus cashmiriana AGM 8m Sorbus commixta 10m Sorbus commixta ‘Embley’ AGM 10m Sorbus hupehensis AGM 8m Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ AGM 10m Sorbus sargentiana AGM 10m Sorbus vilmorinii AGM 5m ‘Paperbark maple’, red and scarlet foliage in autumn deeply lobed, leaves turning ruby-crimson in autumn trifoliate leaves turning orange and flame in autumn leaves turn fiery scarlet in autumn bright green leaves turning orange and crimson in autumn leaves coppery red when young colouring richly in autumn orange fruits 2cm long - long lasting and good foliage colour crimson fruits and good foliage colour red fruits, 2.5cm across - long lasting yellow fruits, 2cm across rounded, yellow fruits, 8mm across foliage turns yellow, orange, purple and scarlet, yellowish-green fruits tinged reddish-purple, 3cm across yellow fruits, 2.5cm across slow growing, rich autumn colour shell pink flowers 3cm across March/April, young leaves bronze-red, colouring richly in autumn young foliage bronze-red, single pink flowers March/April, orange and crimson fruits in autumn red fruits and good foliage colour white fruits red fruits and good foliage colour orange-red fruits and good foliage colour pink-white fruits and good foliage colour amber yellow fruits and good foliage colour scarlet fruits and good foliage colour rose-red to white fruits and good foliage colour Coloured Foliage Spring and Summer S L L S‡ S M M S L M Acer negundo ‘Auratum’ 8m Acer negundo ‘Flamingo’ AGM 15m Acer negundo ‘Variegatum’ 15m Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ 8m Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Brilliantissimum’ AGM 6m Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’ AGM 12m Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’ AGM 10m Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ AGM 5m Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Frisia’ AGM 15m Sorbus aria ‘Lutescens’ AGM 10m golden yellow leaves, turning paler in summer leaves cream and pink with green when young white margined/tendency to revert to green bronzy crimson pink to yellowish to green golden yellow dark purple silver grey bright yellow early silver grey/yellow, later grey/green Coloured Stems and Bark M‡ Acer capillipes AGM 10m M‡ L‡ S‡ M‡ L L L M S* M Acer griseum AGM 10m Acer grosseri var. hersii AGM 15m Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ AGM 6m Acer pensylvanicum AGM 12m Betula ermanii ‘ Grayswood Hill’ AGM 20m Betula papyrifera 20m Betula utilis var. jacquemontii 18m Eucalyptus glaucescens 12m Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila AGM 6m Prunus serrula AGM 10m young growth bright red, branches streaked green and white dark, flaking bark to reveal orange underneath green, silver stripe coral-red young branches green, white stripes pure white trunk, orange branches white, peeling to reveal orange underneath pure white smooth, white bark, peeling in red flakes mottled green, grey, cream mahogany brown Evergreen S* MSE SSE SSE S* S* M* M* S* M* S* L* Arbutus unedo AGM 8m Cotoneaster frigidus ‘Cornubia’ AGM 10m Cotoneaster salicifolius ‘Rothschildianus’ AGM 5m Cotoneaster watereri ‘John Waterer’ AGM 5m Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila AGM 6m Ilex altaclerensis ‘Golden King’ AGM 6m Ilex aquifolium ‘Golden Queen’ AGM 10m Ilex aquifolium ’Madame Briot’ AGM 10m Ilex aquifolium ‘Pyramidalis’ AGM 6m Ligustrum lucidum AGM 10m Photinia davidiana 8m Prunus lusitanica AGM 20m flowers white, October-November, fruits red berries red berries yellow berries red grey-green leaves, patchwork bark female, yellow margin, red berries male, yellow margin female, yellow margin, red berries female, red berries flowers white August-September berries red, some leaves colour in autumn flowers white, berries red/black Most are usually seen as large shrubby specimens, often multiple-stemmed, but can be trained to a single stem as small trees. Tall and Narrow (fastigiate or columnar) L Acer lobelii 20m L M L Betula pendula ‘Fastigiata’ 20m Crataegus monogyna ‘Stricta’ 10m Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Gold’ AGM 18m L M S L M S L S Liriodendron tulipifera ‘Fastigiatum’ AGM 20m Malus tschonoskii AGM 12m Prunus ‘Amanogawa’ AGM 8m Prunus sargentii ‘Columnaris’ 20m Prunus ‘Spire’ AGM 10m Prunus ‘Umineko’ 8m Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ AGM 15m Sorbus aucuparia ‘Fastigiata’ 8m M Sorbus aucuparia ‘Sheerwater Seedling’ AGM 10m ascending branches form a compact, conical head, broadening with age an erect form of stiff habit branches erect a tall, columnar tree broadening with age, yellow juvenile foliage an erect tree of broadly columnar habit erect, conical habit, orange/purple autumn foliage columnar with erect branches narrow, upright tree, bright orange autumn foliage a vase-shaped tree, orange/red autumn foliage narrow growing, upright tree narrow-headed tree slow growing, columnar small tree with closely erect stems a vigorous, upright small tree with compact ascending branches Weeping Low and spreading but some height increase can often be obtained by careful training. S S S L S Betula pendula ‘Youngii’ AGM 8m Buddleja alternifolia AGM 4m Cotoneaster salicifolius ‘Pendulus’ 5m Fraxinus excelsior ‘Pendula’ AGM 15m Laburnum anagyroides ‘Pendulum’ 7m white bark mauve flowers June red fruits winter buds black yellow flowers May Weeping (continued) S S S S S S S S S Malus gloriosa ‘Oekonomierat Echtermeyer’ 5m Malus ‘Royal Beauty’ AGM 2m Malus schiedekeri ‘Red Jade’ 4m Prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’ AGM 3m Prunus pendula ‘Pendula Rosea’ AGM 8m Prunus pendula ‘Pendula Rubra’ AGM 8m Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ AGM 5m Salix purpurea ‘Pendula’ AGM 3m Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’ 8m crimson flowers April, purple fruit reddish purple flowers, dark red fruits pink and white flowers April, red fruit pink flowers April pink flowers March deep pink flowers March silvery foliage purple twigs small, neat, compact tree The ultimate height of the following trees depends largely on the stem height at which they were grafted. They are strongly weeping or procumbent forms grafted on to sturdy stems of an upright form and subsequent height increase will be only moderate. Caragana arborescens ‘Pendula’ Corylus avellana ‘Pendula’ Cotoneaster salicifolius ‘Pendulus’ Ilex aquifolium ‘Aurea Marginata Pendula’ Ilex aquifolium ‘Pendula’ Laburnum alpinum ‘Pendulum’ Laburnum anagyroides ‘Pendulum’ Morus alba ‘Pendula’ Prunus cerasifera ‘Pendula’ Prunus mume ‘Pendula’ Salix caprea ‘Kilmarnock’ AGM Sorbus aucuparia ‘Pendula’ yellow flowers June catkins February red fruits silver variegated leaves, red berries red berries yellow flowers May yellow flowers May fruits change from white to nearly black when ripe white flowers March pale pink flowers February-March large catkins March red fruits Spreading Trees Casting Light Shade M‡ Amelanchier lamarckii AGM 10m M S M M S S Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’ AGM 10m Crataegus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’ AGM 8m Gleditsa triacanthos ‘Sunburst’ AGM 12m Koelreuteria paniculata AGM 10m Mespilus germanica 6m Sorbus vilmorinii AGM 5m young leaves coppery-red, rich autumn colours, white flowers in May, black fruits medium sized, low, wide spreading, golden foliage small, compact, broad-headed tree, red fruit medium sized, broad-headed tree, golden foliage medium sized broad-headed tree ‘medlar’ - small wide spreading tree small tree with spreading habit, pink berries When positioning trees in the garden, the final height and spread should be taken into account. Weeping forms rarely increase much in height and columnar trees do not spread appreciably. It is important to choose the form and shape carefully. With the exception of weeping forms, even small ornamental trees may, in time, attain a height of 6–7m (18–21ft) or more. This includes shrubby species trained as tree forms, such as Cotoneaster and Ilex. To help you choose, try to visit gardens such as Wisley where a good range of well-established and mature ornamental trees can be seen and evaluated. Compiled by Wisley Laboratory Advisory Service The Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden, Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB The mention of any product, supplier or service does not constitute an endorsement by the Society. RHS - not to be copied or reproduced without prior permission. THIS LEAFLET IS FREE TO RHS MEMBERS Printed on recycled paper
