flowering trees for small gardens

A crab apple tree flowering

The arrival of spring creates  the opportunity to admire numerous flowering trees across our cities and gardens.

These flowering trees attract many insects and announce the arrival of warmer days, as  their flowers open, revealing their fascinating shapes and colours.

These small size trees can act as focal points in an overall garden design, not overwhelming the space, but adding colour, form and fragrance into an early spring garden.

There are several varieties of small trees that can deliver a burst of colour and joy from their blossoms, and that will also provide a good autumn colour, making them an important garden feature all year-round.

Here are some suggestions of flowering trees for small gardens:

A very common and appealing example of a flowering tree for a small garden is a crab apple. This tree will, not only, bring a stunning display of bloom into a restricted spot, but will also produce small jewel-like apples, that will decorate the tree in the winter months.

The compact nature of many crab apples varieties also allows them to be used as part of an overall planting deign for a container.

Magnolia stellata is a beautiful small tree, with clear white flowers that resemble the shape of a star. The blooms that open from soft, furry buds, appear on bare branches early in spring (March-April). The flowers also have a gentle fragrance.

This small flowering tree can also grow in a container. It is important to keep this small tree in a sheltered spot. It could grow in lightly shaded conditions as well.

Magnolia stellata ‘Royal star’

An open form of Magnolia stellata tree, with its silvery-green branches opening into a vase shape, will make a striking feature, especially in the winter months.

Many garden designers recommend using Amelanchier lamarckii as a perfect flowering tree for a small garden. Indeed, this tree is worth considering in a garden when the space is at premium.

Amelanchier is a very graceful tree, and there are many types with varying sizes, that could suit any situation. Amelanchiers are also well suited to the British climate, and a further appeal is that they are really low maintenance trees.

One of the main key features of this small tree are its fantastic blossoms in early spring. The flowers that come in masses, similar as with Magnolia stellata, appear on bare branches, they are star shaped.

Apart from being a fantastic flowering tree for small gardens, Amelanchier dresses the garden with colour changing foliage. The leaves start to get bronze undertones when very young before transitioning into a fresh green.
In autumn the foliage transforms again into a coppery-red colour. What’s not to like about a tree that is able to change personality and appearance! This small tree will deliver interest into a small garden across all seasons.

There is an interesting variety of a small cherry tree that would work ideally in a small garden and will bring a very appealing bloom display.

Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’, also known as a Fuji cherry, is a small tree with unusually zig-zagged branches, making it a striking feature. This is a great flowering tree for a small garden or a container. Its pale pink blooms are single, and they appear on bare branches in early spring.

Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’

The broad choice of flowering trees for small gardens is really amazing these days. The selection varies between flower sizes, their colour and density, the tones of foliage and the shape of branches. With this number of options, choosing a stand out specimen for your small garden space is an exciting opportunity to be really enjoyed.  

Do you have a small garden and looking for a planting design advice?

Feel free to contact us if you are looking for planting design services for your own project.