Maybe you are looking to add more trees to your backyard but don’t know what to pick. Maybe you are scared of starting a forest as trees tend to grow, and grow, and grow. Maybe you just want some little accent to a deck area or around a pool. Well, you’re in luck because there are plenty of little trees to choose from that won’t go totally rogue on you in a few years and that will be pretty additions to your yard.
First up is the Fernleaf Fullmoon Maple, yes, it’s a mouthful, but this native Japanese species gives any yard a hit of colour and texture with its dense leaves. The medium green colour gives way to beautiful red, orange red or orange yellow leaves come fall, depending on the variety you choose, and while some can grow as much as 30 feet, there are smaller versions available too. These trees do well in zones 5-7.
The Crape Myrtle is another smaller tree that gives plenty of mid to late summer flowers, so you’ll have a pretty tree long after the others have stopped flowering. The trunk on this tree is varied in colour so it adds interest to your yard and there is a wide range of sizes available. You can also pick from a wide variety of flower colours with the Crape Myrtle, with choices that range from pink, lavender and rose to red or white. This type of tree does best in zones 7-9.
If you’re looking for a little tree with a wide canopy look no further than the Amur Maple. This can be grown as a large shrub or a small tree and will be the first to show it’s leaves come spring so your yard will have the first hit of colour on the block! It’s mature size is between 15-18 feet and it’s a great addition to yards within the zones 3-8.
The Fringe tree gets its name from the tons of white fleecy looking flowers that it produces each spring. It looks like a fringe with its dangling offering and of course, like with many species, there are many different varieties available. The fringe tree can tolerate a wide range of soils and is great for yards in zones 4-9 depending on the variety you choose.
So you don’t need a towering tree to have some impact on your yard. Sometimes the prettiest trees are also some of the smallest.