Small and Striking Dwarf Trees

Small and Striking Dwarf Trees

When choosing an ornamental tree for your garden, the species, colour, seasonal interest and price all have an influence on the decision, however, the size of the tree can often be overlooked. For people with smaller gardens, it’s important to remember that when you purchase a tree or shrub, it’s going to achieve a larger height and spread as it matures. Many people with limited space in their garden make the mistake of planting a specimen that is too big for their landscape, and will therefore, outgrow its space or damage surrounding plants. This is where dwarf trees come in.

Dwarf trees offer similar, sometimes even the same, characteristics as their larger counterparts, just in a smaller, space-saving package. There is an abundance of dwarf varieties to choose from providing the same impact as a larger tree or shrub, just at a more appropriate size. Dwarf trees are normally less than 3 metres tall at full maturity, making them easier to prune and care for and harvest if fruits are produced.

Although there are some disadvantages associated with dwarf trees, such as often needing to be staked when first established and costing slightly more than a standard tree, the advantages far outweigh these when you’re looking for the ideal small garden tree.

We have a wide range of dwarf trees on our website, including:

Acer palmatum 'Mapi-no-machi-hime'- These trees will reach an estimated height and spread of just 1 x 1.2 metres at maturity, and are one of the best Japanese Maples for containers or rockery gardens. 

Prunus 'Little Pink Perfection'- This tree is the dwarf version of the popular Prunus 'Pink Perfection' and will reach an estimated height and spread of just 3 x 3 metres in 20 years. This variety is a great tree for pot growing.

 Dwarf trees provide the opportunity to have a striking feature tree without the need for huge amounts of space. In small gardens, these petite specimens naturally stand out against their taller equivalents as the right choice for the allotted space.