AIE - TrunkLine - Small Gardens

Thousands of good trees are needlessly felled or mutilated each year simply because they are growing to large for their surrounding space. With a little care taken at selection time, such losses can be avoided.

Before actually purchasing the tree, estimate the maximum height and crown spread that you would like the tree to have; do this by actually standing at the proposed planting position in your garden. Estimate the sizes in feet or meters, its easy to convert, 3 feet approximately equal 1 meter. The average height of a man must be around 6 feet (2 meters). The height of the average house (to the roof apex) is around 25 feet (8 meters); this is a lot less than people usually imagine.

During selection at the nursery read the labels to find out the trees mature height and spread habit and make sure it measures up to your requirements.

The Arboricultural Association produce a series of leaflets, one of which deals with Trees for Small Gardens. I have seen these leaflets available free, at council offices. Give your local Council a call to see if they produce such guidance.

Common and botanical names	Soil	Special requirements	Mature height in England.	Description
Judas Tree Cercis siliquastrum	Prefers dry, well drained soils.	Needs shelter from cold north winds, is best located near a south facing wall in full sun.	6m	Thought to be the tree that Judas Iscariot hanged himself on. The rose pink flowers, which appear in Spring, are supposed to represent Christ's tears. An interesting, compact tree.
Chinese Stewartia Stewartia sinensis	Neutral to acid, fertile, well drained.	Likes sunny position with roots in shade. Prefers shelter from wind.	4-8m	Pink/orange smooth bark. Tidy and compact shape. White flowers in July. Good red and crimson Autumn leaf colour.
Katsura Tree Cercidiphyllum japonicum	Will grow on most soils.	Needs shelter from cold north winds, is best located near a south facing wall.	Possible 15m but usually stays as a bush	Similar to the Judas Tree but returns wonderful leaf colour, starting pink in Spring, green in Summer and scarlet and crimson in Autumn.
Foxglove Tree Paulownia Tomentosa	Well drained soils.	Grows best in the south of England in full sun, vulnerable to late spring frosts.	7m	An interesting tree with huge leaves up to 14 inches in length. Purple flowers appear in May before the leaves appear.
Black Mulberry Morus nigra	Will grow on most soils.	Grows best in the south of England in sun or partial shade.	6m	This tree forms a bushy, round headed crown and featured in Shakespeare's tale - A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Strawberry Tree Arbutus unedo	Will grow on most soils.	Slow growing.	9m	With its attractive coloured red bark this tree produces all year round foliage with Strawberry like fruits - edible but bitter.
Turkish Hazel Corylus colurna	Will grow on most soils.		7m	Forms an attractive pyramid shape and produces nuts for wildlife.
Wych Hazel Hamamelis mollis	Neutral or Acid. Well drained	Prefers a sunny or lightly shaded location.	3m	Producing pretty and scented flowers in Winter, after Christmas.
Fig Ficus carica	Will grow on most soils.	Prefers a sunny position facing south.	8m	Producing large, leathery leaves (12" long). Will produce fruit in this country but rarely ripen
Smooth Japanese Maple Acer palmatum	Neutral or Acid. Well drained.	Prefers sheltered positions, not in full sun all day.	1-7m.	One of the best small trees for Autumn colour. Many varieties to choose from with different leaf shapes and habits.