20 of the best trees for small gardens – flowering, fruiting and privacy options that thrive in a petite space
Our top picks
Looking for the best trees for a small garden? You don't have to compromise on a beautiful centrepiece just because you're limited on space.
In fact, the best small garden ideas can reap the same benefits of a larger garden – just with a little more thoughtfulness. You can buy dwarf fruit trees, for example, and even blossoming varieties that grow perfectly well in a small border or container.
Best privacy trees for small gardens
If man-made garden screening ideas aren’t quite your thing, trees can be a great alternative. There are plenty of fast-growing privacy trees out there, but when you have a small garden, you should focus more on trees that offer great coverage without encroaching on your space.
Here are some of our top choices.
1. Leyland cypress
If you’re looking to create a privacy screen in your small garden, you could use a selection of Leyland cypress trees. These fast-growing conifers are perfect if you want to hide an ugly fence, and they're one of the best trees for small gardens that need shielding from neighbours' prying eyes.
'Many will only grow to a certain height, too, which makes them ideal for small spaces,' says Steve Chilton, garden expert at LeisureBench.
However, it’s important to keep up with pruning if you want to incorporate a Leyland cypress into your small garden. It can quickly grow out of control and block out natural light, but if you prune it two or three times a year, you can keep it under two metres tall and maintain a perfectly formed hedge that won’t overpower your outside space.
The Leyland cypress can also grow extremely well in partial shade, which is good news if you have a north-facing garden. You can buy Leyland cypress hedging plants from Thompson & Morgan.
Steve is a passionate and knowledgeable garden expert with several years of experience within the field and has developed strong expertise for all things nature and plants. Steve is a keen educator and loves to share this knowledge with others. He strives to simplify complex garden practices and encourage eco-friendly gardening.
2. Holly tree
You might associate holly trees with Christmas, but they’re ideal for those who want small but efficient privacy trees.
‘Both compact and evergreen, holly trees provide thick foliage for privacy and are easy to maintain,' says Steve.
What’s more, you can choose how you grow it. You can either choose to grow it as a bush, as smaller trees in containers, or plant it in the ground. Ultimately, you should choose what works best for your garden - but we particularly love growing holly trees as ornamentals in pots.
This way, you can move them around your garden and keep them relatively small. Plus, you can take advantage of their seasonal changes.
You can buy potted holly trees from B&Q.
Where to buy online:
3. Field Maple
The field maple is the only maple tree that's native to the UK, and it’s one of the best trees for small gardens. Offering five-lobed leaves that change colour throughout the year, it’s not only beautiful to look at (and one of the best trees to plant for autumn colour), but it’s also very easy to maintain size-wise.
Although it’s incredibly fast-growing, it thrives best when kept at a height between one and five metres. Just be warned that field maples don’t enjoy being in the shade and prefer partial sunlight.
Order field maple hedging from Crocus.
4. Photinia
Often called ‘Red Robin,’ Photinia is an evergreen tree with beautiful red leaves that make a real statement in a small garden. In the summer, you should also be able to spot stunning white flowers.
What we love most about Photinia, though, is its flexibility. You can either grow it as a large shrub, a lollipop, or a pleached tree on a supportive frame. The latter will be the best option for a smaller garden, as you can keep these trees flush to the fence without them encroaching on your garden space.
‘These are evergreen trees with bright red growth which can be pruned to form a dense and colourful privacy screen,' says Steve.
You can order a pair of Photinia 'Red Robin' trees from Gardening Express.
Best cherry blossom trees for small gardens
For gorgeous spring displays, you can't go wrong with a cherry blossom tree. These are the best cherry blossom trees for small gardens.
5. Fuji cherry
We can’t talk about petite cherry blossom trees without mentioning 'Kojo-no-mai', also known as the Fuji cherry. It's one of the very best trees for small gardens - it's a compact tree that produces small white blossoms in spring, so it's a brilliant tree to plant for springtime blooms, and offers great foliage colour in the autumn.
'This dwarf cherry blossom tree only grows to a height of around two to three metres, which is perfect for small spaces,' says Steve. 'It flowers in early spring, but has lovely, bright coloured foliage all year round, so it's always a beautiful option.’
Order a Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai' tree from Crocus.
6. Flowering Cherry 'Amanogowa'
Flowering cherry 'Amanogowa' is a compact, multistemmed tree that's perfect for small gardens. If you know how and when to prune cherry blossom trees, that's a bonus.
'Flowering Cherry 'Amanogowa' is a small Japanese cherry tree which produces lovely clusters of pink flowers in spring before the foliage turns fiery autumnal shades of red and orange,' says Helena Jones, head of commercial and gardening expert at Hedges Direct.
'It grows in a columnar upright form and makes a beautiful feature tree in any garden, although its size and form make it a popular choice for smaller gardens. It is also an excellent choice for urban settings due to its tolerance of pollution.'
Order Prunus 'Amanogowa' trees from Crocus.
7. Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis'
As the name suggests, Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis' (a winter-flowering cherry) starts blooming in autumn rather than spring and continues doing so throughout the winter months all the way to spring, adorning your garden with light pink blossoms during the coldest times of the year.
'It only grows to a height of around two to four metres, making it ideal for smaller gardens,' says Steve. 'These are also low-maintenance, so good if you want something a little easier to look after without losing out on appearance.'
You can buy Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis Rosea' from Gardening Express.
8. Prunus avium 'Regina'
If white blooms are more your cup of tea and you’d like your cherry blossom tree to bear some fruit as well, especially since fruit trees are among the plants that increase property value, then Steve recommends the Prunus avium 'Regina' as one of the best trees for small gardens.
‘In spring, this tree produces bright white flowers, while the summer sees it produce cherries,' he says. 'This tree only grows up to four metres and won't spread out too far, so it's ideal for smaller gardens.'
Prunus avium 'Regina' trees are available from Carbeth Plants on Amazon.
9. Prunus 'Kursar'
While most of the other varieties bloom with either soft pink or white blossoms, Prunus 'Kursar' is notable for its vibrant, deep pink flowers that appear in mid-March.
During autumn, this cherry blossom tree is just as beautiful as it turns fiery red and golden. It's a sight to behold.
Prunus ‘Kursar’ from Crocus is a good choice.
Best fruit trees for small gardens
Sprawling orchards might come to mind when we think of fruit trees, but even the tiniest garden can offer fresh pickings for the fruit bowl. To make that a reality, though, you'll need to select one of the best fruit trees for a small garden.
10. Apple 'Golden Delicious' (Dwarf)
You've probably heard of 'Golden Delicious' apples before – they're one of the most popular cultivars, boasting golden-green fruits which are perfect for eating alone or cooking with.
But before you buy the first bare root tree you see, it's important to look at the rootstock it's growing on.
'Without getting too technical, any apple – whether it’s a 'Golden Delicious' or a 'Keswick Codlin' – can be grown on a rootstock,' explains Heather Birkett, garden and outdoors manager at the National Trust's Acorn Bank in the Lake District, where over 175 apple varieties grow in the traditional fruit orchards.
'For example, while the rootstock known as M25 will give a larger tree that you could graze livestock below, the rootstock M9 will give a much smaller tree, more suited to a small garden. It could even be grown in a pot!'
Where to buy dwarf apple 'Golden Delicious':
- Thompson & Morgan: Buy apple 'Golden Delicious' with P22 rootstock which produces dwarf trees
- Crocus: Apple 'Golden Delicious' is available with semi-dwarfing MM106 rootstock
11. Apple 'Redspur'
Fancy delicious red apples? Apple 'Redspur' is another of the best fruit trees for a small garden – it's a dwarf tree, producing sweet red fruits which are similar to the classic 'Red Delicious' apples.
'Dwarf apple 'Redspur' is ideal for growing in small gardens or patios,' says Hannah from J. Parker's. 'They can even be grown in pots, giving you the same delicious fruit yearly and taking up a fraction of the space.'
Learning how to prune fruit trees for a better harvest could earn you a bumper crop each year. You'll need to time it right, though, so knowing when to prune apple trees is a must.
Buy Apple 'Redspur' patio trees from J. Parker's.
Hannah Rowson has been with bulb specialist J. Parker's for over 8 years. RHS qualified, Hannah is a fountain of knowledge for all things gardening and horticulture, and has even had her garden designs displayed at RHS Tatton Flower Show.
12. Pear 'Lilliput'
If pears are on your gardening bucket list but you have a small garden, consider the dwarf pear 'Lilliput'. Like apple 'Redspur', it can be grown in pots on the patio.
'Dwarf pear trees such as 'Lilliput' are a great choice for a compact, fruit-bearing tree for a small garden,' says Hannah.
'They’re similar to apples in the sense that they can be hard pruned as full-size trees, but dwarf varieties grow to a maximum of two metres tall, all while producing impressive, full-size fruit in harvest season.'
13. Pear 'Doyenné du Comice'
According to Mark Dwelly, head gardener at Audley Villages, pyramid pears are among the best fruit trees for a small garden.
'These trees have a narrow, upright growth habit, making them great for small gardens,' he explains. 'Varieties like 'Doyenné du Comice' are popular.'
Learning when to prune pear trees once they're established will help you enjoy the delicious, rich fruits of 'Doyenné du Comice' every year.
Where to buy Pear 'Doyenné du Comice':
- Thompson & Morgan: Pear 'Doyenné du Comice' is available in Quince C rootstock for smaller gardens
- Gardening Express: Grow Pear 'Doyenné du Comice' in pots on the patio
Mark Dwelly got into gardening after paying attention to green spaces when playing golf. He went to horticultural college and his career stemmed from there. After looking after the grounds of a private school, he then started at Audley Stanbridge Earls, looking after 32 mixed acres of woodlands, lakes and vast gardens. He since has been promoted to Head Gardener for the group.
14. Cherry 'Pigmy Kordia'
Next up on our list of the best fruit trees for a small garden are cherries. Although they're less common in UK gardens, cherry trees are relatively easy to grow, even for novice gardeners. Plus, there are several brilliant compact varieties to choose from.
'Cherry 'Pigmy Kordia' is an RHS Award of Garden Merit-winning fruit tree, growing to 180cm tall at its peak,' says Hannah. 'It's perfect for planting in a border or pots, making it a great choice for small gardens, and produces an abundance of larger-than-average, high-quality fruit.'
15. Cherry 'Sunburst'
Columnar cherries are another type of fruit tree that Mark recommends for a small garden.
'These trees have a narrow, upright growth habit, making them a great addition to small spaces,' he says. ''Stella' and 'Sunburst' are good choices to grow.'
Cherry 'Sunburst' produces large, almost-black fruits from mid-July, and it's a self-fertile variety, meaning you can successfully grow it on its own without investing in extra trees.
You can buy Cherry 'Sunburst' from J. Parker's.
16. Dwarf Plum 'Victoria'
Plum 'Victoria' is another popular variety you've probably heard of before, but according to Mark, the dwarf version of this tree is perfect for small gardens.
'Varieties like 'Victoria' or 'Greengage' are popular columnar plums,' Mark says. 'These trees have a narrow, upright growth habit, making them ideal for small gardens.'
Choose a tree that grows on a dwarfing rootstock like VVA-1 or Pixy to limit its ultimate size. Pruning will also help maintain the tree's shape, but learning when to prune plum trees is crucial if you want to limit the spread of silver leaf disease.
Order Plum 'Little Vic' from Gardening Express.
17. Plum 'Black Amber'
We also asked Hannah from J. Parker's for her thoughts on the best plum tree for a small garden.
'Plum 'Black Amber' is the best pick for a small garden, only growing to a maximum of 150-200cm tall,' she said. 'They produce delicious fruit in the first year, and lots of it! This dwarf tree is great for pots and patios, just like the other varieties mentioned above.'
As well as the tasty thick-skinned fruits which are ready to harvest between late summer and early autumn, you'll enjoy beautiful pink-flushed-white blossom in the spring.
Other trees for small gardens
The best of the rest!
18. Star magnolia
Magnolias are one of our absolute favourite flowering trees, and certain varieties are counted among the best flowering trees for small gardens.
Star magnolia looks a little different from what we know as traditional magnolia – and as you can probably guess, that’s because the blooms are star-shaped.
‘Deciduous magnolias are a great choice for gardens where space is at a premium,’ says Gareth Mitchell, gardening expert and founder of Tree2mydoor.
‘Opt for a compact variety like the Star Magnolia Tree, which can be grown in a pot. This tree produces stunning star-shaped flowers every spring and only reaches heights of up to three metres tall when fully mature.’
If you learn how and when to prune magnolia trees, you can keep most varieties a manageable height, like Dwarf Magnolia ‘Royal Star’ from J. Parker’s.
19. Acer 'Katsura'
I didn't expect to see other acers on a list of the best flowering trees for small gardens, that's for sure, but according to Helena, Japanese maples sometimes produce red flowers in the spring!
'I recommend a variety like Acer palmatum 'Katsura',' she says. 'This is a colourful Japanese Maple with compact foliage which starts as yellow-orange with a pink edge in spring, before gradually becoming green in summer and then a fiery orange in autumn. Occasionally, small red flowers can be produced in spring. '
As long as you choose the right soil for acers, they're fairly easy to care for.
'The best part is this small tree has a slow growing rate and only reaches maturity after 20 years with a height of around 4 metres, which means it needs very little maintenance and will look great in beds, borders or large pots and containers,' Helena adds.
20. Snowy Mespilus tree
Branding this a 'classic small garden tree,' Dan Ryan, the parks and garden manager at Gatton Park, says that the Snowy Mespilus tree (or Amelanchier lamarkii, if you want to get fancy) is a gorgeous 'small tree that has white spring flowers followed up by dark red summer berries'.
He adds, 'Sometimes called the Juneberry Tree, this one is deciduous, but you always get a lovely orangey bronze colour before the leaves drop.'
You can order the snowy mespilus tree in a range of sizes from Crocus.
21. Olive tree
Every garden needs an evergreen, says Dan, and an olive is the perfect choice.
'Its silvery foliage adds brightness to any garden, and it can be maintained to almost any size or shape,' he explains.
'If it does grow a bit too big for your liking, it tolerates being cut back very well. In fact, you often see old gnarled olive trees that have come from Italian terraced groves cut back and repurposed as ornamentals after their useful life as oil-producing beauties.'
That's why it's worth learning how to prune an olive tree. This Patio Spiral Stem Olive Tree from YouGarden is perfect for small gardens.
That's our pick of the best trees for small gardens. Which one will you be going for?
