As a follow up to the large tree resource I posted for this zone, these are the smaller trees I have repeatedly found to be great additions to any garden in this zone. Some of the larger trees on the list could well be used as shade trees also and they also appear on my previous list. Acer ginnala for example is a wonderfully versatile tree.

As time goes on I will spotlight these trees with more detail but for those researching small trees and ornamentals now, for spring planting in a new garden design this is a tried and true list to start with. Photos can easily be found on the internet and as I spotlight my favourites I will be adding photos. As a reminder, these are the links to the large tree resource for this zone and Coryllus avellana, Harry Lauder Walking Stick, which I already spotlighted

Ornamental trees are really an essential addition to most gardens. They add height, interest, some shade and all the attributes that large trees do. In addition many of them can become a focal point in the garden. With their sculptural form, trees such as, Weeping Caragana or Corylus avellana become a talking point and provide beautiful interest year-round. The Crabapples with their gorgeous bloom make May worth waiting for. If you don’t want the crabapples, which will fall sooner or later, purchase a sterile variety such as ‘Snowbird’. Mayday, Prunus padus are actually quite large trees and notorious for their small berries so while beautiful and fragrant, not the best tree for close to a patio. 

Caragana lorbergii or Lorberg Caragana in bloom, Cranbrook, B.C. Hawthorn to the left.

I have seen many Mayday trees badly pruned. They are a common example of wrong tree wrong place. They are popular because of their fragrance and attractive blossom. However, they tend to grow larger than expected and actually quite quickly for a tree (twenty years), so people tend to ‘top’ them. Topping a tree removes its leader trunk which determines the trees height and form. All trees have a predetermined height and a tree will do it level best to reach that height regardless of what you do. After the leader is removed, the tree will produce many ‘water sprouts,’ branches which erupt from nodes and grow straight up, an act of rebellion! The phrase ‘Right Tree, Right Place’ is the mantra of garden designers, when it comes to trees. The result of topping a tree means it will never achieve the natural form it was determined to have and pruning will be for forever required to remove the forest of sprouts or extra branches.

Trees do need occasional pruning for broken, dead, crossover or diseased branches but the only other major pruning that should be required is to prune lower branches from a young tree to raise the canopy. This might be to enhance the view beneath or for maneuverability beneath the tree.

Fruit trees are another tree subject because orchardists and home growers need the fruit to be accessible. There are many new varieties and grafted trees that are bred to be shorter and specialists are best consulted to make good choices.

Where a tree is planted will affect light and water conditions around it so this needs to be considered when designing planting areas. These are the reasons trees are planted first. For a vegetable garden, light will always be essential. A flower garden can change if necessary as light conditions change but removing a tree or heavily pruning it, is not an easy or necessary job if the right tree was planted in the right place in the first place.

If an overly large or nuisance tree is inherited, it is also a difficult decision to know how to deal with it. Removal is sometimes the only option. We learned the hard way and planted too many trees in our garden when it was new. Not anticipating just how quickly they would reach a mature size we had to remove two, which was a very sad day.

Deciduous                                                                                              h x w

Acer ginnala                                         Amur Maple                             6m x 4m

Aesculus glabra                                   Ohio Buckeye                           8m x 6m

Amelanchier canadensis                    Serviceberry                              6m x 4m

Betula pendula ‘Youngii’                     Weeping Birch                              5m x 4m

Caragana arborescens ‘Lorbergi’        Fernleaf Caragana                   2m x 1m

Caragana arborescens ‘Walker’         Weeping Caragana                  2m x 1m

Catalpa ovata                                       Chinese Catalpa                       7m x 4m

Corylus avellana                                  Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick 2m x 2m

Crataegus mordenensis ‘Toba’           Hawthorne                               5m x 4m

Crataegus mordenensis ‘Snowbird’   Hawthorne                               5m x 5m

Malus baccata ‘Dolgo’                           White Flowering Crab             5m x 4m

Malus ‘Spring Snow’                           Sterile White flowering Crab  6m x 4.5m

Malus x ‘Hopa’                                     Pink Flowering Crab                7m x 6m

Malus ‘Thunderchild’                          Red Leafed Crab                      5m x 4m

Prunus maackii                                    Amur Cherry                           9m x 7m

Prunus nigra ‘Princess Kay’                 Princess Kay Plum                   5m x 3m

Prunus padus ‘Ethel’                           Pink Flowering Mayday          8m x 6m

Prunus virginiana ‘Spur Schubert’      Spur Schubert Cherry              6m x 4m

Sorbus americana , aucuparia, and

Decora                                                  Mountain Ash                         6m x 6m

Syringa reticulata                                Japanese Tree Lilac                 7m x 6m

Syringa reticulata                               ‘Ivory Silk’                                7m x 6m

Salix caprea                                         Weeping Pussy Willow            2m x 2m

Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’                Corkscrew Willow                   10m x 6m

Conifer

Juniperus scopolorum, varieties         upright Junipers                      2m x 4m

Larix decidua ‘pendula’                     Weeping Larch                         6m x 4m

Picea glauca ‘Conica’                           Spruce                                      1.75m x .75m

Picea glauca ‘Jean’s Dilly’                   Spruce                                      1.25m x .60m

Picea pungens ‘Fastigiata’                  Narrow Spruce                         5m x 2m

Picea pungens ‘Pendula’                     Weeping Spruce                       6m x 4m