Best Dwarf Trees For Landscaping

Dwarf trees can be evergreen or deciduous, ornamental or flowering, but they are all great for tight spaces and small urban yards. For the purpose of this article we will define a dwarf tree as a tree growing no more than 15 feet tall or wide. These small beauties were chosen for an assortment of features and low maintenance requirements. Read on to learn more about our top ten best dwarf trees for landscaping.

1. Black Diamond® Red Hot™ Crape Myrtle

The Red Hot is the most upright and tree-like of the red Black Diamond crape myrtles. The color is a vibrant red with a hint of hot pink. The deep purple to black leaves contrast the abundant vivid blooms. This is the dwarf tree for you if you want a unique flowering tree with a long bloom season and outstanding color.

2. Black Diamond® Shell Pink™ Crape Myrtle

The Shell Pink has abundant coral pink blooms from late spring through fall. The black leaves offer a unique look. Enjoy disease resistance from this easy to grow crape myrtle.

3. Butterfly Japanese Maple

This dwarf tree is upright with exciting variegated foliage. Its compact width fits in even the smallest spaces. The Butterfly Japanese maple is a stunning showpiece for a small yard or garden and is lovely in containers.

4. Crimson Queen Japanese Maple

The Crimson Queen offers stunning red-purple foliage from spring through fall. The color deepens in the cooler weather and often picks up some green in the summer heat. This unique Japanese maple tree grows wider than it is tall. Plan for this weeping tree to ultimately cascade almost the ground. This small tree is a great choice for planting in a pot or in the ground.

5. Cryptomeria Black Dragon

The Black Dragon Cryptomeria has unique dark foliage and naturally layered branches. This distinctive dwarf tree will transform your boring yard into an exciting landscape everyone will admire. This evergreen is an excellent choice for year-round interest and containers.

6. Emerald Green Arborvitae

The Emerald Green Arborvitae is a beautifully shaped evergreen tree with stunning, soft, green foliage. This thuja tree is a gorgeous feature in a yard or garden and makes a stunning privacy screen. The Emerald Green thuja adds value and year-round interest to your property.

7. Jane Magnolia

The stunning Jane Magnolia has tulip-shaped flowers that arrive prior to the foliage.These large, fragrant blooms are pink to purple with a hint of red on the outside and white on the inside. Jane Magnolias bloom in spring and often rebloom in summer. This tree tends to be low branching and/or multitrunk so plan for it to be more like a large shrub in the landscape.

8. Royal Purple Smoke Tree

Breathtaking floral plumes of purple from the Royal Purple Smoke Tree add texture and grace to your yard in summer. Enjoy stunning deep purple leaves from spring through fall. This tree-shrub is adaptable, easy to grow, and extremely drought tolerant.

9. Royal Star Magnolia Tree

The Royal Star Magnolia touts lacy, star-shaped blossoms that have a subtly sweet scent. This small tree only reaches 15 feet at maturity and can grow almost anywhere in the United States. The Royal Star Magnolia is disease and insect resistant and is the hardiest of the star magnolias.

10. Tonto Crape Myrtle

This gorgeous crape myrtle tree has a vase to rounded shape and loads of luscious red-pink blooms from late spring through fall. The Tonto is a low maintenance flowering tree with excellent disease resistance.