39 Small Trees (Under 30 Feet) for a Small Yard or Garden
Dolores has landscaped for private clients, maintained one client's small orchid collection, and keeps 30 houseplants.
Small flowering or evergreen trees beautify a boring landscape.
Every neighborhood needs some trees, and every garden or landscape needs a tree or two. Trees take in carbon dioxide and provide us with oxygen, cleaning and freshening the air around us. They soften the sharp edges of buildings and lend curves to the straight lines man has imposed on our view. Even a small tree creates some shade. The dense layered shade created by the overlapping leaves and boughs of trees is much cooler than, say, an awning.
Just because you have a small yard does not mean that you cannot have a tree. Not all trees are 70-footers, and many tall shrubs can be used like trees or be pruned into a tree-like growth habit.
Below is a selection of small trees and tall shrubs to make your garden, yard, or landscape beautiful. Note that zone numbers refer to the USDA hardiness zones of the continental U.S., which show how cold your area gets in the winter.
The Best Small Trees Suitable for a Small Yard
| Tree Name | Mature Height (feet) | Mature Spread (feet) | Dwarf Height (feet) | USDA Hardiness Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apple | 20 | 20 | 8 to 10 | 4 |
Almond | 12 to 15 | 10 to 15 | 4 to 5 | 4 to 8 |
Chaste | 10 to 20 | 10 to 15 | 3 to 4 | 7 to 9 |
Cherry | 12 to 15 | 12 to 15 | 8 to 10 | 2 to 8 |
Cherry Laurel | 30 | 15 | 3 to 4 | 7 to 8 |
Crabapple | 20 | 15 | 5 to 10 | 4 to 8 |
Crape Myrtle | 15 to 30 | 15 to 25 | 3 to 4 | 6 to10 |
Dogwood | 10 to 25 | 20 to 25 | 4 to 6 | 3 to 8 |
Franklin Tree | 10 to 25 | 10 to 15 | not available | 5 to 8 |
Chinese Fringe Tree | 12 to 20 | 12 to 20 | This is the dwarf variety | 4 to 9 |
Green Hawthorn | 30 | 20 to 30 | 4 | 4 to 7 |
Hornbeam | 20 to 30 | 20 | 5 to 10 | 3 to 9 |
Panicle Hydrangea | 10 to 25 | 8 to 16 | 3 to 5 | 3 to 8 |
Juniper | 10 to 15 | 3 to 5 | 1 | 4 to 9 (depending on variety) |
Japanese Snowbell | 20 to 30 | 20 to 30 | 8 to 10 | 6 to 8 |
Laburnum (Golden Chain Tree) | 15 to 25 | 9 to 12 | 3 to 4 | 5 to 7 |
Lemon Tree | 10 to 20 | 5 to 10 | 4 to 5 | 9 to 11 |
Lilac | 8 to 15 | 6 to 15 | 4 to 6 | 3 to 7 |
Mountain Stewartia | 10 to 15 | 10 to 15 | 10 | 5 to 9 |
Magnolia | 10 to 30 (depending on variety) | 10 to 30 | These are ranges for dwarf varieties | 4 to 9 (depending on variety) |
Japanese Red Maple | 15 to 25 | 20 | 2 to 3 | 5 to 8 |
Mimosa or Silk Tree | 20 to 30 | 20 to 30 | not available | 6 to 9 |
Pawpaw | 15 to 30 | 15 to 30 | 4 to 8 | 5 to 8 |
Peach | 15 to 25 | 15 to 25 | 8 to 10 | 5 to 9 |
Bartlett Pear | 20 to 30 | 20 | 10 to 15 | 5 to 7 |
Japanese Black Pine | 25 to 30 | 20 to 35 | 4 | 5 to 9 |
Cherry Plum | 15 to 25 | 20 | 8 to 10 | 3 to 8 |
Eastern Redbud | 20 to 30 | 26 to 33 | 12 to 15 | 4 to 9 |
Quince | 6 to 10 | 6 to 10 | 3 | 4 to 8 |
Serviceberry (a.k.a. Juneberry) | 15 to 25 | 15 to 20 | 10 | 4 to 9 |
Carolina Silverbell | 15 to 30 | 15 to 30 | not available | 4 to 8 |
Scarlet Buckeye | 10 to 20 | 10 to 20 | This is the dwarf variety | 6 to 9 |
Russian Olive | 15 to 20 | 15 to 20 | not available | 2 to 7 |
Smoketree | 10 to 15 | 8 to 14 | 4 | 4 to 8 |
Sourwood | 25 to 30 | 20 | not available | 5 to 9 |
Conica Spruce | 10 to 12 | 4 to 5 | 6 to 8 | 2 to 7 |
Japanese Stewartia | 15 to 30 | 20 to 25 | not available | 5 to 8 |
Sweet Olive | 10 to 12 | 8 | 4 to 6 | 8 to 10 |
Tea Tree | 20 | 20 | 2 | 8 to 11 |