Best Small Flowering Trees You Can Plant In Your Garden

Is your garden small with limited space? Still, you would like to add some trees to your yard. Then we have a solution for you the dwarf trees to add some colorful foliage to your garden.

The tree grows shorter than others to fit into any space, and you need not sacrifice beautiful flowers. Today, we will help you select a small tree with green leaves that only grows a few feet tall, displaying magnificent flower colors.

Factors to Consider when Choosing Small Flowering Trees for Your Garden

Before looking at our selection of dwarf trees, there are a few things to consider before you buy one on the list. First, we recommend you look at the most essential thing the space you have available and the size of the tree.

So, while shopping here for your trees, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do you have the space available for the tree you want to grow?

  • Do you have the space available to accommodate the trees’ mature height?

  • Will the dwarf variety pair well with your other plants?

  • What barriers and structures on your premises will obstruct your tree’s natural growth?

After answering these questions, it is best to match your dwarf species to your site instead of the other way around. Then, look at the following list of small flowering trees to add to your yard.

19 Flowering Trees You Can Choose From

Great, now that you know the planting site size available, check out these amazing dwarf varieties we have selected for you here.

Red Flowering Dogwood

red flowering dogwood

The flowering dogwood is a dwarf variety that thrives in cooler summers and is a slow grower. The tree grows up to 15 feet tall and spreads gradually instead of growing upwards. As a result, it remains small in your dryer regions.

Another fascinating thing about the Red Dogwood is seeing a pop of red blossoms in early spring. Then, throughout the summer, it displays reddish-purple foliage covered with red fruit in the fall to early winter.

You can expect the fruit to attract birds to the garden, and it grows safely around power lines. In addition, the root ball will not disturb nearby structures. Still, it is a fussy tree regarding summer heat and drought.

The tree grows in humid conditions but can be set back by drought. If you have space, you can grow the dogwood with your Japanese maples, chaste tree, or redbuds.

The tree thrives in humid locations like the USDA zones 5-7. Some other varieties you can grow are the Kousa dogwood and Pagoda dogwood.

Eastern Redbud Reaches Only Ten Feet Tall

eastern redbull flowering tree

Do not let the name Eastern Redbud fool you, as this dwarf variety produces pink flowers. Nonetheless, you can also find it blooming white flowers. The tree grows up to ten feet tall to add curb appeal from early spring to the fall.

Another thing depending on the variety, it displays golden-yellow, white-splashed, or dark-green foliage in autumn. You can easily maintain the dwarf variety in zones 5 to 9 as it can handle dry spells.

Hence, it is drought tolerant to thrive in full sun to partial shade. But it prefers well-drained soil but mulch around the trunk area to maintain the moisture levels.

Flowering Crabapple Trees

flowering crabapple tree

One crabapple tree that stands out is the Prairiefire flowering crabapple tree. An interesting thing is these are fruit trees with stunning features. For example, in spring, dark pink flowers remain on the tree for a long time.

After a while, you are delighted with the changing colorful foliage of maroon or a glossy red in late spring. Then it is followed by dark green leaves with reddish-purple veins in summer. As the fall arrives, the color changes to bronze.

These small flowering trees grow outwards instead of upwards. This is because the tree form becomes round as it ages. You also see dark-red to purple fruit you can eat. But the taste is not as delicious as found on the apple tree and is best left for the birds.

You can expect these dwarf flowering trees to reach 20 feet tall; thus, they are not a good choice to plant under power lines. Also, leave at least ten feet of space between foundations. The crabapple trees are suitable for growing zones 3 to 8.

Magnolia Displays Dark Green Foliage

magnolia flowering tree

Make the magnolia the focal point in your garden with its versatile foliage. The tree grows well in foundation plantings in fertile soil. Or you can grow them as a standalone specimen tree.

The star magnolia is an import from Japan but is closely related to the Kobushi magnolia. After a few years of planting, the star magnolia starts to bloom fragrant white blooms covering the bare branches in early spring.

Each flower has up to 30 petals, but the color changes yearly from white to dark pink. The multi-stemmed shrub responds to day and night temperatures hence the change in flower colors.

The leaves start bronze-green and mature to a dark green that turns yellow in the fall. It also bears reddish-green fruit opening up and splitting to spread the red seeds. Young trees display shiny brown bark and turn silvery gray as it matures.

We recommend planting trees like the star magnolia away from foot traffic as the roots grow close to the surface. It can reach up to 20 feet tall and grows well in zones 4 to 9. Another variety we love is the Saucer magnolia.

Japanese Tree Lilac

japanese lilac tree with white blooms

For a deciduous tree with a lilac form serving as a specimen tree, nothing says it more out loud than the Japanese tree lilac. The small tree has a moderate growth rate with an upright form and rounded shape.

The tree belongs to the olive family, with panicles of white blooms reaching 12 inches long displayed for two weeks in early summer. After the flowering tree blooms fade, you have seeds that last through winter to give it a graceful form with its pretty bark.

The small tree adds winter visual interest, and the best time to plant the tree is at the start of spring or late winter. The small flowering tree is hardy in zones 3 to 7. Still, it can reach 20 feet tall and is best grown away from utility lines.

You can check our Best Fertilizer For Lilacs article for happy and healthy growth.

Serviceberry is an All-Season Beauty

serviceberry flowering tree

While the downy serviceberry is a taller variety, it is covered with fragrant white flowers in early spring, forming clusters of blossoms. In late summer, the tree is covered with glossy red fruit that the birds enjoy.

In the fall, the foliage turns red with golden hues, and you can enjoy fresh eating of the serviceberries. Alternatively, these fruit trees berries you can enjoy in jams, jellies, or pies. The tree can grow up to 15 or 25 feet tall and is best not planted closer than 15 feet from foundations.

You can grow these trees in full sun while keeping the soil moist in zones 4 to 9.

Fringe Tree Grows as a Shrub or Tree

fringe tree

The fringe tree ( Chionanthus virginicus ) makes for another beautiful addition to the garden growing as a multi-stemmed shrug or as a small tree. You can grow them in your native woodland garden or in groups near large buildings.

A standout feature is the fragrant, creamy white flowers with a strap-like form growing from fleecy panicles. The dwarf tree reaches up to 15 feet tall, and the bark is slightly ridged in a gray-brown color.

The leaves emerge in late spring in a medium green color, with a paler underside turning yellow in the fall. The flowering tree, when in bloom, resembles a beard, and it is dioecious with shower male than female flowers.

Only the female dwarf trees bear bluish fruit attracting wildlife to the garden.

Flowering Cherry Trees

flowering cherry tree

The purpleleaf sand cherry trees are great options to grow in small gardens. It is a hardy tree nursing with pinkish-white flowers in spring with changing purple foliage in summer. It is a low-growing variety to place under power lines and near foundations.

These small trees, with their variegated foliage, are a cross between the sand plum and sand cherry trees. It can mature into a shrub or a small ornamental tree, depending on the summer.

The fruits of the purpleleaf sand cherry tree are edible, but it has a tarty taste. It can live up to 20 years, reaching 5 feet tall in cool summer climates. Yet, in warmer temperatures, it gets 8 feet tall.

Another notable thing is that most purple-leaf sand cherry trees found in nurseries are grafted from a specific rootstock to determine the height. It is cold and hardy in Zones two but will not survive summers in Zone 8 to 12.

Hibiscus Tree

flowering hisbiscus tree

The hibiscus grows as a single-trunk tree or shrub in two varieties. The small ornamental tree blooms throughout summer with pink, lilac, red, or purple flowers with white hues.

An ideal spot for these small trees is flowerbeds, as they grow up to eight feet tall, but you can find smaller varieties to grow in containers.

The growth and care for this small tree are not complicated and need full sun.

Hawthorn, Known as The Thornapple

Hawthorn flowering tree

The hawthorn is a thorny shrub also grown as a dwarf flowering tree. You can grow the plant to form a hedge or as a standalone. The deciduous plant has simple leaves, either lobed or toothed.

In spring, you see white or pink flowers forming clusters, followed by small pomes resembling apples ranging from red to orange, blue, and black. The fruit’s flavor varies and is edible and used in herbal medicine.

These outdoor plants bring color to the garden with blooms that can develop into purple flowers. Some staples can reach ten feet tall. When fall arrives, the green foliage changes to different hues.

With moist, well-drained soil, you can plant these small trees in full sun in zones 6 to 9.

Plumeria The Frangipani Tree

Plumeria flowering tree

The plumeria genus comprises exotic semi-evergreen trees available in dwarf size. You can grow them in sub- and tropical climates. The dwarf flowering tree has a rounded crown with fragrant flowers in a white, red, yellow, and pink pinwheel form.

The tree can reach up to eight feet tall and is suitable for growing in zones 9 to 12. It is also a fast-growing dwarf tree that thrives in warm and humid conditions. You can also grow them in a small pot where you must overwinter them indoors.

Carolina Silverbell

carolina silverbell flowering tree

These small trees bring an early spring show displaying white bell-shaped flowers before the glossy green leaves sprout. In the fall, the foliage turns yellow. But this dwarf tree is hard to come by, but we recommend looking for the Rosea with pink flowers.

Or look for the variegated foliage of yellow and green on the Tyler tree. You can grow the tree in full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained soil. While it can reach incredible heights, it depends on how you prune and grow it.

Japanese Maple With a Gorgeous Fall Color

japanese maple flowering tree

When it comes to the cascading branches of the Japanese maple, you can use it in numerous ways in your yard. Plant it as a specimen in a shaded spot or make it the garden’s focal point.

The delicate burgundy textured foliage turns red in the fall growing well in full sun with medium moisture soil. The size 20 feet tall fits perfectly into a small yard but preferably not too close to power lines.

The tree is hardy in zones 5 to 8 but is considered invasive in some states.

Mountain Stewartia, an Elegant Tree

Mountain Stewartia flowering tree @tonyrodd Mountain Stewartia flowering tree @tonyrodd

The mountain stewartia fits into small spaces to display camelia-like flowers with dense foliage in green color. It is slow-growing well in the southern parts and eastern North America. It puts on a fall show, with the foliage turning orange and red.

You can grow this 10 feet tall tree in full sun with partial shade and medium moisture.

The Powder Puff

powder puff flowering tree

The powder puff can grow as a dwarf tree or large shrub. The plant will delight you with the summer’s fluffy red, pink, or white flowers. It is a heat-loving yet drought-resistant tree made for Florida, Texas, and California.

The important thing is to provide these small trees growing up to six feet tall and three feet wide with full sun and fertile, moist soil in zones 9 to 11.

Golden Chain Tree With its Magnificent Blooms

weeping golden chain flowering tree

In late spring to early summer, the golden chain tree forms clusters of yellow flowers that resemble wisteria. It looks like a weeping tree and bears seedpods that ripen in autumn. The green clover foliage looks attractive standing in full sun and can reach up to 30 feet tall, depending on how you keep it pruned.

Chaste Tree, a Drought-Tolerant Species

purple flowering chaste tree @keenreport purple flowering chaste tree @keenreport

The chaste tree displays a spectacular color show in early fall with lavender, white, or blue flower clusters. The flowering tree has green-toothed foliage looking attractive from spring to autumn.

It makes for an ideal backdrop to help other blooms stand out. Choose from two varieties the Abbeville Blue with deep blue colors and the Silver Spire with white flowers. The tree reaches 10 feet tall, standing in full sun and well-drained soil.

Still, in some regions, this ornamental tree is considered invasive.

Can You Grow These Trees Indoors?

Most of these trees grow better outside, but you can find some varieties depending on the mature size, that you can grow in containers indoors. Some of the trees above you can grow indoors are:

  • Japanese maple

  • Dogwood varieties

  • Powderpuff

  • Flowering crabapple

  • Flowering cherry tree

Conclusion

We hope you found our article enjoyable. We also hope you find a suitable one to fit into your small garden space here with us. The most important thing is to check that it can grow in the area you have available in your yard.

Then provide your tree with enough tender loving care to give you beautiful flowers and foliage throughout the year.

Whether you want to buy, sell, or simply reach out to other plant enthusiasts, Plantly is the right place to be!

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