Friday, March 2, 2012

10 Good Deciduous Trees for Small Urban Gardens

Here is a list of deciduous trees that fit nicely into small gardens. Each has characteristics that offer visual interest at different times during the year.

1. Acer circinatum - Vine maple
Size: 15' tall x 20' wide
Comments: Vine maple is a Northwest native tree that grows in the shade of our forest trees, like Douglas fir and Western red cedar. It gets its name from the fact that it grows parallel to the ground, like a vine, in native settings. In sunny, urban gardens it grows upright with a somewhat columnar shape. Good fall color.
2. Acer grisseum - Paperbark maple
Size: up to 25' tall
Comments: Beautiful, peeling, reddish bark is attractive year around; bright red fall color.
3. Acer palmatum - Japanese maple
Size: varies - up to 20'
Comments: There are many trees in this group, some with red foliage, some with green. Some have lacy, deeply-cut leaves. There are upright varieties and weeping ones. All have graceful form. All do best if they have a break from all-day sun. Beautiful fall color; depending on the variety it ranges from clear yellow to fiery scarlet.
4. Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' - Bloodgood Japanese maple
Size: up to 15' tall
Comments: Graceful tree; foliage holds its red color longer through the summer than many other varieties.
5. Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku' - Coralbark maple
Size: up to 20'
Comments: Bright red twigs and branches make for beautiful tree even without leaves; bright yellow fall color. 
6. Cercidiphyllum japonicum - Katsura tree
Size: up to 30' tall
Comments: Heart-shaped leaves emerge with purplish cast, becoming blue-green in summer and bright yellow in fall; graceful branching pattern
7. Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' - Forest pansy redbud
Size: up to 25' tall
Comments: Purple heart-shaped foliage; small pink flowers in spring
8. Cornus kousa - Kousa dogwood
Size: 20' tall x 20' wide
Comments: Resistant to anthracnose; creamy white bracts in late spring - early summer; red fruit in fall; yellow or scarlet fall color
9. Cotinus coggygria - Smoke tree
Size: 12' - 15' tall and wide
Comments: Green, gold and purple forms, with purple being most popular; 'Royal purple' holds color well through summer; dramatic clusters of tiny flowers in summer give the appearance of "smoke;" takes coppicing; drought tolerant
10. Davidia involucrata - Dove tree
Size: 35+' tall and 15+' wide
Comments: Wonderful specimen for the larger urban garden. Spring blooms look like white doves or handkerchiefs; vivid green leaves; best as a stand-alone tree.
For more information on these trees and much, much more, consult The New Sunset Western Garden Book. This is the newest edition of this classic garden guide, released in February, 2012.