Trees for Small Gardens

We've got a whole range of small trees that are perfect for more space-limited gardens. Grown with the utmost care at our Vale of Evesham nursery, we have everything from patio fruit trees to dwarf acers and cherry blossoms. Because after all, why should having a smaller space stop you from owning a lovely little tree?

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Ornamental trees (233) Cherry blossom trees (32)Crabapple trees (29)Birch trees (10)Willow trees (13)Acer trees (33)
  • Panachée' Fig Tree Soft Fruit
    From £25
    From £25

    'Panachée' Fig Tree

    The 17th century 'Tiger Fig'

    • Notes of raspberry and strawberry!
    • Unusual and distinctive striped figs
    • Bake some blue cheese and fig tarts
    • Harvest in August and September

    1 option available

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  • 'Sunset' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £32
    £45 From £32

    'Sunset' Apple Tree

    Broaden your taste horizons

    • Sweet, followed by a sharp edge (eating)
    • Exceptional performance as well as taste
    • Slice and sneak in your children's lunchboxes
    • Harvest from September to October

    4 options available

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  • Dwarf Purple Magnolia Tree | Magnolia 'Susan' Ornamental Trees
    From £40
    From £40

    Dwarf Purple Magnolia Tree | Magnolia 'Susan'

    Stunning, punchy-pink blooms

    • Compact, bushy tree
    • Small tree - grows up to 3m
    • Scented, pink, cup-shaped flowers
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    3 options available

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  • 'Queen Cox' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £32
    From £32

    'Queen Cox' Apple Tree

    All hail this royal icon!

    • Crisp, aromatic and delicious (dual)
    • Self fertile (no pollinating partner needed)
    • Use in a range of dishes or eat fresh
    • Harvest from mid-September (stores well)

    2 options available

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  • 'Spartan' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £32
    From £32

    'Spartan' Apple Tree

    Perfect for kids!

    • Sweet apple taste with a crisp bite (eating)
    • A stoic variety that crops reliably
    • Ideal for snacking, perfect for lunchboxes
    • Harvest from early October

    2 options available

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  • 'Falstaff' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £37
    From £37

    'Falstaff' Apple Tree

    A brilliant modern variety

    • Sweet with a short sharpness (dual)
    • An excellent performer with large crops
    • Eat fresh or bake into a delicious strudel!
    • Harvest from mid-October

    2 options available

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  • Vilmorinii Rowan Tree | Sorbus Ornamental Trees
    From £38
    From £38

    Vilmorin's Rowan Tree | Sorbus vilmorinii

    Red berries turn stunning white

    • Bushy, spreading tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 4m
    • Green, lacy leaves turn purple come autumn
    • Aids native wildlife and bees

    2 options available

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  • Patio Plum Tree Trained Fruit Trees
    From £40
    From £40

    Patio Plum Tree

    Your fave varieties, kept small

    • Expertly grown to keep nice and small
    • Includes very hardy varieties
    • Pick and eat fresh or make a sticky plum jam
    • Sweet plums, sensational flowers

    1 option available

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  • Dwarf White Weeping Cherry Blossom Tree | Prunus 'Snow Showers' Ornamental Trees
    From £36
    From £36

    Dwarf White Weeping Cherry Blossom Tree | Prunus 'Snow Showers'

    Perfect spring time feature tree

    • Elegant weeping tree
    • Can grow to 1.7m (depending on form)
    • Flurries of snowy white single flowers
    • Blossoms in March-April

    3 options available

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  • Dwarf Weeping Yoshino Cherry | Prunus yedoensis 'Ivensii' Ornamental Trees
    From £36
    From £36

    Dwarf Weeping Yoshino Cherry | Prunus yedoensis 'Ivensii'

    Snow-white blossom overload!

    • Beautifully weeping tree
    • Can grow to 2.2m (depending on form)
    • Green leaves (yellow later) and snowy blooms
    • RHS Plants for Pollinators

    4 options available

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  • Granny Smith Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £36
    £42 From £36

    'Granny Smith' Apple Tree

    Old but gold! (Well, green...)

    • Versatile with a sharp, juicy taste (dual)
    • Maintains firmness when bakes
    • Can be used for both cooking and eating
    • Harvest from late October (stores well)

    1 option available

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  • Red Devil Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £36
    From £36

    'Red Devil' Apple Tree

    Red skin, flesh and pink juice

    • Balanced taste with strawberry hints (eating)
    • Self fertile (needs no pollinating partner)
    • Makes incredible freshly-pressed juice
    • Harvest from September to October

    1 option available

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  • Worcester Pearmain Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £32
    From £32

    'Worcester Pearmain' Apple Tree

    Award-winning heirloom apple

    • Sweet with subtle strawberry notes (eating)
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Can be used for eating, juices and cider
    • Harvest from September onwards

    2 options available

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  • 'Fiesta' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £34
    From £34

    'Fiesta' Apple Tree

    A party on your palate!

    • Aromatic flavour with a sharp bite (eating)
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Slice and serve with peanut butter
    • Harvest from late September (stores well)

    2 options available

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  • Grafted Patio Kumquat Tree Mediterranean Fruit Trees
    £25
    £35 £25

    Grafted Patio Kumquat Tree

    A perfect mix of sweet and tangy

    • Sweet, tangy and wonderfully aromatic
    • Self-fertile (no pollination partner needed)
    • Eat whole, use in chutneys or make a tart
    • Typically fruits from November to April

    1 option available

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  • Patio Apple Tree Trained Fruit Trees
    From £35
    From £35

    Patio Apple Tree

    All-time greats, grown for pots

    • Expertly grown to keep nice and small
    • Includes heavy-cropping varieties
    • Eat fresh, bake in crumbles and cakes
    • Juicy apples, stunning flowers

    4 options available

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  • 'Golden Delicious' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £34
    From £34

    'Golden Delicious' Apple Tree

    Makes the best apple pies!

    • Mild flavoured with a slight sweetness (dual)
    • Easy to grow and multiple awards to its name
    • Stew your apples or bake them with spices
    • Harvest from October (stores well)

    3 options available

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  • Stepover Apple Tree Trained Fruit Trees
    From £40
    From £40

    Stepover Apple Tree

    Grow low, pick with ease

    • Expertly trained into a low-growing shape
    • Includes RHS award-winning varieties
    • Puree into a sauce to serve with roast pork
    • Both sweet and tart apples, dreamy flowers

    2 options available

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  • Patio Pear Tree Trained Fruit Trees
    From £35
    From £35

    Patio Pear Tree

    Lush pears from the doorstep

    • Expertly grown to keep nice and small
    • Includes award-winning varieties
    • Eat fresh, poach or use in baking
    • Melt-in-the-mouth pears, magical blossoms

    2 options available

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  • Patio Loropetalum Tree | Loropetalum 'Fire Dance' Ornamental Trees
    From £40
    From £40

    Patio Loropetalum Tree | Loropetalum 'Fire Dance'

    A riot of red-purple flames

    • Bushy patio tree
    • Small tree - grows up to 1.2m
    • Burgundy, evergreen leaves and pink flowers
    • Suitable for pots

    1 option available

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  • Half-Standard Fig Tree Trained Fruit Trees
    From £35
    From £35

    Half-Standard Fig Tree

    Grow figs from your patio!

    • Lovely sweetness and that classic fig flavour
    • One of the hardiest varieties
    • Eat fresh, bake with honey or use to make jam
    • Usually ready to pick in August and September

    2 options available

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  • Kursar' Cherry Blossom Tree Ornamental Trees
    From £38
    £40 From £38

    'Kursar' Dwarf Cherry Blossom Tree

    Small and mighty award-winner

    • Compact classic tree shape
    • Ideal for small spaces, growing to 3x3m
    • Clusters of deep pink single flowers
    • Blossoms in March-April

    1 option available

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  • Patio Bay Tree | Laurus nobilis 'Bay Junior' Ornamental Trees
    From £35
    From £35

    Patio Bay Tree | Laurus nobilis 'Bay Junior'

    The young star of the family

    • Patio tree with an upright, bushy habit
    • Small tree - grows up to 1.5m (when pruned)
    • Delicate green leaves (wonderfully aromatic)
    • RHS Plants for Pollinators

    2 options available

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  • 'Kentish Cob' Cobnut Tree Fruit Trees
    From £38
    £45 From £38

    'Kentish Cob' Hazelnut Tree

    Bursting with fab, nutty flavour

    • Fantastic texture and flavour
    • Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Make a plum and cobnut crumble
    • Harvest from September

    1 option available

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  • 'Katy' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £36
    £42 From £36

    'Katy' Apple Tree

    A Swedish sensation!

    • Mildly sweet with strawberry notes (dual)
    • Incredibly easy to grow
    • Makes the most delicious juice
    • Harvest from late August (stores well)

    2 options available

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  • Victoria Patio Plum Tree Fruit Trees
    £50
    £50

    'Victoria' Patio Plum Tree

    The UK's favourite - reliable, versatile and delicious!

    • The iconic British plum tree with a superb flavour
    • Damp, cold or partial shade? No problem
    • Makes the perfect plum frangipane
    • Expertly pruned patio tree perfect for pots

    1 option available

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  • Patio Mulberry Tree | Morus Rotundiloba 'Mojo Berry' Trained Fruit Trees
    £40
    £40

    Patio Mulberry Tree | Morus rotundiloba 'Mojo Berry'

    The juiciest, jammiest berries

    • Sweet and succulent mulberries
    • RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year 2017
    • Serve with sugar and whipped cream!
    • Pick from May to September

    1 option available

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Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery

Meet Mike

Tree-growing skills honed right across the globe

Having started out in Australia, studied in Northern Ireland and volunteered at an organic farm in Sweden, it’s fair to say Mike’s done his fair share of travel on his horticultural journey, so far! Having happily laid down roots here at Roots, Mike is the don behind our tree-growing operation, imparting each and every one of his globally-honed skills to benefit your garden. Grown in our purpose-built nursery, in the ideal climatic conditions of the fertile Vale of Evesham, we’re proud to supply only the happiest, healthiest and hardiest trees.

Need help picking?

Which trees are best for small gardens?

Which trees are best for small gardens?

There are lots of trees well-suited to growing in small gardens, from naturally diminutive species to the stouter dwarf siblings of larger cultivars. Our first suggestion is always a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum). These low-growing, spreading trees often grow to just a couple of metres tall and wide, making them ideal for smaller spaces. Many can be grown in containers, too, making them a viable option for patio gardens. Other options include dwarf (and columnar) cherry blossom trees, patio-trained fruit trees and compact willow varieties (like flamingo and 'Kilmarnock’ weeping).

How do you care for trees for small gardens?

How do you care for trees for small gardens?

Care for small trees grown in the open ground is similar to that of larger specimens; typically, moist but well-drained soil is preferred with nice levels of fertility. Pruning can vary from species to species but many will only need a light trim each year, while an application of general-purpose fertiliser at the start of spring can be beneficial. The differences come for those smaller trees grown in pots. Container-grown plants dry out more quickly than those grown in the open ground and have less readily-available access to nutrients in the way that ground-grown plants do. That means more regular watering (and often a more frequent feeding schedule) is needed for trees grown in pots.

Planting schemes involving trees for small gardens

Planting schemes involving trees for small gardens

Just because you’ve not got much room to deal with doesn’t mean you can’t curate your own garden planting scheme with the odd small tree or two. Using acers, for instance, you can create a Japanese-style dry garden with gravel. If you want to be whisked away to the Tuscan hillsides, then a citrus, fig or olive tree offers just the ticket, helping contribute to a Mediterranean planting scheme. The addition of a pair of laurel trees flanking the doorway can help bolster your space’s elegance and give it a more formal feel. The world, as they say, is your oyster.

Trees for Small Gardens FAQs

What is the best tree to have in a small garden?

That’s a bit like asking a parent who their favourite child is! We can’t pick just one, but any of the following make excellent trees for small gardens:

  • Japanese maple trees
  • Dwarf and weeping cherry blossom trees
  • Patio-trained trees (both fruiting and flowering)
  • Magnolia trees
  • Cornus (dogwood) trees
  • Amelanchier (serviceberry) trees
  • Many crabapple trees
  • Fruit trees grown on dwarfing rootstocks (e.g. apples grafted onto an M27 rootstock)

What are the best small flowering trees?

Some of our favourite small flowering trees include ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’ cherry blossom, ‘Susan’ magnolia and ‘Scarlett’ crabapple. There are so many to choose from, however, so it’s well worth taking a dive through our range!

How do you create height in a small garden?

If you’ve only got a small space, then there are a couple of ways you can add some verticality: plant a climber or plant a tree. For the latter, you want to be looking for something that grows to around the three metre mark; this is large enough to give that sense of height without threatening to loom over and shade out the rest of the space.

Are acers good for small gardens?

Yes, acers are absolutely good for small gardens! Most are both low- and slow-growing, with weeping or spreading habits that are well-suited to smaller spots. Many grow well in large containers, too.

What is the best evergreen tree for a small garden?

There are a few good evergreen options for smaller gardens, including the holly, laurel, olive and strawberry tree – the latter of which produces amazing funky berries!

Happy plants make happy customers

Trustpilot
Ornamental Colour Collection Pond Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Plants arrived in great condition and very promptly. Well established - much better than the ones I got at my local garden centre.

Monica Spence

| 24 May
Star Jasmine | Trachelospermum jasminoides Climbing Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Yet again this company delivered good healthy plants, exactly as shown in photos, well packaged and within delivery time quoted. Recommend!

Jacqueline Burgess

| 2 Jun
five star rating on Trustpilot

I continue to be so impressed with Roots. Their customer care, knowledge of their subject: from planting hedges to pruning roses and more, has been a great support.

Judy Lane

| 23 Oct
E 'Black Hamburgh' Indoor Grape Vine Soft Fruit
five star rating on Trustpilot

The plant arrived looking vigorously healthy, which brings a smile to your face, extremely well protected in its packaging.

Martyn Hill

| 5 Jul
E 'Braeburn Hillwell' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
five star rating on Trustpilot

As a non-gardener, I found my whole experience brilliant. Great information & advice available on the website, great range of products & prices are brilliant.

John-Paul

| 22 May
five star rating on Trustpilot

Wonderful plants and great customer service... really surprised to find that the plants are better than those you would get at your local garden centre.

Gavin Wilcock

| 8 Nov

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