Collection: 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?
Need help picking?-
Regular price £55Regular price Sale price £55
'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
Currently out of stock
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Regular price £55Regular price Sale price £55
'Ecolette' Patio Apple Tree
Big flavours from a small tree
- Superb, intense but balanced flavour
- Grow apples in pots on your patio
- We would never have discovered gravity if all apple trees were this size
- High yields of fruit from a small space
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Regular price From £44Regular price Sale price From £44
Stepover Pear Tree
Pear back on size, not quality
- Expertly trained into a low-growing shape
- Includes one of the best old varieties
- Poach in red wine, cinnamon and cloves
- Moreish pears, charming blossoms
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Regular price £33Regular price Sale price £33
Patio Eucalyptus Tree | Eucalyptus gunnii 'Azura'®
Superb gleaming, scented leaves
- Elegant, bushy patio tree
- Small tree - grows up to 1.5m
- Glaucous, silvery foliage with a lovely aroma
- Brilliant for chic flower bouquets
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Regular price £116Regular price Sale price £116
Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki'
The most alluring crimson hues
- Delicately rounded, shrubby tree
- Small tree - grows to 3m
- Deeply-lobed red foliage (starting green)
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
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Regular price £72Regular price Sale price £72
Patio Peach Tree | Prunus persica 'White Peachy'
Showers of snowy white blossoms
- The perfect level of sweetness
- Compact enough for patios and balconies
- Serve fresh with cream and sugar
- Pick from August to September
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Regular price From £88Regular price
£102Sale price From £88Cross-Pollinating Cherry Collection | Kordia, Summer Sun & Sweetheart
The perfect trio for XL harvests
- Some of the finest-flavoured cherries
- Compact trees ideal for borders or pots
- Perfect for eating fresh or cooking
- Harvest throughout July and August
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Regular price £50Regular price Sale price £50
Black Lily Magnolia | Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra'
Abundant showy blooms
- Strong bushy tree
- Small tree - grows up to 3m
- Tulip-like, reddish-purple flowers
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
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Regular price From £33Regular price
£60Sale price From £33Green Weeping Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Dissectum'
Low-growing, high impact
- Bushy, gently weeping tree
- Small tree - grows to 2.5m
- Leaves turn red, orange and yellow in autumn
- Can be grown in containers
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Regular price £56Regular price Sale price £56
'Nana' Patio Pomegranate Tree
Fruiting ruby jewels!
- Sweet with a lovely tangy kick
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
- Rustle up a pomegranate and orange cheesecake
- Harvest from August to November
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Regular price £110Regular price
£140Sale price £110Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Trompenburg'
A Dutch delight
- Glorious shrubby tree
- Small tree - grows to 4m
- Downwards-curving, purple, deciduous foliage
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
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Regular price £55Regular price
£55Sale price £55'Scarlett' Crabapple Tree
Arching boughs, scented blooms
- Delightful spreading tree
- Small tree - grows to 3m
- Fragrant pink blooms, colour-changing foliage
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
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Regular price £55Regular price Sale price £55
'Melred' Red-Flowered Patio Peach Tree
Glorious hot-pink blossoms
- Divine fruits with punchy peach flavour
- Gorgeous pink blossom in spring
- Delicious eaten fresh from the tree
- Harvest your peaches in August
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Regular price £94Regular price Sale price £94
Patio Cherry and Plum Trees | Perfect Partners
Your balcony's new best friends
- Stone fruit grown on the patio!
- Sweet, juicy, and oh-so moreish
- RHS award-winning varieties
- Loved by pollinators
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Regular price From £66Regular price
£70Sale price From £66Patio Apple and Pear Trees | Perfect Partners
Your own patio orchard
- Iconic varieties you can grow in small spaces
- Fruits with unparalleled flavour
- Nice and easy to look after
- Both RHS Award of Garden Merit winners
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Regular price £110Regular price Sale price £110
Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Ueno Yama'
Superb spring and autumn colour
- Upright and bushy tree
- Small tree - grows to 3m
- Foliage in shades of orange, green and yellow
- Looks brilliant alongside other shrubs
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Regular price £61Regular price Sale price £61
Duo Apple Tree | 'Jonagold' & 'Golden Pearmain'
One tree with two apple varieties
- Crisp, sweet and juicy
- Grown on a dwarfing rootstock
- Eating, juicing and scrummy baking
- Pick from September
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Regular price £94Regular price Sale price £94
Japanese Apricot Tree | Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori'
An early springtime showstopper
- Compact, bushy tree
- Small tree - grows up to 2.5m
- Abundant pink, highly fragrant blossoms
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
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Regular price £55Regular price Sale price £55
Patio Bay Tree Gift
A gift of honour and protection
- Easily shaped and topiaried
- Wonderfully aromatic foliage
- For house-proud, first-time buyers
- New home? New pair of decorative trees...
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Regular price £44Regular price Sale price £44
Patio Ginkgo Tree | Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken'
Spectacular autumn hues
- Superb, upright patio tree
- Small tree - grows up to 1.5m (when pruned)
- Fan-shaped leaves, fabulous autumn colour
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
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Regular price £44Regular price Sale price £44
Patio Camellia Tree | Camellia 'Spring Festival'
The finest spring flowers
- Elegant, upright patio tree
- Small tree - grows up to 1.5m (when pruned)
- Dark evergreen foliage, glorious pink blooms
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
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Regular price £83Regular price Sale price £83
Patio Cherry Blossom Tree Gift
A gift of life & renewal
- Incredible blossoms from your doorstep
- Lovely autumn hues
- The choice for spring lovers
- A wonderful wedding present
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Regular price £171Regular price Sale price £171
Variegated Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Beni-schichi-henge'
The variegation sensation
- Elegant, shrub-like tree
- Small tree - grows to 4m
- Variegated cream, pink and green foliage
- Lovely and low maintenance
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Regular price £116Regular price Sale price £116
Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum dissectum 'Emerald Lace'
Plumed perfection
- Gently arching, shrub-like tree
- Small tree - grows to 3m
- Gem-green foliage turns ruby-red in autumn
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
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Regular price £77Regular price Sale price £77
Fan-Trained Plum Tree
A glorious way to use a fence
- Carefully trained into a fan shape
- Includes award-winning varieties
- Bake in a pie or make your own conserve
- Ambrosial plums, amazing flowers
Currently out of stock
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?
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?
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
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
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
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
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
The plant arrived looking vigorously healthy, which brings a smile to your face, extremely well protected in its packaging.
Martyn Hill
| 5 Jul
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
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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