Making the most of limited landscape gardening space can be a challenge . This is particularly true if you live in a townhouse , condo , or urban neighborhood where houses are built on small scads . Depending on the size of the lot , conventionally sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or shrub may be too big for the place . Fortunately , compact version of many commonlygrown trees and shrubs may proffer a viable solvent to the problem .
ABOUT COMPACT WOODY PLANTS
As its name implies , a summary plant ( often concern to as a dwarf ) is one that , when fully mature , is typically inadequate and narrower than the species . Many compact woody plantvarietieshave evolved naturally without human intercession . Many other compact plants have been developed through the movement of plant breeders and horticulturalists and are referred to ascultivars(short for educate mixture ) . Here ’s a tip : Some compact industrial plant include the Book ‘ nana ’ in the name . This is from theLatin ‘ nanus ’ which have in mind dwarf or small .
Using compact woody plants have sense when you consider they :
While thickset woody plants offer many obvious benefit to the homeowner with limited gardening blank space , they are also utile in larger landscape painting context where they may :
A SAMPLING OF COMPACT TREES AND shrub
The compact woody plants describe in the keep abreast paragraphs are just a few example of the many commercially useable alternatives to formal , full - sized plants . Unless indicated otherwise , these plants are aboriginal to the eastern United States , cervid resistant , and suitable for growing in the piedmont area of Virginia . Many of these compact cultivars have been set to be as every bit beneficial ecologically as the square species . For more on woody plant species native to Virginia , check into out thePlant Virginia Nativeswebsite as well asThe Garden Shedarticle entitledComing to a Garden Center Near Youin the April 2022 outlet .
All size of it listed areapproximate . Actual plant life sizes may depart bet on website conditions , climate , and the age of the plant . Many plant life tags number the “ mature ” size of a flora when it reaches 10 years of old age . However , plants may continue to spring up well beyond that pointand may outmatch the size of it stated on the tag . Should that be the case , the plant may need an occasional pruning to moderate it within the space available . Keep this possibility in mind as you visualize how the industrial plant will fit within your landscape painting .
Fothergilla ( F. gardenii ) , also called dwarf Fothergilla , is a deciduous shrub that all-day sucker but is otherwise trouble free . It typically grows 3 ’ tall and wide with white bottlebrush - character flower in leap , attractive bluish - green disease - devoid leaf in summer , and brilliantly imbue later free fall foliage . Do n’t confuse this species withFothergilla major , which is a much larger specie at 6 ’ to 10 ’ tall and 5 ’ to 9 ’ blanket . Examples of compact cultivar include :
Inkberry ( Ilex glabra ) – This is an upright , rounded , multi - caulescent evergreen shrub that often prove thin leafage on the humbled root word . The full size of the species is varying depend on the growing conditions but , in ecumenical , it averages 6 ’ to 10 ’ tall with a blanket spread of 8 ’ to 12 ’ . manly and distaff plants are separate from one another . A male works is required for female plants to raise Charles Edward Berry . The berry are usually black and somewhat invisible . The small cultivars list below have a denser habit than the species and are good substitutes for boxwood in the landscape .
Inkberry ( Ilex glabra)‘Compacta ’ . Photo courtesy of Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finder
Oakleaf Hydrangea ( Hydrangea quercifolia)is a deciduous multi - stemmed , mounding bush that thrives in full Sunday to part shade in dampish dirt . It is noted for its distinctive , boldly textured foliation , showy white flowers , and sensational fall foliage . At 10 years , it can contact an average of 8 ’ grandiloquent and wide . Several considerably smaller cultivar are listed below .
Oakleaf Hydrangea ( Hydrangea quercifolia ) ‘ Munchkin ’ . Photo : Pat Chadwick
Redbud ( Cercis canadensis)is a minuscule tree by nature , exceed out at of 20 ’ to 30 ’ with a spread of 25 ’ to 35 ’ . Smaller , nanus cultivars , including some weeping variety , of this pop leap - blooming deciduous tree let in :
Redbud ( Cercis canadensis)‘Ace of spunk ’ . Photo : courtesy of Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finder
Redcedar ( Juniperus virginiana)is moot by many to be a “ weed ” tree diagram because it can quickly populate vacant property . However , it can be very attractive in the veracious setting . It grows 40 ’ to 60 ’ high on average and up to 20 ’ astray . It is dioecious , meaning there are separate manlike and female plant life . The females bring out modest bluish berry - like cones . Two smaller , more compact assortment are :
Redcedar ( Juniperus virginiana ) ‘ Taylor ’ . Photo : Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finder
Red Chokeberry ( Aronia arbutifolia)and its smaller but less showy relativeBlack Chokeberry ( Aronia melanocarpa)are deciduous shrub that are valued in the sunny border for their high wildlife time value , showy spring blossoms , colorful berry displays , and splendid red fall leaf . seed deviate on their cervid resistance , but the Rutgers University’sLandscape plant Rated by Deer ResistanceratesA. arbutifoliaas “ seldom severely damaged . ” WhileAroniagrows an norm of 6 ’ to 10 ’ tall and extensive , minuscule cultivars include :
Red Chokeberry ( Aronia arbutifolia ) ‘ Brilliantissima ’ . exposure : Pat Chadwick
Red Twig Dogwood ( Cornus sericea)is a deciduous , fruticulose shape of dogwood with colourful stems that make a huge impact in the winter landscape . The respectable stem color appears on fresh growth , which turns burnished red ( or yellow depending on the cultivar ) . A sizeable shrub , the mintage can grow 8 ’ to 10 ’ tall with a spread of 10 ’ or more . In compare , a number of compact cultivars are less than half that size , include :
Red Twig Dogwood ( Cornus sericea)‘Arctic Fire ’ . Photo : good manners of Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finder
River Birch ( Betula nigra)is a deciduous tree that grow 40 ’ to 70 ’ mellow and 40 ’ to 60 ’ wide . It is “ perhaps the most heating resistant of all North American birch tree specie , ” allot toDirr ’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs . In his bookBringing Nature Home , source Douglas Tallamy states that birches provide food for a variety of wildlife , include several hundred species of moths and butterflies , songbirds , and little mammalian . Compact varieties include :
Southern magnolia ( Magnolia grandiflora)can arise 60 ’ to 80 ’ tall and 30 ’ to 50 ’ wide , which is much too large for a small yard . Several pocket-size version of this evergreen species include :
Sweet Pepperbush or Summersweet ( Clethra alnifolia)grows 4 ’ to 8 ’ improbable and slow spreads by suckering ( send out new shoots from the origin ) . The flush of this deciduous bush bloom livid in mid- to late summertime , but several cultivars bloom in nicety of garden pink . The flowers are fragrant and pull in butterflies and bee . This miserable - maintenance plant prefers part tone and consistently dampish stain . The calendered deep green leafage is disease - free and very attractive , which pee-pee this a good excerpt for foundation planting . The Virginia Native Plant Society honour this merit shrub as Wildflower of the year in 2015 . Several small cultivar include :
Virginia Sweetspire ( Itea Virginica)is a deciduous shrub that grows 6 ’ to 10 ’ tall and 4 ’ to 6 ’ wide or wide-eyed . It is take account for its abundant video display of white bottlebrush bloom in spring and blood-red and purplish downslope coloring . It mature well in sunlight or shade . While it prefer moist grime , where it will go around by suckering , it adapts to dry soil once it is shew .
Ilex decidua ( Ilex verticillata)is a “ must have ” deciduous bush for the winter garden – but only if there ’s enough room for two of them . Winterberry is dioicous , meaning that male and female blossoms occur on separate plants . To produce berries , a distaff bearberry must have a male pollinator place within about 40 ’ to 50 ’ . The prominent berry video display lingers until late winter when the robins give and down them . For comparison purposes , ‘ Winter Red ’ , a wide planted variety , grows 9 ’ tall and 8 ’ wide , whereas the gnome cultivars listed below grow less than roughly half that size .
Winterberry ( Ilex verticillata ) ‘ fiddling Goblin ’ . Photo : Pat Chadwick
SUMMARY
Compact woody plants fill up a need in diminished landscapes that ca n’t accommodate full - sizing trees and shrubs . Even in large landscapes , these smaller selections may aesthetically do well in sure landscape painting applications than their full - sized counterparts . The compact tree and bush distinguish in this clause are just a sampling of the many , many small varieties available for smaller landscape . Because shrubs and Tree are major tenacious - term investments , it is wise to explore industrial plant choices thoroughly before entrust to them to check that they are right for your landscape painting needs both now and in the future .
SOURCES :
Dirr ’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs , Dirr , Michael A. , 1997
Essential Native Trees and Shrubs for the Eastern United States , Dove , Tony and Woolridge , Ginger , 2018
Gardener ’s Guide to Compact Plants , Walliser , Jessica , 2019 .
manual of arms of Woody Landscape Plants , Dirr , Michael A. , 2009
“ Eastern Redcedar , ” University of Maryland Cooperative ExtensionFactsheet
“ Fothergilla , ” North Carolina State UniversityDwarf Fothergilla Factsheet
“ Ilex verticillata”Common Winterberry , University of Connecticut College of Agriculture , Health and Natural Resources
landscape with Dwarf Conifers , American Conifer Society , Conifer Size Categories
“ Magnolia , ” Clemson Cooperative Extension FactsheetHGIC 1015
Oakleaf Hydrangea(Hydrangea Quercifolia – Smaller Selections ) , University of Kentucky College of Agriculture , Food and Environment
“ Redbud , ” Clemson Cooperative Extension FactsheetHGIC 1021
Rutgers University List ofLandscape plant life Rated by Deer Resistance
Selecting Landscape plant : conifer , Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication426 - 605
“ Summersweet Clethra , ” Clemson Cooperative Extension FactsheetHGIC 1090
“ The Evaluation and Introduction of a UniqueDwarf River Birch , ” Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Evaluation preeminence
essay and TrueNative Plant Selectionsfor the Mid - Atlantic , Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia website .
“ Virginia Sweetspire , ” Clemson Cooperative Extension FactsheetHGIC 1080
“ Winterberry , ” Clemson Cooperative Extension FactsheetHGIC 1871
