We cannot neglect that big cities are the most stressful environments on earth for human. However, there are so many people, which mean it can be you too, live in big cities. This is when stress reliefs come into the act.
There are so many ways to avoid stress that we can do, including blending with the nature. This is the problem here; big cities usually don’t provide much green spaces for us to blend ourselves with the nature. But we can still make it.
Planting trees in our yards by ourselves is a good way to blend with the nature. In addition, it can provide us constant source of ‘nature’. But do you think that you have too small space to plant trees? Here in this article we will list you perfect trees to plant in your small urban yards, based on an article in ThoughtCo.
Crabapples
In this list, we are going to give you 10 trees that doesn’t grow too big, even though it is going to be planted in your small yard for decades. And talking about small trees that will suit your small yards, crabapple is number one in our list.
Growing best in sunny locations, crabapples don’t really have any soil preferences. It means it can grow pretty well as long as you put it in direct sunlight. Reaching 20 feet tall at most, crabapple appears best at fall.
Flowering Dogwood
Although usually this tree can grow up to 30 feet tall, but you can shape it into a small tree with the same beauty. The color of its flowers is yellow, but the color of the bracts varies starting from white, pink, or red.
In fall, this tree will turn into red to maroon, giving you the melancholy autumn feelings when you see it from your porch. Not only that, the tree can also grow fruits which is adored by many birds, additionally gives you the sense of a fairytale.
Amur Mapple
The tree is similar to other maple trees, with the initial shape of leaf. Planting this tree in your small yard will not only give you proportional shade in summer, but also beauty to stare at during fall. Yes, the leaves will also turn into melancholic reddish at fall.
The usual height of this tree is about 18 feet tall, but it can also be grown as a small tree in your small yard. However, this tree has invasive traits which allows it to spread aggressively. So, be careful if you want to grow this little beauty in your neighborhood.
Golden Raintree
If you live in dry area and have a plan to put on a small tree in your small yard, you might want to consider golden raintree. Golden raintree has high tolerance for dryness, although it doesn’t provide excellent shade due to its open growth.
In the early summer, it will cast beautiful yellow flowers. While in fall, it will grow small hanging capsules. Another bargaining point for planting this tree is that it doesn’t have specific soil requirement and is rarely attacked by pests.
Hedge Maple
Similar to Amur Maple, this kind of maple can also be trained to grow small. You don’t need to worry much about the growth of this tree, though. Because hedge maple grows very slowly to reach up to 30 feet maximum height.
In addition to its size, the branches of this tree is slender, providing more ‘bushy’ appearance to the tree. In fall, the leaves will turn into goldish yellow, which will give your yard a brilliant appearance when planted together with red-leaved trees.
Allegheny Serviceberry
If you are looking for understory tree, or a tree that grows beneath the canopy, Allegheny serviceberry is the perfect tree. Although it is short-lived, it has rapid growth rate with the ability to grow only up to 20 feet tall.
This tree can give you various color play, starting from white flowers in spring, purplish berry in summer, and yellow-to-red leaves when fall comes. Due to its small size, you don’t have to worry about planting it below power lines too.
Ironwood
Also known as American Hornbeam, this tree is a slow grower with only 30 tall maximum heights. It can grow well in both shady places and under full sun, making this tree is preferable to plant in small yards in dense big cities.
The leaves emerge in spring as reddish-purple and turn green later on. During fall, it will give you faintly orange and yellow colored leaves, and brown leaves usually hang on to the tree during winter. Pretty much a kaleidoscope of colors.
Southern Hawthorn
Hawthorns are thorny, which may make you wonder why should you put this plant in your yard. Well, for southern hawthorn, the thorns are small and inconspicuous, making this tree is pretty safe to plant in your small yard, after all.
The leaves turn into bronze or reddish during the fall before dropping into the ground. It also grows beautiful white flowers which then followed by reddish fruit. What’s interesting about this tree is, the fruits usually hang on naked tree during winter.
Saucer Magnolia
If you live in sunny locations, you can also consider planting saucer magnolia for your small yard. This tree uniquely grows shorter in sunny areas, while in shady places it can reach up to 75 feet tall, especially in its native forest habitat.
This tree is famous of its saucer-shaped fragrant flowers that grows all over the tree during spring. Saucer magnolia is a fast grower, with high pollution tolerance. It suits big city conditions where pollutions are hampering the growth of trees.
Eastern Redbud
Last but not least, the perfect tree to grow in your small urban yard is Eastern Redbud. This tree is famous of its purple or pink flowers that bloom all over the tree around April, just before the leaves emerge.
The leaf of this tree itself is interesting. Emerging with purple to red color at early stage in spring, it turns into purple/green during summer and slowly turns into yellow approaching fall. Overall, this tree will always steal the show in your small yard, no matter what the season is.
Those are 10 trees you might want to consider if you want to make yourself feel ‘closer’ to the nature. Those trees don’t grow too tall and basically suitable with big cities’ air pollution and soil condition, yet provide constant beauty every year round.
So, which one do you prefer?
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