If you live in New Jersey and want to plant trees but don’t have much land, we have you covered. In this article, we will discuss 8 trees that can fit in any yard. The following is a list of the 8 best trees for small spaces in New Jersey.
#1. Japanese Maple
Few plants are more beautiful than a Japanese maple in its full fall regalia. Try it as a specimen in a partly shaded spot or use it as a focal point in a mixed border. They vary in form including weeping, rounded, dwarf, mounding, upright, or cascading. The Japanese Maple can grow from 6 to 25 feet tall and wide and prefers dappled or afternoon shade.
- Interesting Note: In Osaka, Japan, fried maple leaves are a very popular snack and have been for at least a thousand years. The maple leaves are stored in barrels of salt for one year; they are dipped in tempura batter and fried.
#2. Hazel Alder
The Hazel Alder is a perennial that tolerates very wet soils and will grow in full sun/partial shade. Functions as a stabilizer/restorer to habitats along riverbanks or in swampy areas.
- Interesting Note: The Hazel Alder, or Smooth Alder as it is often called, is a multi-trunk tree with dense branches. It produces pretty flowers in the spring and is a multi-stemmed, thicket-forming, large deciduous shrub or small tree that typically grows to 8-15′ tall.
#3. Silver Bell
Also known as Silverbell or Snowdrop, the Carolina Silverbell is a good small tree or shrub for woodland borders. It may have a rounded, pyramidal or vase-shaped habit. Plant a Silver Bell tree where you will be able to appreciate its foliage throughout the year; it bears bright yellow leaves in the fall and silvery, bell-shaped blossoms that appear in April. This tree prefers full sun to part shade. Soil should be in the acidic range.
- Interesting Note: Bees favor this tree so you can plant it to help attract them to your yard. Choose a location where you will be able to stand under the tree or otherwise look upward to it, as this is the best way to see the flowers.
#4. Flowering Dogwood
For an exceptionally colorful look, plant a variety of colors: white, pink or red flowers. This beautiful little tree blooms during the spring and produces a second colorful showing with its yellow, red and maroon leaves in the fall.
In the wild, the flowering dogwood is an understory tree and an excellent shade tree. Its lower branches have a horizontal branching pattern, lending interest to any landscape design. This flowering dogwood grows to a height of 20 to 25 feet and spreads 12 to 15 feet.
- Interesting Note: The glossy red berries of the dogwood attracts a variety of songbirds and other wildlife throughout the year.
#5. Venus Dogwood
This tree has it all! A hybrid of the Pacific Dogwood and the Korean Dogwood, the Venus Dogwood is disease resistant and doesn’t require any pruning. It produces beautiful 6″ wide spring flowers, with red berries in the spring and red fall color. It grows 15 to 20 feet tall and wide.
- Interesting Note: Songbirds love the berries, making it a must-have in a wildlife or bird garden.
#6. Seven-Son Flower
The Seven-Son Flower is a shrub-like plant that belongs to the honeysuckle family. It grows multiple stems with long branches. Each panicle (a flower cluster that grows at the end of a shoot) has a cluster of seven buds.
In early August, the Seven-Son produces a heavy showing of white flowers that last for six weeks. In late August, the flowers fade and within a few weeks, five reddish-purple/rose-colored calyx surround the seed capsules. These are even more vibrant than the flowers and persist for many weeks.
The calyx display gives rise to the common name “autumn lilac.” These winter show offs are the peeling tan bark of the trunks. Grows 6-10′ tall and wide.
- Interesting note: Clusters of white flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds, making for a great show of color.
#7. American Holly
The American Holly tree’s leaves retain their vibrant color throughout the year, making this one of the best trees for small spaces. Its bright red berries will add a splash of color to your landscape, especially in the winter when it snows. Although they can grow to 50′ tall, they can be pruned into an individual tree or can be shaped into a hedge or wall.
- Interesting Note: Nothing brightens up holiday decor more than fresh-cut greenery with berries added!
#8. ‘Little Volunteer’ Tulip Tree
‘Little Volunteer’ Tulip Trees offer the same majestic beauty of the full-sized 70′ Tulip Poplar in a size that fits most modern gardens. This tree is stunning with its gold fall colors and seeded cup-like fruits. As a medium-fast grower, the ‘Little Volunteer’ Tulip Tree reaches a size of 12′ tall by 6′ wide in just 4 years. The strong pyramidal shape looks elegant in the winter.
- Interesting Note: According to fastestgrowingtrees.com, Little Volunteer’s “leaves look like silhouettes of violins and are very handsome close up. Its deep green leaves change to a soft, butter yellow in the fall. As the leaves begin to fall during the autumn months, you’ll appreciate your Little Volunteer tulip poplar because raking is never as much work when you’re cleaning up after a miniature tree!”
You don’t have to be a tree-hugger to appreciate the benefits trees provide. And you don’t have to have acres of property to enjoy them.
Trees play a vital role in air purification, noise reduction, erosion control, landscape aesthetics, and property value. The astounding variety of tree species, with their own unique size, foliage, and colors can become an amazing focal point and source of privacy from unwanted sounds or views.
- Trees provide roughly 28% of the Earth’s oxygen
- Trees provide shade
- Trees act as wind blocks
- Trees provide privacy
- Trees provide protection for animals
Keeping your trees trimmed and healthy is important to them living a long life. For more information contact Trees Unlimited, for excellent tree care services.
Trees Unlimited believes it is every person’s inherent responsibility to protect and care for the beautiful trees we have. Our goal is to leave these trees as a legacy for future generations to enjoy and benefit from.
Our team of professional arborists have been providing top-notch tree services to the Northern New Jersey area since 2005 – we will treat your trees and property with the utmost respect and care.
