Small Trees
For the Rogue Valley
Trees suited for smaller garden spaces and urban environments
Our list below features small trees that are suited to thrive in our region of Southern Oregon. A small tree in a small garden can add height and make the space appear larger than it is. Have questions on how to best incorporate them into your landscape? Contact us for a landscape design consult!
Small trees list
DECIDUOUS | ||
Botanical Name | Common Name | Size & Comments |
---|---|---|
Acer buergeranum | Trident Maple | 15-20′ h x w |
Acer circinatum | Vine Maple | 12-15′ h x 10′ w, native, prefers pm shade |
Acer glabrum | Rocky Mountain Maple | 20-25′ h x 15′ w |
Acer grandidentatum ‘Schmidt’, ‘Mesa Glow’ | ‘Rocky Mountain Glow’, ‘Mesa Glow’ Big Tooth Maple | 20-25′ h x 15′ w, heat/drought tolerant |
Acer griseum | Paperbark Maple | 25′ h x 20′ w, amazing bark and fall color |
Acer griseum x A. maximowiczianum ‘Molly Fordham’ | Cinnamon Girl Paperbark Maple | 25′ h x 20′ w, vigorous and heat tolerant |
Acer japonicum | Full Moon Maple | 20′ h x 25′ w |
Acer palmatum | Japanese Maple | 15-25′ h x w (variable)- many cultivars |
Acer shirasawanum ‘Autumn Moon’ | Autumn Moon Fullmoon Maple | 8-15′ h x w – golden/chartreuse/pink foliage |
Acer tataricum ssp. ginnala | Amur Maple | 15-20′ h x 15′ w, red samaras in summer & fall color, heat/drought tolerance |
Acer tataricum ‘GarAnn’ | Hot Wings Tataricum Maple | 15-18′ h x w, same features as above |
Albizia julibrissin ‘EH Wilson’ | Mimosa or Silk Tree | 20-35′ h x w, extra hardy form |
Amelanchier grandiflora (like ‘Autumn Brilliance’ & ‘Princess Diana’) | Serviceberry | 15-20′ h x 15′ w, early white , great fall color, birds love berries |
Amelanchier laevis ‘Spring Flurry’ | Spring Flurry Serviceberry | 28′ h x 20′ w, good tree form |
Carpinus betulus ‘Columnaris Nana’ | Dwarf Columnar Hornbeam | 6-8′ h x 3-4′ w (after 10 years), bright yellow in fall |
Carpinus caroliniana ‘Native Flame’ | American Hornbeam | 20-30′ h x 20′ w, slow growing, tolerant of wet soil |
Cercidiphyllum ‘Red Fox’ | Red Fox Katsura | 20′ h x 15′ w, leaves emerge purple in the spring, turn blue/green in winter, and turn yellow in fall |
Cercis canadensis ‘Ace of Hearts’ | Dwarf Eastern Redbud | 9-12′ h x 12-15′ w |
Cercis canadensis (like ‘Rising Sun’, ‘Vanilla Twist’, ‘Ruby Falls’) | Eastern Redbud and Purple Leaved form | 6-12′ h x 5-8′ w |
Cercis can. ssp. texensis (like ‘Alba’, ‘Merlot’ & ‘Oklahoma’) | Texas Redbud | 20′ h x 25′ w, ‘Merlot’ is 18’h x 20′ w, better species for our climate |
Cercis occidentalis | Western Redbud | 15′ h x 10′ w, heat/drought tolerant large shrub |
Chilopsis linearis (like ‘Bubba’ and ‘Burgundy’) | Desert Willow | 15-20′ h x w, super heat/drought/deer resistance, showy blooms all summer |
Chionanthus retusus | Chinese Fringe Tree | 15-20 h x 20-25′ w, late spring bloom, peeling bark |
Chitalpa tashkentensis ‘Pink Dawn’, ‘Morning Cloud’ | Chitalpa | 15-20′ h x w, heat/drought tolerant, blooms all summer |
Cornus florida | Flowering Eastern Dogwood | 15-25′ h x w, depends on the cultivar |
Cornus kousa | Chinese Kousa Dogwood | 15-25′ h x w, depends on the cultivar, more heat tolerant/disease resistant |
Cornus mas | Cornelian Cherry | 18-20′ h x 22′ w, very early yellow flowers, red fruits in fall/winter |
Cornus x ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ | Eddie’s White Wonder Dogwood (C. nuttallii x C. florida) | 25′ h x 20′ w, better heat tolerance, huge flowers |
Cornus x ‘Venus’ | Venus Dogwood (C. nuttallii x C. kousa) | 25′ h x 20′ w, better heat tolerance, huge flowers |
Corylus Cornuta | Beaked Hazelnut | 6-20′ h x 6-10′ w |
Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ | Royal Purple Smoketree | 12-15′ h x w, can be pruned into a single/multi tree |
Cotinus coggygria x obovatus ‘Grace’ | Grace Smoketree | 12-15′ h x w |
Crataegus crus-galli v. inermis ‘Cruzam’ | Crusader Thornless Hawthorn | 15-20′ h x w, broadly rounded, white flowers, red berries |
Crataegus douglasii | Douglas Hawthorn | 6-30′ h x w, shrub or tree, edible fruits |
Crataegus l. ‘Crimson Cloud’ | Crimson Cloud Hawthorn | 25′ h x 18′ w, dark pink flowers, red berries, wavy branches |
Crataegus phaenopyrum | Washington Hawthorn | 30′ h x w, white flowers, red fruit over winter, red and orange fall color |
Fraxinus excelsior ‘Aureafolia’ | Golden Desert European Ash | 20′ h x 18′ w, yellow stems/bark, gold foliage spring/fall |
Ginkgo b. ‘Mariken’ | Dwarf Ginkgo | 2-3′ h x 3-6′ w, male, gold fall color, natural bonsai |
Ginkgo b. ‘Jade Butterflies’ | Dwarf Ginkgo | 12-15′ h x 10′ w, slow growing, bright green leaves, gold in fall |
Ginkgo b. ‘Goldspire’ | Dwarf Columnar Ginkgo | 14-16′ h x 5-6′ w, pyramidal form, tough |
Hamamelis x intermedia | Witch Hazel | 10-12′ h x w, unique winter bloom + fall color |
Heptacodium miconoides & ‘Temple of Bloom’ | Seven-Son Flower | 15′ h x w, late summer bloom, peeling bark, best with pm shade |
Hibiscus syriacus | Rose of Sharon | 8-12′ h x 6-10′ w, can be pruned into a tree, summer bloom |
Koelreuteria paniculata | Goldenrain Tree | 25-30′ h x w, yellow summer bloom |
Lagerstroemia varieties | Crepe Myrtle | 12-25′ h x w, size is cultivar dependent, summer bloom + fall color |
Maackia amurensis | Amur Maackia | 25′ h x 20′ w, vase shaped, early summer bloom, nitrogen fixer |
Magnolia acuminata ‘Yellow Bird’ | Yellow Bird Magnolia | 25-40′ h x 20-25′ w |
Magnolia x (like ‘Genie’ and ‘Susan’) | Hybrid Deciduous Magnolia | 10′ h x 6-10′ w, size is dependent on cultivar |
Magnolia loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ | Leonard Messel Magnolia | 20′ h x w, pink flowers |
Magnolia sieboldii | Oyama Magnolia | 10-20′ h x 15-20′ w, stunning ivory flowers w/red stamens, pendulant reddish seed pods follow |
Magnolia soulangeana | Saucer Magnolia | 10-20′ h x w, saucer-shaped flowers have gradient from white to dark pink |
Magnolia stellata (many varieties) | Star Magnolia | 15′ h x 10′ w, shrubby habit |
Malus spp. (and varieties….so many) | Crab Apple | 10-25′ h x w, size is cultivar dependent, spring bloom, fall berries |
Nyssa sylvatica | Black Tupelo, Sour Gum | 30-35′ h x 20′ w but SLOW, tolerant of poor drainage, RED fall color |
Oxydendrum arboreum | Sourwood | 20-30′ h x 15′ w, late summer bloom, red fall color |
Parrotia persica | Persian Ironwood | 25-30′ h x 20′ w, rainbow fall color |
Parrotia p. ‘Vanessa’, ‘Ruby Vase’, ‘Persian Spire’ | Columnar Persian Ironwood | 15-30′ h x 10′ w, slow growing, tighter form |
Pistacia chinensis (including ‘Keith Davey’ male strain) | Chinese Pistache | 30′ h x w, heat/drought tolerant, good fall color |
Populus tremuloides | Quaking Aspen | 30′ h x 15′ w |
Prunus cerasifera ‘Purple Pony’ | Dwarf Purple Leaf Plum | 12-15′ h x w, NO fruit! |
Prunus cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’ | Krauter Vesuvius Purple Leaf Plum | 20′ h x 15′ w |
Prunus serrulata (like ‘Kwanzan’ & ‘Royal Burgundy’) | Flowering Cherry | 20-30′ h x 15-25′ w depending on variety |
Prunus x ‘Snofozam’ | Snow Fountains Weeping Cherry | 12′ h x w |
Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula Plena Rosea’ | Double Weeping Cherry | 25′ h x w, can be pruned to stay smaller |
Prunus virginiana (including ‘Canada Red’) | Chokecherry (and Red-Leaf Chokecherry) | 25′ h x 20′ w, foliage emerges green and matures to burgundy |
Prunus x yedoensis ‘Akebono’ | Akebono Cherry | 25′ h x w |
Punica granatum | Pomegranate | 10-15′ h x w, can be pruned into a tree |
Pyrus c. ‘Jaczam’ | Jack Dwarf Flowering Pear | 16′ h x 10′ w |
Rhamnus f. ‘Asplenifolia’ (tree form) | Fernleaf Alder Buckthorn | 10-15′ h x 6-10′ w, ferny foliage turns gold in fall + berries |
Rhamnus purshiana | Cascara | 15-30′ h 6-10′ w, highly adaptable, birds love berries |
Sorbus aucuparia | European Mountain Ash | 35′ h x 20′ w, abundant red-orange fruit in fall |
Stewartia pseudocamellia | Japanese Stewartia | 25-30′ h x 15-20′ w, needs pm shade |
Styrax j. ‘Evening Light’ | Evening Light Snowbell | 15′ h x 10′ w, fragrant late spring blooms |
Styrax j. ‘Fragrant Fountain’ | Weeping Japanese Snowbell | 6-10′ h x 5-8′ w, fragrant late spring bloom, gold in fall |
Styrax japonicus (including ‘Pink Chimes’) | Japanese Snowbell | 23-30′ h x w (15′ h x w for Pink Chimes) |
Styrax obassia | Fragrant Snowbell | 25′ h x 20′ w, larger leave and flowers than S. japonicus |
Syringa reticulata ‘Ivory Silk’ | Ivory Silk Tree Lilacs | 20′ h x 15′ w |
Vitex agnus castus | Chaste Tree | 12-15′ h x w shrub, up to 20′ for tree, reliably deer resistant |
Ulmus propinqua ‘JFS-Bieberich’ | Emerald Sunshine Elm | 35′ h x 25′ w, vase shaped, beetle/disease resistant |
Zelkova serrata ‘City Sprite’, ‘Zileration’ & ‘Schmidtlow’ | City Sprite, Zileration and Wireless Dwarf Zelkova | 224′ h x 18′ w / 24′ h x 25′ w / 24′ h x 36′ w respectively |
BROADLEAF EVERGREENS | ||
Arbutus unedo | Strawberry Tree | 10-15′ h x w (6-8′ for ‘Compacta’) |
Arctostaphylos spp. (like ‘Austin Griffiths, ‘Lester Rowntree’ and ‘Dr. Hurd’) | Manzanita | 8-12+’ h x w, depends on cultivar |
Camellia japonica | Japanese Camellia | with patience can be pruned into a tree |
Chamaerops humilis | Mediterranean Fan Palm | 10-15′ h x 10-15′ w |
Fremontodendron californicum | California Flannel Bush | 15’h x w, super droughty/deer resistant, large yellow blooms |
Laurus nobilis | Bay Laurel | 12-30′ h x 10-15′ w, classic cooking herb |
Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’ (and others) | Little Gem Magnolia | 20-25′ h x 10-15′ w |
Michelia yunnanensis x ‘Fairy Cream’ | Fairy Cream Magnolia | 6-12′ h x 4-7′ w |
Olea europea ‘Arbequina’ | Arbequina Olive | 10-15′ h x w, hardiest for our area, self-fertile |
Osmarea x burkwoodii (aka Osmanthus) | False Holly | 6-8′ h x w, can be pruned into a tree |
Quercus chrysolepis/wislizenii | Canyon/Interior Live Oak | 15-45+’ h x w, slow growing native |
Quercus suber | Cork Oak | 40-70′ h x w but SLOWLY |
Trachycarpus fortunei | Chinese Windmill Palm | 8-25′ h x 4-6′ w |
Umbellularia californica | California Bay Laurel | 8-30′ h x w, slow native (larger at coast) |

Want more help?
If you’d like more help with plant, shrub and/or tree selection or assistance with your landscape design, get details on our Design & Consult page about what types of services we provide.

Acer circinatum

Acer circinatum fall color

Amelanchier ‘Autumn Brilliance’ flower

Amelanchier ‘Autumn Brilliance’ fall color

Cercis occidentalis (Western Redbud)

Chitalpa tree blooms

Chilopsis linearis ‘Burgundy’

Cornus x ‘Venus’

Cornus florida rubra

Cornus kousa ‘Galilean’

Cotinus ‘Grace’ (Smokebush)

Heptacodium

Arbutus unedo flower and fruit

Eucalyptus coccifera
Looking for a specific plant, shrub or tree?
Our availability list is updated frequently so you can see at a glance what we have in stock at the nursery as well as the pot sizes. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, contact us.