Small Trees

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  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' Rocky Mountain 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 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/chartruese/pink foliage
Acer tataricum ssp. ginnala Amur Maple 15-20' h x 15' w, red samaras in summer & fall color, heat/drought tolerance
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 flwrs, great fall color, birds love berries
Amelanchier laevis 'Spring Flurry' Spring Flurry Serviceberry 28' h x 20' w, good tree form
Betula nigra 'Little King' Fox Valley Dwarf River Birch 10'h x 12'w
Carpinus caroliniana 'Native Flame' American Hornbeam 20-30'h x 20' w, slow growing, tolerant of wet soil
Carpinus japonica Japanese Hop Hornbeam 15-30'h x w, slow growing, hop-like seed pods
Cercis canadensis 'Ace of Hearts' Dwarf Eastern Redbud 9-12' h x 12-15' w
Cercis canadensis (including 'Forest Pansy') Eastern Redbud and Purple Leaved form 20-25' h x 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
Chionanthus r. 'Tokyo Tower' Columnar Chinese Fringe Tree 15-20' h x 10' w, white blooms late spring/blue berries
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 flwrs, 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 flwrs
Cornus x 'Venus' Venus Dogwood (C. nuttallii x C. kousa) 25 h x 20' w, better heat tolerance, huge flwrs
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 flwrs, red berries
Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' Paul's Scarlet Hawthorn 22'h x 20'w, showy magenta blooms spring, red berries
Crataegus l. 'Crimson Cloud' Crimson Cloud Hawthorn 25' h x 18'w, dark pink flwrs, red berries, wavy branches
Crataegus v. 'Winter King' Winter King Thornless Hawthorn 20' h x 25' w, vase shape, thornless
Davidia involucrata Dove/Hankerchief Tree 20-25' h x 15' w, late spring blooms w/unusually large white bracts, rust colored berries
Elaeagnus angustafolia Russian Olive 15-20'h x w, tolerant of heat, drought & range of poor soils
Fagus sylvatica 'Weeping Purple' Purple Weeping Beech 10'h x 15'w 
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. Chase Manhattan' Dwarf Ginkgo 3' h x w, slow growing, perfect for rock garden, gold in fall
Ginkgo b. 'Mariken' Dwarf Ginkgo 2-3'h x 3-6' w, male, gold fall color, natural bonsai
Hamamelis x intermedia Witch Hazel 10-12'h x w, unique winter bloom + fall color 
Heptacodium miconoides 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 
Laburnum x watereri 'Vossii' Vossii Goldenchain Tree 25'h x 20'w, vase shaped, yellow flowers 
Lagerstroemia varieties Crepe Myrtle 12-25'h x w, size is cultivar dependent, summer bloom + fall color 
Maackia amurensis 'Starburst' Starburst 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 flwrs 
Magnolia sieboldii Oyama Magnolia 10-20' h x 15-20' w, stunning ivory flwrs w/red stamens, pendulent reddish seed pods follow
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 
Morus alba 'Chaparral' Chaparral Weeping Fruitless Mulberry 12'h x 16'w, tolerant of harsh conditions 
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' Colunmar Persian Ironwood 15-30'h x 10'w, slow growing, tighter form
Physocarpus opulifolius 'Summerwine', 'Coppertina' Ninebark (Tree-form) 6-10+' h x 6-8' w, dark foliage, spring blooms, exfoliating bark (shown off in standard 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 c. 'Crimson Pointe' Columnar Purple Leaf Plum 20-25'h x 10'w, white spring blooms, marron fruit
Prunus cerasifera 'Krauter Vesuvius' Krauter Vesuvius Purple Leaf Plum 20'h x 15'w
Prunus sargentii 'Columnaris' Columnar Sargent Cherry 35'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
Salix caprea 'Pendula' Weeping Pussy Willow 6-8' h x w
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. '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'hxw for Pink Chimes)
Styrax obassia Fragrant Snowbell 25'h x 20'w, larger leave and flwrs than S. japonicus 
Syringa pekinensis (like 'China Snow' & 'Zhang Zhiming') China Snow & Beijing Gold Chinese Tree Lilac 20'h x w, late spring bloom attracts pollinators, cool bark 
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' & 'Schmidtlow' City Sprite and Wireless Dwarf Zelkova 24'h x 18'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
Eucalyptus spp. (like E. stellulata & E. coccifera) Eucalyptus 15-25'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 
Leptospermum namadgiensis Hardy Tea Tree can be pruned into a tree
Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem' (and others) Little Gem Magnolia  20-25'h x 10-15'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 
Umbellularia californica California Bay Laurel 8-30'h x w, slow native (larger at coast)