Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gardening

The 5 best patio trees to adorn your outdoor space

Cayla Leonard
By

Trees make great additions to yards and gardens. They can be a source of shade, fruit, and fun, depending on the tree. Unfortunately, not every living space has room for a magnificent, towering oak tree, but doesn’t mean you have to give up on having trees altogether! There are some really excellent trees that are suited for smaller spaces.

Crepe myrtle

Crepe myrtles — or crape myrtles, depending on where you live — are wonderful trees for patios or small gardens. They stay relatively small, with full-sized varieties growing to between 10 and 20 feet. They are available in dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties as well, making them extremely versatile. Crepe myrtles take very little care and offer lovely masses of pink or red flowers in spring.

Recommended Videos

Crepe myrtles are sun-loving trees that prefer well-draining soil, as they can develop root rot if planted in soil that retains too much water. Otherwise, crepe myrtles require no special care. They aren’t picky about soil pH or quality and don’t need any fertilizer under most circumstances. Pruning a crepe myrtle is rarely necessary except in the case of damage after storms or the occasional light thinning.

Related
A crepe myrtle in full bloom with pink flowers.
Noel V. Baebler/Shutterstock

Kumquat tree

Kumquats are delicious little citrus fruits that resemble a cross between cherry tomatoes and oranges. The trees they grow on are equally small; they grow to only about 8 to 15 feet. They do require a little more care than some trees, but their small size makes them great candidates for a container garden. When grown in a container, they rarely reach their full height.

Kumquats, like most citrus fruits, prefer full sun. However, they are more cold-tolerant than most other citrus trees. They grow best in sandy soils and need regular fertilization, especially if you are intending to harvest the fruits of your labor.

Three small kumquat trees with fruit, in small, square, white pots
Victoria Kurylo/Shutterstock

Blue spruce

Blue spruce trees can grow to be enormous, so you may wonder what they’re doing on a list of patio trees. Surprisingly, blue spruce trees actually make lovely container trees. They’re relatively slow growing, and the dwarf varieties stay much smaller than the full-sized spruces, only growing to 12 feet tall.

Many trees find it more difficult to tolerate cold temperatures when grown in containers since their roots have less protection. For those who live farther north and want a container tree, dwarf blue spruce is a great option. Place your spruce in full sun, and make sure your potting soil is rich and loamy, and your blue spruce will do just fine.

A woman holding a small bay tree in a plastic pot
Pixel Shot/Shutterstock

Sweet bay tree

Sweet bay trees stay small when grown in containers and don’t stand out much in terms of appearance. Pick a few leaves, though, and you’ll soon find a fragrant and flavorful addition to any pasta, soup, or meat. Bay leaves are typically used dry, not fresh, but having your own tree to harvest from means you can have bay leaves for your kitchen whenever you’d like.

Sweet bay, or bay laurel, trees enjoy sunny, warm climates. They are notably drought tolerant and only need occasional watering. These trees can be kept outdoors on a sunny patio for most of the year, but they don’t do well in the cold or in high wind.

Virginia fringe tree with white flowers, standing in a field
Kit Leong/Shutterstock

Virginia fringe tree

Virginia fringe trees get their name from the interesting, feathery flowers they grow — and they certainly grow a lot of them! If you’re looking for a tree to serve as a conversation starter or centerpiece, the fringe tree is the tree for you. This tree is also a good choice for those looking to attract birds, as the tree produces bluish-purple berries that birds love.

Fringe trees enjoy the sun but can tolerate partial shade, as well. The sunnier the planting location, though, the more flowers you’ll see. These trees aren’t particularly drought tolerant but should be able to subsist on rain alone in mild climates.

Whether you’re looking for a small tree to plant next to your patio or an even smaller one to grow in a container, these five trees are a great place to start looking. No matter what your climate or space availability, there’s a tree out there that suits your needs. Look for slow growing trees, trees that naturally stay small, or dwarf varieties of larger trees and go from there! Each region is different, so don’t hesitate to reach out to a local nursery for advice on which trees thrive in your area.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Cayla Leonard
Cayla Leonard
Contributor
Cayla Leonard is a writer from North Carolina who is passionate about plants.  She enjoys reading and writing fiction and…
The 6 best zone 6 fruit trees you can grow for a delicious harvest
Plant these fruit trees if you live in zone 6
PIcking an apple from an apple tree

Zone 6 is a beautiful ribbon of climates running through the continental United States, and it happens to be one of the zones where the widest variety of plants can grow, meaning you have plenty of zone 6 fruit trees to choose from! This zone's warm summers and relatively mild winters make the perfect mix for many fruit trees, bringing beauty and delicious fruit to any backyard or homestead. If you're looking for the best fruit trees to add to your zone 6 garden, then you're in the right place! Here are our top 6 fruit trees that will thrive in your garden.

1. Apple trees
As with many plant species, there are numerous varieties of apples. Not all of these can be grown successfully in zone 6. However, several popular favorites grow and thrive in this climate. Among these are varieties like gala, red halareds, liberty and red McIntosh, dwarf Honeycrisp, and Lodi apples.

Read more
Make sure your hydrangeas have the best blooms by pruning them properly
The right way to prune hydrangeas for better blooms
Purple and blue hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are beautiful and interesting flowers. They change color based on the pH of the soil, making them a unique and fascinating addition to most gardens. They’re easy to grow and propagate, make wonderful cut flowers, and can even be grown in containers. If you want to add them to your garden, then you'll need to know how to prune hydrangeas. Although cutting a plant can be intimidating, it's surprisingly simple once you know what to do. This simple guide will help you get started.

When to prune hydrangeas
You may have heard some conflicting information on when you should be pruning your hydrangeas. Some say it should be done in spring or in winter, while others say it’s best to prune them in late summer. So which is it? The truth is that it depends on what kind of hydrangea you have. Some hydrangea varieties bloom on new growth, which are branches that grew in that year. Other varieties bloom on old growth, or branches that grew the year before.

Read more
If your yard gets a lot of afternoon light, these are the afternoon sun plants for you
How to choose and grow afternoon sun plants that will thrive
Sunlit garden path and flowers

There are many challenges regarding the sun when it comes to gardening. There's too much, then there's too little. For example, some fruit trees thrive in shady backyards — except most trees do require full sunlight. This is why pruning is necessary. And then there are those conditions where too much sun can affect our plants.

Afternoon sun is challenging. Direct sunlight between midday and sunset is the most intense exposure. Although some plants are labeled for "full sun," extended exposure in that hot afternoon sun may be too much — not all of these are suitable as afternoon sun plants. This is especially so if the sunlight is further intensified by a wall or fence that traps and reflects the sun’s heat during the day, then continues to radiate heat after sundown. These tough areas require tough plants.

Read more