But there are many medium-sized trees that should suit your space.
Here are 18 medium-sized trees that are ideal for landscaping tight spaces.
Tip
If you have a small yard, focus on your vertical space.
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
The flowers are popular with hummingbirds andbutterflies.
This is a slow-growing tree that matures to a height of around 15 feet with a similar canopy spread.
NOTE: the seeds and leaves are toxic.
The Spruce
Keep away from children and animals.
Crabapple (Malus)
Even the smallest yards can accommodate a crabapple tree.
On average, crabapples stop growing at around 12 to 20 feet tall.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
They provide a month of spring flowers that attract pollinators, including honeybees.
Then, the flowers are followed by dangling clusters of fruits that are popular with birds.
Pruning isnt always necessary but can be done as needed in late winter.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Also, removing the lower branches can expose the attractive bark.
Crepe myrtles bloom on new wood and should be pruned in late winter.
They can reach heights of 25 to 30 feet.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Dogwood (Cornus)
Dogwood trees are fast growers that can handle a partially shaded site.
There are several dogwood species, so confirm you choose one that is suitable for your area.
Most grow to only 15 to 25 feet tall.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Be sure to plant them in well-draining soil.
They like moisture, but soggy soil can kill them.
Golden Chain Tree (Laburnum X Watereri)
Golden chain trees have a distinctive green bark.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The trees bloom in late spring and grow to about 15 to 25 feet tall.
Grow this tree in a location thats sheltered from strong winds, as its branches are somewhat weak.
Also, the trunks of young trees are often floppy and can benefit from staking.
R A Kearton / Getty Images
Many gardeners choose to remove the pods because they draw energy from the plant.
Thornless varieties are availablecheck the plant tag.
Once it matures to 15 to 25 feet in height, the thorns should not be a problem.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Prune as needed, but wear protective clothing due to the thorns.
Their average mature height is 15 to 25 feet tall.
Regular pruning typically isnt necessary, though you could remove lower branches to create more of a tree-like canopy.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
For small gardens, look for dwarf varieties, or choose one grafted onto dwarf rootstock.
The flowers can be 10 inches across, giving them their common name of “saucer.”
They cover the tree’s canopy.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Plus, its unusual, fragrant, thread-like flowers give the plant another common name: the silk tree.
These plants are tolerant of heat and some drought, though they grow best with consistent moisture.
You need two varieties of pawpaw trees for cross-pollination to produce the fruits.
xPACIFICA / Getty Images
These are small to medium trees, reaching a height of around 15 to 30 feet.
The flowers are more of a hot pink than red, and there are also white flowering varieties.
The plant has an attractive spreading habit that opens into a vase-like shape.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Popular with early butterflies, the eastern redbud averages 20 to 30 feet in height.
Good drainage is a necessity for your planting site.
Like crabapples and rose hips, the fruits are edible but tart.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
And they are very popular with birds.
There are several species and varieties of serviceberry that make excellent landscape plants.
Some grow only 8 to 10 feet tall while others will mature at around 20 feet.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Dwarf Alberta Spruce (Picea Glauca ‘Conica’)
Manyevergreensmake wonderful specimen plants in small yards.
Its needles are very dense, and it retains its pyramidal shape without pruning.
However, it does not tolerate pollutants and salt spray very well, so plant it away from roads.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Enhancing the flowers is the peeling bark in mottled shades of orange, red, brown, and gray.
This is a very ornamental specimen tree that grows slowly but can eventually reach heights of over 30 feet.
Its low-maintenance, with pruning only necessary for shaping or to remove damaged portions.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Generally, it doesnt have many problems with pests or diseases.
you could easily control its size with pruning.
It is the long clusters of flowers that make this tree so enticing for both people and butterflies.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
It is often compared to the butterfly bush (Buddlejaspp.)
but blooms later and will bloom again if you deadhead it (remove spent blooms).
Pruning typically isnt necessary outside of removing dead, damaged, or diseased portions.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
There are several excellent species and varieties.
Some bloom in late winter before the leaves open, and others put on their show in the fall.
These are technically shrubs, averaging 10 to 20 feet tall, and they are very low maintenance.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Prune in the early spring if it’s crucial that you remove damaged portions or shape the plant.
Paper Birch (Betula Papyrifera)
Birch trees tend to grow in multi-trunk clumps.
Paper birches generally need minimal pruning.