Top picks for Small Trees

Witch Hazel

Best Colors

 Witch Hazel is a medium-sized deciduous tree (20-30') and 15-30' wide. It enjoys full sun for the best bloom, which happens in late November/October for that spooky Halloween look. It likes rich soil that is well-drained but can handle clay as well. It is also deer resistant but is not drought tolerant. It is a very dense bush so it works well for a screen. This tree works well as a wildlife cover and attracts lots of birds and some endangered butterflies as well. 

Buckeye (red/painted)

Best shade tree

These buckeyes are most commonly found in shade and grow up to only a modest 15-20' high, which makes it better for smaller locations. It is deer resistant and flowers in spring which attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.  It likes most soils as long it is well drained (on a hill).

Persimmon

Best small fruiting native

The American Persimmon is an amazing native that produces a fruit with a very sweet taste. Be careful since raccoons and other mammals love them too! These smaller trees can grow up to around 20'. It loves rich soils which are well-drained. It doesn't do the best during droughts so watering is important. 

Serviceberry

Best small tree for birds

Serviceberry is a medium-sized tree (10-25') and 10-15' wide. It is a good replacement for crate myrtles since it provides early-season food for pollinators, and is eaten by over 35 species of birds. It even hosts several different types of butterfly species. They also have edible berries which can be red green or even black. They taste like blueberries. It tolerates full sun to partial shade, but fruits best in the sun. It doesn't like heavy clay/poorly draining soils and does best on moist loamy soils. 

Ninebark

Best flowering tree

Ninebark is a very small deciduous (6-10') tree that enjoys full sun and moist soils. It is mostly found around thickets and streams and can thrive in clay soils.  It flowers in late spring/early summer and has red seeds until winter. They are widely enjoyed by beetles, butterflies, moths, bees, and various other insects. Its leaves turn a reddish color in fall giving it a pretty look. Ninebark is also deer-resistant. 

Tag Alder

Best for wet soils and erosion

This small ( 10-20') tree likes growing near lakes and rivers or in wet soils in full sun. It does well with preventing soil erosion and lots of birds/butterflies enjoy the seeds. They also provide good cover for birds and small mammals, which eat the catkins (seeds), and the cones it produces. It tolerates a wide range of soils, 

Chestnut Oak

Best all around for LARGE spaces

Chestnut oak supports more than 500 different species of caterpillars and is less commonly planted than most other landscape trees. It grows up to 70 feet and around 40 feet wide. It prefers full sun but can tolerate some shade.  It is pretty low-maintenance once planted since it tolerates drought. it is most commonly found along streams and near water.

Yaupon Holly

Best evergreen for shade

This fast-growing tree gets up to 10-20' and 8-12' wide, grows well In full sun and shade, and is also deer resistant. They do well in most soils and soil wetness but need a male and female bush for berries. The berries make good wildlife food for birds, as well as small mammals and it supports many butterflies/caterpillars.

Arrowwood

Best fruits for birds

Arrowwood is a very small deciduous deer-resistant tree (6-10') that does well in moist soils in full sun or part shade. It does well in many soils ranging from clay to loam but prefers loamy soil. Arrowwood blooms from late spring to mid-summer, and fruits in edible berries in November. The fruit also supports birds with lots of energy, such as cardinals, bluebirds, and mockingbirds.