19 Small Trees for Front Yards That Explode with Color
They may not reach towering heights, but small trees can still pack a big punch in your landscape. Whether you've got a modest-size yard or are just running out of room to add more plants, these varieties will fit in perfectly.
Even small landscaping trees shouldn't be planted too close to your house. Trees that will reach 30 feet tall or less should be sited at least 10 feet away from your home's foundation or power lines; those that grow larger than that should be planted at least 15 feet away.
Crabapple
Add spectacular seasonal flair to your landscape with crabapples. There's a wide array available that bears flowers in shades of white, pink, and red. Whether they have weeping, rounded, or columnar habits, they're known for producing orange, gold, red, or burgundy fruit. 'Prairifire' is a standout variety that has dark pink flowers, reddish-purple foliage, and great disease resistance. Another popular small tree for landscaping is 'Centurion' which has rose-pink flowers, an upright shape, and great disease resistance.
Name: Malus selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: From 6 to 30 feet tall and wide, depending on variety
Zones: 4-8
Redbud
Valued for its outstanding display of pink or white flowers in spring, redbud is an easy-to-grow small tree with delightful heart-shape leaves that turn golden-yellow in fall. 'Forest Pansy' is a standout variety that has purple foliage which fades to dark green in late summer. Also look for 'Silver Cloud,' which has white-splashed leaves. 'Royal White' clearly stand apart from other flowering tree varieties with its pure-white flowers.
Name: Cercis canadensis
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 10 feet tall
Zones: 5-9
There are many varieties of redbud tree, including eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), western redbud (a.k.a., C. occidentalis or California redbud), Chinese redbud (C. chinensis), and Oklahoma redbud (C. reniformis), and more. For the best garden success, plant one that's ideal for your hardiness zone.
Crape Myrtle
A common sight in Southern gardens, crape myrtle offers big clusters of frilly flowers in shades of pink, red, lavender, or white in summer and fall. Many varieties show off beautiful red, yellow, or orange foliage in autumn, as well as interesting patches of green or silver on the underside of their peeling cinnamon-color bark. 'Arapaho' is a standout variety that has red blooms and purple-tinged foliage and good disease resistance. 'Catawba' is also a great pick with its purple flowers, brilliant fall color, and good disease resistance.
Name: Lagerstroemia selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: From 6 to 25 feet tall and wide, depending on variety
Zones: 6-9
Note: In some areas, crape myrtles are considered invasive.
Flowering Dogwood
One of the most beautiful North American native trees, flowering dogwood bears pink or white springtime flowers, bright red fruits in late summer, and outstanding purple-red fall foliage. If you're looking for a slightly unique dogwood, check out the variegated foliage and rich pink blooms of 'Cherokee Sunset'. Also consider looking at 'Cloud Nine', a floriferous variety with extra large blooms.
Name: Cornus florida selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: From 15 to 30 feet tall and wide, depending on variety
Zones: 5-9
If you're tight on space, opt for a dogwood shrub. Ranging in height from 3 to 5 feet, these shrubs offer beautiful flowers and berries similar to those produced by dogwood trees.
Kousa Dogwood
Count on kousa dogwood to put on a terrific spring show with its attractive pink or white blooms. This small ornamental tree keeps performing once spring ends. It bears red fruits in late summer and wonderful reddish-purple autumn foliage. It's typically more disease-resistant than its North American cousin, flowering dogwood. If you're looking for a variety that has a lot of blooms, consider planting 'Milky Way'. Another outstanding bloomer with pink flowers is 'Satomi'.
Name: Cornus kousa selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: From 15 to 30 feet tall and wide, depending on variety
Zones: 5-8
Kousa dogwood is invasive in certain areas, so be sure to check before planting it.
Saucer Magnolia
Offering some of the most beautiful flowers of any tree, the saucer magnolia has large blooms that appear in shades of white, pink, and purple in mid to late spring. Its showstopping nature makes it a perfect small front yard tree.
Name: Magnolia x soulangeana
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 25 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4-9
When buying a magnolia, make sure you've done your research and are choosing the best selection for your climate. Some types of magnolias, while hardy, can suffer flower damage from late frosts in colder regions.
Fringe Tree
Native to parts of Eastern North America, fringe tree is a versatile plant you can grow as a large shrub or small tree. Fringe trees offer clouds of fragrant white flowers in late spring that turn into clusters of blue-purple fruits in fall. The fruits are sure to attract birds.
Name: Chionanthus virginicus
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: From 12 to 20 feet tall and wide
Zones: 3-9
Golden Chain Tree
Magnificent when it blooms in late spring and early summer, golden chain tree produces hanging clusters of yellow flowers that resemble wisteria. Its flowers give way to seedpods that ripen in the fall. The tree's green, clover-like foliage is attractive, too.
Name: Laburnum x watereri
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 30 feet tall and wide
Zones: 5-7
Carolina Silverbell
Enjoy a delightful early-spring show from Carolina silverbell. This small ornamental tree (or large shrub, depending on how you prune it) displays dangling clusters of white bell-shape flowers just before it leafs out. Then in fall, its foliage turns a delightful shade of yellow. Named varieties of this tree can be hard to come by, but look for 'Rosea', which has pink flowers or 'Tyler's Variegated', which has yellow-and-green foliage.
Name: Halesia tetraptera
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 40 feet tall and 35 feet wide
Zones: 4-8
Hawthorn
Attracting pollinators in early summer with sprays of fragrant, white flowers, hawthorn is a dense, low-branched tree that is armed with numerous large thorns. In late summer and fall, it attracts birds with its small red fruits. The orange-red autumn color adds another layer of appeal.
Name: Crataegus crus-galli
Growing Conditions: Full sun in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 25 feet tall and 35 feet wide
Zones: 3-7
Japanese Maple
Few plants are more beautiful than a Japanese maple in its full fall finery. And happily, there are numerous ways to use this little tree in your yard; try it as a specimen in a partly shaded spot, for example, or use it as a focal point in a mixed border. 'Bloodgood' is a common selection with fine-texture burgundy foliage that turns red in autumn. 'Sango-kaku' is another great choice that has red branches that stand out after it loses its foliage in fall.
Name: Acer palmatum selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 20 feet tall and wide
Zones: 5-8
Note: Japanese maples are considered invasive in some areas.
If you live in a region that's too cold for Japanese maples, you can still enjoy a small variety in a pot from spring through fall. Once the tree has gone completely dormant, store it in a sheltered but cool location (like an unheated garage), watering every few weeks.
Serviceberry
The ultimate small tree (it's also native) for four-season beauty, serviceberry bears slightly fragrant, white flowers in drooping clusters before the leaves emerge in early spring. The flowers give way to small, round green berries which turn red and mature to delicious dark blue fruits which are often used in jams, jellies, and pies. The finely toothed leaves have outstanding red fall color. In winter, its silvery gray bark adds interest.
Name: Amelanchier selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 25 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4-9
Mountain Stewartia
Small and elegant with beautiful flowers in midsummer, mountain stewartia is an uncommon tree that deserves a prominent position in your landscape. It's noted for its camellia-like flowers and dark green summer foliage. This relatively slow-growing native of Southeastern North America puts on a terrific fall show when the leaves turn orange and red.
Name: Stewartia ovata
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 15 feet tall and wide
Zones: 5-9
Snowbell
Offering subtle beauty to the landscape, snowbell produces white bell-shape flowers that hang from the branches among the leaves. Its mildly fragrant blossoms become blue-gray fruits in fall when the leaves turn shades of reddish-yellow. Some standout varieties include 'Pink Chimes' bears pink bells instead of white; 'Pendula' has an exceptionally graceful weeping form; and 'Crystal' has a columnar form.
Name: Styrax japonicus
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 30 feet tall and wide
Zones: 5-9
Pagoda Dogwood
A favorite of wildlife gardeners, pagoda dogwood is a North American native species that produces clusters of blue-purple berries in summer that attract birds. The early-summer flowers attract bees and other pollinators, too. Like other dogwoods, this tree develops wonderful fall color and tolerates shade. For amazing color, try one of these varieties: 'Golden Shadows,' which has bold, yellow-edge foliage in spring and summer; 'Argentea,' whose leaves are edged in white; and Gold Bullion, which has golden-yellow foliage.
Name: Cornus alternifolia
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 25 feet tall and 32 feet wide
Zones: 3-7
Japanese Tree Lilac
If you love lilacs, check out Japanese tree lilac. This species has clusters of fragrant creamy-white flowers in early summer, after all the other lilacs have finished blooming. Though its fall color isn't particularly showy, the shiny copper-color bark stands out in winter. If you're looking for an especially floriferous variety, consider 'Snowdance'; it blooms at a younger age than most. 'Golden Eclipse' is another showstopper with its golden-edge foliage.
Name: Syringa reticulata
Growing Conditions: Full sun in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide
Zones: 3-7
Chaste Tree
If you're looking to add a tree to your drought-tolerant garden plan, consider planting a chaste tree which starts its show in early to mid autumn, producing delightful clusters of lavender, blue, or white flowers. The toothed, dark-green foliage is attractive from spring to fall, providing the perfect backdrop to help the flowers stand out. Two standout varieties are 'Abbeville Blue' with its deep blue flowers and 'Silver Spire' with its pure-white flowers.
Name: Vitex agnus-castus
Growing Conditions: Full sun in medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide
Zones: 6-9
This tree is considered invasive in some areas, so check to see if it's problematic in your area before planting it.
Powder Puff
Whether you grow it as a large shrub or prune it as a small tree, powder puff will delight you with its fluffy and fragrant red, pink, or white summertime flowers. It's a heat-loving, drought-resistant variety good for the warmest areas of California, Texas, and Florida.
Name: Calliandra haematocephala
Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, fertile soil
Size: Up to 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Zones: 9-11
Paperbark Maple
This deciduous tree doesn't just produce vibrant green leaves, which turn reddish-yellow in the fall. It also boasts gorgeous red-brown bark that peels back to reveal a lighter, smooth surface. Paperback maples grow slowly, making them ideal for small to medium yards.
Name: Acer griseum
Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, fertile soil
Size: Up to 20–30 feet tall and 12 feet wide
Zones: 5-7