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Best container trees for patio


Best trees to grow in pots: 15 beautiful compact varieties

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

The best trees to grow in pots can add much needed interest to patios, courtyards and other areas of your back yard.

With both deciduous and evergreen options, offering various leaf color, fruit and flowers through the seasons, potted trees are versatile container gardening ideas.

Growing pots in trees is a way to zone a secluded seating or dining area as a patio idea, flowering trees can add color and scent, while citrus or olive trees are ideal if you want to create a Mediterranean-style garden.

One of the big advantages is that you can grow tree species that wouldn't usually suit the growing conditions in your hardiness zone as the best trees to grow in pots can be moved indoors in colder months. 

The best trees to grow in pots

Many different trees can thrive in pots, so look beyond the local garden center for inspiration. You could choose one of the best indoor trees that you move outdoors in warmer months to surround yourself with nature year round.

'There are many types of trees you can grow in pots and containers,' says small space gardening expert Emilly Barbosa Fernandes of Housegrail . 'They instantly brighten up any garden, and can become the main focal point.'

If you want a low-maintenance planting scheme, then the best trees to grow in pots must be compatible with your local climate, and require minimal pruning. An advantage of planting trees in pots is that you can control their soil type – perhaps growing an acid-loving tree in a chalky soil, or creating free-draining conditions in a garden with heavy clay soil.

Consider where you want the tree to be positioned in your garden, as whether it will sit in full sun or receive some shade will be a factor in which varieties will be suitable.

It's important to look at the maximum size of a tree species, and how many years it will take to reach maturity. Some trees are suited to pots for their whole life, while other slow-growing varieties can have a long pot life before needing to be eventually planted in the ground as part of your flower bed ideas.  

Trees have hungry, thirsty roots, so container size is also key. Ensure you invest in a pot that's big enough for your chosen tree to flourish.

Remember that a tree planted in a pot will dry out more quickly than in the ground, and the smaller the pot size, the more often you will have to water it. 

1. Peach tree

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Enjoy a delicious home harvest of fruit by growing a peach tree in a container. These are among the best fruit trees to grow, and ideal for trees to grow in pots, particularly as you can move the container to the sunniest and warmest positions throughout the year. 

You will need a fairly large container for growing a peach tree – although not so large that you can not easily move it when required. Good drainage is important, so either add some crocs or stones to the bottom of a container, or raise it up on pot feet to aid drainage.

'You will need to water peach trees grown in pots almost every day in the growing season, and repot them every few years' explains Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the RHS .

2. Crab apple tree

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Producing lovely pink blossom in spring, followed by their ornamental fruits in fall, crab apples are among the best trees to grow in pots.

When planting crab apples in containers, use a pot that is approximately 12-15in. (30-40cm), in a good quality and free draining loam based compost, explain the experts at Pomona Fruits .

Keep them well watered in the first growing season, watering them daily in warmer weather. They are also among the best trees for autumn color.

3. Amelanchier

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

A small, compact deciduous tree, amelanchier – known by a number of other names including juneberry, shadbush and sarvisberry – offers interest through the seasons. It produces lovely starry white flowers in spring, red and purple berries in summer through to fall, and its bronze tinged young leaves turn through green to the fiery colors of orange and red, making this undoubtedly one of the best trees to grow in pots .

Amelanchier prefers a spot in full sun, so move the container to the best spot throughout the year. Plant bare root trees for the most economical option, in ericaceous compost in a large pot.

4. Japanese maple tree

(Image credit: Ian West / Alamy Stock Photo)

Japanese maples trees – or acer palmatum – are ideal for smaller gardens, as they are slow growing and require minimal pruning or training.  They also offer lovely fall color.

‘With a variety of showy cascades in foliage and colors ranging from vibrant greens to deep blood reds, this is a showcase tree for container growing,’ says Tammy Sons, owner of Tennessee Nursery .

‘Japanese maple trees do not grow to extreme heights, seldom reaching over 15 feet. My favorite varieties are 'Crimson Queen' and 'Bloodgood', with their added attribute of spectacular fall foliage.’

Meanwhile, Lisa Tadewaldt, arborist and owner of Urban Forest Pro , particularly favors the dwarf maple 'Sharp's Pygmy'. ‘They can live in a pot for hundreds of years,' she says. 'You can ignore them or pamper them – either way they always look great. This is a favorite of serious bonsai artists, and what I personally have on my deck in pots.’

Position Japanese maples in a cool spot that receives some shade during the hottest part of the day, and water regularly in the summer. They are perfect to include for Japanese garden ideas.

5. Lemon tree

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)

‘I always think there is something very romantic about a lemon tree growing in a pot,’ says Aaron Bertelsen, author of Grow Fruit & Vegetables in Pots . ‘Perhaps it is the way the scent of the blossom fills a room, or the knowledge that rich people in the past would build dedicated lemon houses to shelter their highly prized trees.’

While lemon trees make fantastic house plants during the winter, they can grow happily outdoors during the spring and summer. This is why planting them in pots is the best solution, so you can bring them indoors in frosty weather.

You can even learn how to grow lemon from seed, to surround yourself with these uplifting trees.

‘Lemons are hungry plants, so make sure you use a good, soil-based compost, adding some grit or sharp sand to improve drainage,’ adds Bertelsen, who recommends the Meyer variety as it flowers throughout the year.

Make sure you understand how to prune lemon trees to get the best out of them, and let them dry out between waterings.

6. Dwarf conifers

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Larger conifers are some of the best trees for privacy and screening in a backyard, but there are a number of smaller species that are perfect for pots.

Some recommended conifers to consider are dwarf varieties of cypress trees, yew trees, mountain pines, and Chinese juniper.

‘They are not top-heavy and have an equal branch structure from the central leader to the top,’ says Sons. 

‘Evergreen conifers also offer year-round beauty and they can successfully be trimmed back in order for them to not overwhelm the container. ’ 

7. Crepe Myrtle

(Image credit: Biosphoto / Alamy Stock Photo)

Crepe myrtle – or crape myrtle – is a striking tree that offers year-round interest, and grows very well in pots.

‘This beautiful tree has large trumpet-shaped flowers that often have an orange tint to them,’ says Lindsey Hyland, founder of Urban Organic Yield . 'Crape myrtles also have good fall color, with attractive peeling bark. I love how the branches are always thick enough to handle being in pots.’

Choose from flowers of white, pink or purple, which bloom from late spring through summer. Some varieties flower until the first frost in fall.

Crepe myrtle trees need full sun to thrive, and in frost-prone areas will need to be overwintered in a greenhouse or conservatory. Learn how to prune crepe myrtle to keep your trees looking their best.

8. Bay tree

(Image credit: Brent Darby)

As well as creating a sculptural feature, bay trees are aromatic herbs that have wonderfully scented leaves that can be used in cooking fresh or dried.

Bay trees look particularly stunning in pairs flanking a doorway, or can be positioned next to seating areas on the patio for outdoor dining ideas. They thrive in containers and can be clipped into attractive ball or pyramid topiary shapes.

‘A bay tree is very easy to look after, provided you give it a good sunny spot and feed it regularly,’ says Bertelsen. ‘Prune every spring, both to keep it at the size you want it and to reduce any congestion.’

It’s a good idea to repot bay trees every few years to keep them healthy and encourage fresh growth. Bay trees are an excellent choice for planter box ideas.

9. Banana tree

(Image credit: Oleksandr Sokolenko / Alamy Stock Photo)

Banana trees are some of the best trees to grow in pots if you want to add a tropical garden idea to your patio. But bear in mind if you are growing a banana tree in the garden this will generally be for their ornamental leaves, rather than for fruit, unless you live in a climate of at least 60ºF (15°C) for most of the year.

‘If you live in a cooler climate, then a banana tree still brings a taste of tropics to your landscaping,’ says Tadewaldt. ‘The growth of these trees is usually stunted by the colder weather enough that they can live in the pot for an extended period of time.'

Smaller varieties of banana tree are particularly well suited to climates with colder winters, as they can be brought inside and enjoyed as a houseplant. 

10. Rhododendron

(Image credit: Gina Kelly / Alamy Stock Photo)

As well as the popular shrubs, rhododendrons are also available in tree form – R. arboreum. Although after several decades they can eventually reach great heights of over 40 feet, they are slow-growing trees that will live happily for years in a pot, so it is worth learning how to grow rhododendrons.

‘I really like rhododendron – it is such a pretty flowering tree with red and white flowers in the summer,’ says Hyland. As an evergreen tree, it possesses attractive dark green leaves year round.

‘My favorite thing about it is its ability to thrive in stunted, acidic, or shallow soil conditions.’

Be sure you know how to prune rhododendron to keep your potted specimens under control.

11. Olive tree

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

If you want to create a Mediterranean garden, olive trees are ideal and perfectly suited to growing in containers, as they can be moved to safety during excessively cold winters.

‘Olive trees are not fond of winter, so make sure to cover them if you know a frost is coming,’ says Barbosa Fernandes.

‘They love warmth and sun, and they also do well in dry areas. However, they do need the right conditions to produce olives.’ 

In order for the trees to fruit, they will need two months with temperatures below 50°F (10°C), but above 14°F (-10°C), as well as fluctuation between day and night temperatures. Although self-fertile, olive trees benefit from cross pollination.

‘If you don’t have the right conditions to grow olives, don’t be too disappointed, as they’re such elegant evergreen trees,’ says Barbosa Fernandes. ‘Fertilize them in the spring for the best results.’

You also need to know how to prune olive trees to improve their shape and increase the chances of fruit production.

12. Wedding Cake Tree 

(Image credit: Steffen Hauser / Botanikfoto / Alamy Stock Photo)

Also known as Cornus controversa 'Variegata', the wedding cake tree is a variegated dogwood tree. 

‘The white in the leaves adds interest and it naturally grows in layers – like the layers of a cake, hence its name – and pruning will help to emphasize this form,’ says Tadewaldt.

However, regular pruning isn’t essential, and as the tree is slow-growing, it will live happily in its pot for a long time, as long as the soil is fertile. 

‘Eventually, however, this tree will outgrow the pot and need to be transplanted,’ adds Tadewaldt.

13. Apple tree

(Image credit: Unsplash)

Smaller varieties of apple tree are perfect for growing in pots on the patio. Not only are varieties grown on dwarf rootstock usually quicker to fruit, but they are often better quality than larger trees.

When choosing a variety of apple tree, you need to consider pollination. ‘Self-fertile cultivars are available, although it’s generally recommended to have at least two different partner trees nearby for cross-pollination,' explains Period Living’s gardening expert Leigh Clapp.

When planting apple trees in pairs, 'opt for different varieties of apple tree that flower at the same time.'

If you only have room for one apple tree, Red Falstaff is a great choice as it is heavy cropping and very hardy. Apples trees are among the best fast growing fruit trees so you will enjoy a well sized tree before you know it.

14. Starry magnolia

(Image credit: Getty Images)

While most types of magnolia will grow too large to plant in pots, starry magnolia is a more compact, bushy tree that produces the most beautiful white, star-shaped flowers.

The tree flowers in the spring and exudes a delicate fragrance, adding a romantic air to a patio seating area.

Position starry magnolia in a sheltered spot, and plant in neutral to acid soil that is well drained.

When established, they are low maintenance, and require only mulching in spring, and learn how to prune a magnolia tree lightly in the summer.

15. Kumquat

(Image credit: Francesco Maltinti / Alamy Stock Photo)

Citrus trees make for some of the best indoor trees, but you can grow them outside in the right climates. 

‘If you’ve never tried kumquat, then you most definitely should – you can eat the entire thing, skin and all,’ says Barbosa Fernandes. 

Producing small orange fruits and flowers that bloom in the summer, these compact  trees can be easily grown in pots, and are one of the hardiest citrus fruits.

‘Position them in full sun, and plant in moist, well-draining soil. However, you don’t need to worry about cross-pollination or cold weather killing it down to 18°F (-8°C),’ adds Barbosa Fernandes.

What trees can remain in pots?

Trees can remain in pots indefinitely if you can find a container large enough to accommodate their maximum mature size. Otherwise, you will need to plant them in the ground when they grow too large.

Opt for dwarf varieties of container-friendly trees, such as Japanese maples and small conifers. Bay trees, small citrus trees and olive trees are also good options.

Bear in mind that most trees will need potting on to a larger container every few years, when they have outgrown their pot.

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

Can trees survive in pots over winter?

Some trees can survive in pots over winter, but this will largely depend on your local climate. 

In warmer regions, for example, citrus trees can stay outside year round, but in regions that experience cold winter nights of below 50°F (10°C), they will need to be brought inside.

Japanese maple trees are excellent choices for pots in most climates, and can survive very cold winters where temperatures reach as low as -20°F (-28°C).

What are the best evergreen trees for pots?

There are a number of best evergreen trees for pots. These include Rhododendron arboreum, bay trees, conifers, Japanese holly and Italian cypress – to name but a few. There are many other options you can find to suit the conditions in your garden and area where you live.

As editor of Period Living, Britain's best-selling period homes magazine, Melanie loves the charm of older properties. I live in a rural village just outside the Cotswolds in England, so am lucky to be surrounded by beautiful homes and countryside, where I enjoy exploring. Having worked in the industry for almost two decades, Melanie is interested in all aspects of homes and gardens. Her previous roles include working on Real Homes and Homebuilding & Renovating, and she has also contributed to Gardening Etc. She has an English degree and has also studied interior design. Melanie frequently writes for Homes & Gardens about property restoration and gardening.

13 Best Small Trees for Patios

By

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor is an expert in architecture and landscape design who has written more than 1,000 articles about pool, patio, garden, and home improvement over 12 years. She has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Design and is certified in fine and decorative arts appraisal.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 09/02/21

Reviewed by

Kathleen Miller

Reviewed by Kathleen Miller

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto

Small trees on patios or decks can serve as natural focal points, add privacy, frame views, provide shade, and even bear fruit. Many of these trees can grow well in containers or raised beds. Some have special features, including flowers, attractive bark, and vivid fall colors. However, the features of certain trees might be too messy for your taste, dropping seeds, flowers, fruits, and more. So it's important to know all of a tree's traits, as well as whether it thrives in your climate, before committing. Here are 13 of the best small trees to grow around a patio or deck.

Tip

To find the right tree for your space, first consider its mature height and width. Also, note whether its roots tend to crack or lift up pavement, which wouldn't be ideal right next to a patio. And if you plan to grow your tree in a container, make sure you'll be able to repot it whenever the roots need more space.

25 Dwarf Trees for Use in Landscaping

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Queen Palm Problems. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.

  2. Disease and Insect Resistant Ornamental Plants. Cornell Cooperative Extension.

  3. Fire Blight of Ornamental Pear. University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Research and Extension.

what and what to grow in

There are places that you can't decorate without plants in containers - for example, paved squares, city streets, windowsills of houses, roofs, balconies, terraces. Basically, flyers are used for these purposes - and this is justified: bright, abundant flowering all summer, and you don’t have to think about what to do with them in winter. Woody plants in containers are no less interesting, but so far not very common.


Woody plants in containers are very interesting, but not yet common

Woody in containers

To decorate with standard roses or other ornamental woody plants in containers next to the house means to create the atmosphere of a mini-garden. Container plants, unlike those planted in the ground, are mobile. They can be moved, forming different compositions, including not only plants, but also stones and sculpture.


Using trees in containers, you can create a mobile mini-garden next to your house

When the decorative effect of the plants is lost, they can be removed from view and replaced with others. For example, trees ornamental almond or forsythia are fabulously spectacular during flowering, but after flowering they are unremarkable.

It cannot be said that the fashion for trees in containers has appeared recently. For example, one of the elements of the manor estates of the past is tubs with trees, and not only indoor subtropical ones ( lemons , coffee ), but also pears , grapes , apricots , Persians ...

In containers, relatively heat -loving species can be grown in containers - Stamping roses , Mackerel , Palmoid maple and others who often freeze to the level of snow. In winter, they need a dormant period, so they cannot be kept in a warm room. In the open ground, they are covered for the winter, sometimes it is quite laborious. Containers are easier. You can put it together with the plant in the finished hole, without injuring the roots, put it in a cool, but not freezing basement or garage. In this case, the container makes it possible to admire the plants characteristic of the more southern zones in summer.


Trees in containers are not uncommon on the streets of European cities

Especially often trees in containers can be seen on the streets of European cities. True, usually water is supplied to each such container for automatic irrigation, and the winters are warm - there is no need to protect the plants from frost.

But not all plants tolerate container growing conditions well. If there is no automatic watering, then drought and heat tolerant varieties are preferable, with a compact root system that responds well to pruning, which maintains a balance between the underground and aboveground parts of the plant. This balance and feeding helps him to endure unusual conditions.


In containers you can grow heat-loving drought and heat-resistant species

All kinds of spicy- lavender , Timyana , drought-resistant dwarf bushes and Miniature trees , obtained well-known and well-groomed and well-groomed, and well-offs are perfect their conditions.

At one time there was an opinion that indoor plants also need a change of scenery and it is better to take them outside in summer. However, outdoor conditions can be detrimental to them. A sharp change in temperature, lighting leads them to stress. In addition, some plants even react to the usual rearrangement or turning over of a pot or tub by dropping buds (as lemon , for example).

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Containers

In order to remove heat-loving species for the winter and move them from place to place, it is better that the container is light, plastic. Usually is used in two containers - the inner one, in which the plant is located, and the outer one - a decorative planter (ceramic, wooden, clay, etc.).


The type, volume and material of the container also matter

Between these two containers, an air gap is formed, which helps to protect the roots of plants from overheating. In addition, when watering, excess moisture is stored inside.

The color of the container also matters. Blacks warm up faster than whites in hot weather, and plants can experience temperature stress. The shape of container is also important: some plants have round roots at the bottom; to avoid this, it is recommended to use square ones.

Drying out of a clod of earth is one of the problems when growing plants in containers. To reduce the evaporation of moisture, the ground is mulched with various materials - from a scattering of small stones to pine bark and pine nut shells.

More benefits

Containers can be useful when forcing plants. In autumn, having planted lilac , forsythia , bean , chaenomeles in a container , let them enter the dormant stage, then bring them into the house in December and, having created conditions for good lighting, heat and watering, you can see them blooming .

Some plants do not tolerate transplantation well - oaks , magnolias . For subsequent planting in a permanent place, it is better to grow them in containers.


Plants in containers allow you to get creative in your garden

Plants in a container allow you to get creative in your garden. For example, you do not always immediately imagine the composition of the purchased plants, you cannot see how they will fit into the garden environment. Container trees and shrubs can be rearranged as you like until you achieve the desired effect, and after that they can be planted in the ground. ), cotoneaster horizontalis ( Cotoneaster horizontalis ), shrub cinquefoil ( Potentilla fruticosa ), Japanese spirea ( Spiraea japonica ).


Weeping forms common larch , Japanese larch , dwarf varieties common spruce , Canadian spruce0002 Irina Bondorina

You may also be of interest to publications:

  • Powerful culture - expanding the boundaries of cultivating thermophilic woody plants
  • Advantages of container culture
  • Where and how to equip container garden
  • in containers

Which trees can be grown in containers - WikiStroy

What trees can be grown in containers There are areas that you cannot decorate without plants in containers, or rather, you cannot plant trees and shrubs. This is a terrace, porch, paved patio area or backyard. The RMNT website found out which trees can be grown in containers without any problems, even in a fairly harsh climate. https://www.wikistroi.ru/story/garden/kakiie-dierievia-mozhno-vyrastit-v-kontieinierakh https://www.wikistroi.ru/story/garden/kakiie-dierievia-mozhno-vyrastit-v-kontieinierakh/@@download/image/nCBpn22d.jpg

There are areas that you can't decorate without plants in containers, or rather, you can't green them. This is a terrace, porch, paved patio area or backyard. The RMNT website found out which trees can be grown in containers without any problems, even in a fairly harsh climate.


Most often, flyers are grown in containers, flowerpots and large pots. This is justified - they bloom throughout the warm season, and in autumn you don’t need to think about where to put the plants, you don’t need to transfer containers to the house. However container garden , examples of which have already been cited by the Rmnt.ru portal, may be different - from trees. Yes, miniature, dwarf, but still very beautiful and noticeable.

The first thing you want to plant in a container to decorate the yard and house is citrus fruits. Lime, mandarin, lemon, kumquat - by the way, these trees can withstand temperatures down to -3 °C. For the winter, of course, citrus fruits need to be brought into the house and placed by the window - they love sunlight. If the leaves fall off - this indicates a lack of nitrogen, during the flowering and fruiting period, trees need to be fed with organic fertilizers. Otherwise, it is not difficult to take care of citrus fruits in containers, they will definitely decorate both the terrace and the porch, and small courtyard without taking up much space.

Important! One of the main problems of trees in containers is drying out of the soil. Mulch the soil to avoid this. In addition, we advise you to choose a container with a square shape, round roots can curl. Usually there are two containers - in fact, a tree pot and an external container for decoration. Between it is an air gap that will not allow the roots to overheat. And easier to carry by taking out the inner pot.

In second place in popularity in the field of creating container gardens - ephedra . Thuja, dwarf pines, spruces, junipers, cypresses, fir - they all winter well on the street, but the container itself will need to be insulated. Spruce in a tub in winter can be brought into the house and decorated for the New Year. No need to buy a cut tree, an environmentally responsible approach. Just carefully and gradually move the Christmas tree to avoid sudden temperature changes. Conifers require sun, moderate watering, and well-drained soil.

Figs are rarely grown in our country, this is a subtropical plant. But in a container that needs to be brought into the house in the fall, it will serve as an excellent decoration for both the yard and the interior, and with proper care, it will give useful and tasty fruits. Watering needs plentiful, a tree with beautiful wide, “lobed” leaves can be cut.

Incredibly beautiful in landscape design looks bright Japanese maple. A capacious container is best placed in partial shade, the tree tolerates frosts down to -25 °C. The soil must be constantly moist, it is better to organize automatic or drip irrigation from special hose .

An olive tree with a compact root system and a knotty trunk can live happily in a container for many years. And at the same time give a harvest! A very good choice for a Mediterranean-style terrace, because this region is the birthplace of olives. They need a sunny place, well-drained soil, moderate watering.

Privet is not a tree, but a shrub, an excellent choice for hedge . But even in a container you can grow it, cut it beautifully and make it part of the landscape design. The plant is unpretentious, grows in partial shade, tolerates winter conditions, needs moderate watering.

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