Small Solutions

To stay in scale with our spaces, try trees that don't overreach

REPUTABLE ARBORISTS advise we remove too-big trees rather than top or mangle them. And that we replace these behemoths with trees so diminutive and well-mannered they'll never outgrow their allotted space. This is a fine theory, and I agree with it absolutely. It's a good thing to enjoy majestic trees in public parks and other people's gardens. There's nothing like the sight of a venerable copper beech or monkey puzzle tree a few gardens away . . .

However . . .

Even when you get over growing your own cedars, the problem lies in figuring out what to replace them with. Which trees are naturally petite enough to stay politely in scale with small urban gardens, close to the house or in pots?

We fall for the cute puppy-like quality of trees in the nursery, failing to anticipate that many of those innocent little fluffs are genetically programmed to grow into Saint Bernards or bull mastiffs. Which happens at an alarming rate. We need to seek out the toy poodles, or perhaps the Scottie dogs of the tree world. Trees that won't outgrow, even in 10 or 15 years, the corners or containers to which we confine them. Choose wisely, and the only pruning needed will be for health or aesthetic reasons — a snip of a crossing branch here, a nip of some dieback there.

And don't be tricked by a tag that reads "grows slowly to 30 feet" because that might well be true in Maine, but not here. Our drizzly springs and mild winters excite tree growth like an aphrodisiac.

Armed with these cautions, think about what you need, then look for solutions.

For winter structure on a diminutive scale, consider Azara microphylla, a gem of an evergreen that tops out at 15 feet and only about 5 feet wide. In winter, its boughs are drenched with fluffy yellow flowers carrying the strong scent of sweet vanilla. It has tiny, shiny, dark green leaves that fan out from the branches, creating a delicate, open effect. A. microphylla 'Variegata' has a pretty cream-colored border on each leaf for an even lighter, airier feel.

Small pines, such as bristlecone (P. aristata) or the golden Scots pine (P. sylvestris 'Aurea') fill the same evergreen niche but have a wider, heavier presence in the garden.

I love that Japanese snowbells (Styrax japonica) bloom in June, when you're outdoors to enjoy their fragrant white flowers dripping off gracefully tiered, horizontal branches. So many of the flowering trees, like crabapples and cherries, bloom early when it's still so cold you aren't dallying around outdoors to soak in the full effect. S. japonica 'Pink Chimes' is especially charming, with shell-pink blossoms centered in yellow anthers. Japanese snowbells are delicate trees that cast a light shade and grow to about 20 feet high.

Colored foliage has huge impact even on small trees. Acer pseudoplatanus 'Puget Pink,' selected at Heronswood Nursery in Kingston, is a showy little maple with handsome foliage that comes on shrimp pink, turning to golden peach and then green as summer progresses. It has yellow flowers, a tidy, rounded crown, and tops out at only 15 feet.

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer and contributing editor for Horticulture magazine. Her e-mail address is valeaston@comcast.net.