Choosing to plant a tree in a container is an easy way to bring beauty to your garden or patio. Trees may attract butterflies, birds and other wildlife, provide shade, and maybe even food. When deciding what tree to plant in your container, there are several factors to consider. First and foremost is the height of the tree. Container trees should not aspire to a height of more than 20 feet. Other considerations, such as climate and water, are outlined in this excellent article by Jessica Carson.
But a great deal of the choosing has to do with your personal preference. What kind of tree do you want in your container? Do you want flowers? Nuts? Fruit? Evergreen or deciduous? When making decisions about trees, I have found no better website than Arbor Day, which will educate you on hundreds of different trees. You can also buy the trees you choose straight from their website. Taking into consideration Carson’s guide for planting trees in containers, here are my recommendations.
Deciduous Container Trees
Deciduous trees are great choices for containers. They often flower and bear fruit. Their foliage can be strikingly beautiful in the fall. Here are some great choices for deciduous container trees.
The Dwarf Russian Almond tree is an ideal tree for a small container because it grows to a height of just 2′- 5. This tree produces striking, rose-red flowers in the spring and yellow-orange leaves in the fall. It is a dense, shrub like tree, whose nuts will attract wildlife. It also does not require a lot of water, which is good for trees grown in a container. This tree does best in the full sun, and in northern climates (zones 2-6).
Many apple trees grow to a height of 10′ – 25. If planted in a container, expect the tree to reach a height of less than 20′, depending on the amount of space the roots have in your container. Apple trees are great container trees. Although they need a lot of water, you will be rewarded for your efforts with fruit and beautiful blossoms. There are many varieties of apple tree for every climate.
The Red Buckeye is a great deciduous tree for containers for people who want to be rewarded for their work early. Although it aspires to a height of 10′ – 20′, this tree has been known to produce its deep red flowers as early as 3. It brings its leaves out very early in the spring, and planting this tree in a container may also attract hummingbirds to your garden. This tree grows well in zones 6-9.
Evergreen trees are also good choices for containers. They provide consistent color and texture to your garden, yard, or patio all year round, and there is no need to clean up after dropped leaves in the fall. Here are some great evergreen container trees.
The Golden Globe Arborvitae is an evergreen shrub/ tree that grows to 2′ – 3′ in height. As the name suggests, this tree will produce a globe of golden yellow foliage on top of your container. Like most evergreens, this tree does will in the northern zones of 3 – 7, but would not thrive in the extreme south of the United States.
The Azalea Formosa is a Southern classic. Combine the low maintenance evergreen with the vibrant flowers of most deciduous trees, and the Azalea is the answer. Growing upright 6′ – 8′ with more than a 6′ spread, this tree produces large, magenta flowers. This container tree does well in the zones 8 – 10. If you would like to have the striking Azalea flowers farther north, do not worry. Hardier hybrids exist in almost any color, like the orange Azaleas Mollis Hybrid, which will thrive in zones as north as 5.
The Emerald Arborvitae is a cone shaped evergreen that normally reaches 10′ – 15′ in height. This is a great tree for a container garden. Its spread is only 3′ – 4′, allowing plenty of room for the planting of flowers in its container. The Emerald Arborvitae does well in zones 3-7.
