Before you shop, take time to evaluate your landscape. For example, are there overhead utility wires where you want to plant? Either choose a different spot or select a tree with a naturally small stature. Here are some things to consider.

Height, width, and form. Trees can be tall and narrow (”columnar”), short and spreading, or in between. Some have upright branches, others have hanging, or weeping, forms. Choose a tree with a mature height and spread that matches your needs.

Evergreen or deciduous. Deciduous trees allow winter sun to pass through and are good choices for the south side of your house. Evergreen trees will provide year-round privacy.

Sun or shade. Is the site in full sun or is it shaded by other trees or buildings?

Flowers and fruit. Some trees flower in spring, some in summer, and some have few or inconspicuous flowers. Some trees produce fruit that attracts birds, but some fruits (such as mulberries) can be messy in manicured yards.

Fall color. Some trees are nondescript in summer but reach their full glory in fall, as their foliage changes to shades of crimson or gold.
Some Good Choices

When it comes to small trees, there are dozens of possibilities besides the common crape myrtle, Bradford pear, and pin oak. Here are a few native trees to consider; be sure to match trees to your hardiness zone.

Downy serviceberry, shadbush (Amelanchier arborea). Showy white flowers in early spring are followed by edible dark red fruits much loved by birds. Mature height is 15 to 25 feet. Crimson fall foliage; silvery bark.

Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis). Abundant dark pink flowers blanket the leafless twigs in early spring, followed by attractive heart-shaped leaves. Mature height is 15 to 25 feet. Leaves turn bright yellow in fall. Can be somewhat short-lived (15 to 20 years) in urban landscapes.

White fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus). Often multistemmed and somewhat shrubby with a mature height of 12 to 20 feet. Bears abundant, creamy white, fragrant flowers in May, followed by dark blue fruit that’s attractive to birds.

Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha). Produces camellia-like, fragrant, white flowers with yellow centers in late summer to early fall. Reaches 15 to 30 feet tall at maturity, with an open, airy form. Foliage begins turning a showy red in autumn, even as the tree continues to bloom. All trees in cultivation descend from cuttings taken in Georgia in the late 1700s; it’s extinct in the wild.

Carolina silverbell (Halesia tetraptera). Named for the dainty, white, bell-shaped flowers that hang from its branches in early spring; prefers well-drained but moist soils. May reach a height of 30 feet in ideal growing conditions.

Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana). Sweetbay prefers consistently moist soils; blooms in late spring and early summer. The fragrant, creamy white blossoms are similar to, but smaller than, southern magnolia blossoms. Unusual seedpods contain bright red fruits attractive to birds. Host tree for swallowtail butterflies. Mature height is around 30 feet.

Black tupello (Nyssa sylvatica). A medium-sized tree with glossy leaves and beautiful, brilliant red fall foliage. Reaches 30 to 50 feet tall at maturity. Primarily dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are borne on separate trees; female trees bear dark blue fruit attractive to birds. Prized by beekeepers as nectar source for honeybees.

Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum). This graceful tree with glossy foliage reaches a height of 20 to 30 feet. Oddly, the trunk tends to lean. Prefers acidic soil. Masses of fragrant flowers — similar to lily-of-the-valley — appear in summer, and the tree stays in flower for up to a month, attracting bees and butterflies. Like black tupello, sourwood is favored by beekeepers.

source : nationalgardenmonth