lliant red in the fall. The exquisite reddish bark peels off in thin sheets. The form is upright oval to round. This is a wonderful small maple, especially in the fall and winter landscape.
Redbud (mature height 20' - 25') - here’s a tree that everyone falls in love with when they see it in springtime bloom, especially those cultivars with deep, purple-rose flowers. Flowers come out before the leaves in early spring and adorn the bare branches. The tree usually branches close to the ground and develops a spreading, somewhat flat-topped crown. Look for heat resistant varieties like `Oklahoma’ with glossy leaves and red tipped new growth.
Amur Maple (mature height 5' to 25' depending on the cultivar) is another small maple that should be considered for its magnificent orange-red fall color. This tree is a low branched, multi-stemmed tree with a variable shape. It’s very winter hardy and can be utilized in above-ground tree planters. For dependable fall color select a cultivated variety, such as `Flame’ or ‘Red Rhapsody.’
Dwarfs or Giants
In the nursery trade there are some cultivars of larger trees that meet the size criteria of a “small” tree. While they may not have quite the pizzazz of these other smaller flowering trees, they can still be utilized in the landscape where a smaller tree is needed.
Leprechaun™ Ash is a dwarf form with a mature height of 18' of the green ash.
Golden Desert Ash™ (mature height 20') is a cultivated variety of the common or European ash with yellow-green leaves and bright golden twigs.
Red Cascade™ or Dwarfcrown is a compact (mature height 16', mature spread 8') cultivated variety of mountain ash with an oval shape. It has white spring flowers, yellow-orange fall foliage, and orange-red berries for multi-seasonal interest. `Longwood Sunset’ is another smaller mountain ash with orange berries
Globe Norway Maple (mature height 15') is a “lollipop” tree with a dense rounded head that is much shorter than other Norway maples. This is a very formal looking tree.
Harder to Find and Not Well Tested for This Area . . . But Worth a Try
Serviceberry (mature height 15' to 20') might be called a shrubby, multi-stemmed tree or a large shrub with early spring white flowers and bright red fall color. Some cultivars also have purplish blue berries. Plant these in a more protected location where they’ll get afternoon shade.
Japanese Tree Lilac (mature height 20') is another shrubby tree or large shrub that develops a graceful form with age. It’s covered with showy white flowers in the spring, but their fragrance isn’t the lovely scent of the common lilac. It may not stand up well under our summer heat, so plant where it will receive afternoon shade.
Kousa Dogwood or Chinese Dogwood (mature height 20') is not as well known as its cousin, but Kousa cultivars deserve just as much attention for their striking flowers. Here’s another one that should be kept out of the afternoon heat and you’ll need to condition the soil with organic matter, sulfur, and acidifying fertilizers since it prefers acid soil conditions.
Persian Parrotia (20' to 40' in the south) this is a beautiful tree with unusual upright or spreading oval form and texture. Its fall color is a breathtaking mix of yellow, orange and red. The bark is an interesting exfoliating gray, green, white and brown.