The fact is that many homeowners new to the constraints of small-yard design make the mistake of planting a specimen that is too big for their landscapes. The result of their poor selection is that the plant quickly outgrows its space, necessitating its removal after only a short period of time in the ground. A wiser choice is to purchase a more appropriately sized specimen. The popular ‘Gnom’ cultivar (Pinus mugo ‘Gnom’) reaches only 2 feet in height and about 4 feet in width and has a low, mounding habit. It tolerates most soils and is suitable for USDA plant hardiness zones 3 to 7. The ‘Conica’ spruce (Picea glauca albertiana ‘Conica’) is a popular cultivar that stays quite small, at just 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. True to its name, this dwarf evergreen has a conical shape that it maintains without intervention. Another prized feature is the bright lime green color on its spring growth. You can grow it in zones 4 to 7. One elegant example is ‘Arnold Arboretum Dwarf’ (Pinus parviflora ‘Arnold arboretum Dwarf’). At 10 years old, this white pine will stand 3 feet tall, with a spread of under 2 feet. It grows in zones 4 to 8. ‘Nana Gracilis’ is a cultivar of Hinoki cypress (C. obtusa) features tiny, richly textured branches and grows 4 to 5 feet tall after 10 years. It is suitable for zones 4 to 8. Abies balsamea ‘Hudsonia’ is a slow-growing, mounding fir that grows to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It has very dark green needles and finger-like branches that jut horizontally. It is notable cold-hardy and grows in zones 3 to 7. Pseudotsuga menziesii ‘Fletcheri’ is a dwarf Douglas fir, another popular option for Christmas trees. The ‘Fletcheri’ cultivar is a shrub-like fir that grows in zones 4 to 7 and matures at just 3 to 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It has long, blue-green needles and a spreading habit; it is globe-shaped when young and becomes more open and irregular over time. Common juniper, Juniperus communis, is the world’s most widely grown conifer and can take the form of a shrub or a small tree. It’s also notably hardy and can grow in zones 2 to 8. If you’re looking for a small, dense, conical evergreen for your landscape or patio, you might love the ‘Compressa’, or pencil-point, juniper (Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’). At just 2 to 6 feet tall and 12 to 18 inches wide, it gets its nickname from its spear-tip shape and pointy top.
Thuja occidentalis ‘Hertz Midget’ is truly tiny, forming a tight globe that’s just 12 inches tall and wide, but it sports the characteristic feathery arborvitae needles. It grows in zones 2 to 8 and tolerates part shade.Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’ is distinguished by its gold foliage and upward-jutting branches. It can have a round to conical form. Its golden needles change to a coppery bronze color in autumn. Grow it in zones 3 to 8.
‘Pendula’, or weeping French pussy willow, (Salix caprea ‘Pendula’) is commonly sold at nurseries and has a nice, weeping form, making it suitable even for the landscapes of people who like their plants tame-looking. It reaches 6 to 7 feet tall, with a spread of 5 to 6 feet, and grows in zones 4 to 8.
