11 Beautiful Trees Under 10 Feet

Small trees and hedges can help you create more privacy around your home. They can also work as great sound barriers in noisy neighborhoods and keep prying eyes from your windows and glass doors--especially if you don't want to install a fence. There are different varieties of small trees that can range anywhere from 5 to 10 feet in height are perfect for accenting your front lawn or backyard.

These small trees are also great for lining driveways and sidewalks with bright and colorful flowers. If you have a lawn on the smaller side, a dwarf tree or a bush can fit perfectly in the space and may seem less obtrusive than larger trees. In this post, we've compiled a list of beautiful trees under 10 ft. that can fit in most yards to improve the overall aesthetic of your home.

Close up of a bee on a Californian Lilac - 11 Beautiful Trees Under 10 Feet

11 Beautiful Trees Under 10 Feet

A woman trimming her round hedges

1. Cherry Dazzle Dwarf Crape Myrle Lagerstroemia

Red Crape Myrtle Flower.

The cherry dazzle is a dwarf crepe myrtle plant that is native to growing zones 6 to 9. This amazingly beautiful shrub has brightly colored cherry-red flowers that blossom in the summer, and it is one of the most easily recognizable shrubs in home gardening. It's perfect for accenting front lawns or lining the areas around windows.

It grows in moist, well-draining soil and prefers sun with a little shade. This tree is picky about its soil, and an average or medium pH will suffice. The cherry dazzle requires very little pruning, and it has a spread of anywhere from two to five feet.

2. Dwarf Meyer Lemon Tree (Citrus × meyeri)

ripe yellow-orange Meyer lemons on a lemon tree

This dwarf lemon tree is found in growing zones 9 and 10 and is native to China. You'll be happy to know that this is another relatively low maintenance tree, so you won't need to do much to keep it thriving. It prefers moist loam soil that is well-draining and does well in full sun and partial shade. While the tree doesn't get more than about 12 feet, it can easily be pruned to stay under 10 feet.

You can even grow this shrub in containers. Meyer lemon trees will bloom year-round, and if you're buying a baby tree, you can expect it to begin bearing fruit and about 3 to 4 years.

3. California Lilac (Ceanothus)

Close up of a bee on a Californian Lilac

California lilac trees aren't truly lilac trees. However, they have beautiful white, dark blue, pink, and lavender flowers similar to those of lilacs. This decadent tree typically grows anywhere from 6 inches to about 10 ft, and you can typically find them available at most local nurseries.

This tree is not only stunning to look at, but it also produces an intoxicating fragrance that attracts insects and birds. On average, it has a lifespan of about 20 years and is native to growing zones 8-10. It prefers full sun and well-draining soil and will perform even better if the soil is mixed with organic humus.

4. American Snowbell (Styrax americanus)

Fragrant Snowbell tree flowers.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The American Snowbell tree is native to growing zones 8 through 10. This deciduous tree is native to Texas and will typically reach about 8 to 10 feet in height. The plant has glossy bright deep green foliage and white bell-shaped flowers, and it produces a wonderful fragrance that is sure to leave its mark on the exterior of your home.

The American snowbell prefers moist to wet soil that is slightly acidic and sandy. It also prefers partial shade instead of full sunlight and only requires watering once a week during mild temperatures of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Check out this watering hose on Amazon.

5. Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus Syriacus)

Beautifully blooming hibiscus syriacus 'Blue bird' with attractive flowers, garden in august

The Rose of Sharon, more commonly referred to as hibiscus syriacus, is best grown in warmer climates with access to full sun and partial afternoon shade. It has an average spread of about 6 to 10 and an average height of around 8 to 10 feet tall. It produces beautiful pink, white, and magnetic flowers in the summer, and it can also come in shades of blue or violet.

This beautiful tree has vibrant green light leaves, and it prefers acidic soil that is moist and well-draining. You can also use mulch to help keep the soil hydrated. This tree is native to China and makes for a fairly easy plant to grow at home.

Read more about this mulch on Amazon.

6. Compact Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo Compacta)

Fruits and flowers of Arbutus Unedo in autumn. Also called arbutus or strawberry tree, this tree produces small, edible red berries resembling strawberries

What's better than a strawberry tree in your front or back yard? These trees are native to Southern Europe and generally only reach 10 feet, though most will average around 6 to 8 feet. It has small glossy green leaves and beautiful red stems that stand out. The dwarf fruit tree produces white flowers followed up by strawberry-like fruits that are palatable to both humans and wildlife at the start of fall.

It requires weekly watering, especially in the warmer months, and grows best in full and partial sun. This easy-growing tree tolerates several soil conditions such as clay and sand without a hitch. However, its soil must be well-draining for it to receive the nutrients that it needs to grow.

7. Redvein Enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus or Enkianthus perulatus)

Red-vein enkianthus - Latin name - Enkianthus campanulatus

The redvein enkianthus is a deciduous tree with brown smooth bark and is native to grow zone 4. This tree usually matures to around eight feet tall and has an average spread of about 4 to 6 feet. It has light green leaves with red and white bell-shaped flowers on its tips. The downward-facing flowers are a great fall attraction and often change colors from yellow and purple to orange and scarlet.

The tree prefers shade to full sun, though it doesn't do well in full sun for extended periods of time. Moist, rich, well-draining soil is best for this plant, especially during the summer months.

8. Fernspray Gold (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

A Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa). Nichinan. Miyazaki Prefecture. Japan.

This small tree reaches a maximum height of 10 feet and has light green horizontal branches covered in golden yellow tips. It prefers well-draining soil, and it thrives in a mix of partial shade and only a little full sunlight. On average, you'll find that this small evergreen grows slowly, and its branches can span up to about 5 feet wide.

It's a very dense tree and works perfectly to cover up first-floor windows or backyard patio doors. Be sure not to plant his tree in an area that receives full direct sun for hours a day, as doing so may cause the foliage to burn.

9. Purple Leaf Sand Cherry (Prunus x cisterna)

Close up view of Purple Leaf Plum Prunus Cistena Leaves

The purple leaf sand cherry has wide-spanning branches that can work wonderfully as hedges or backyard fence liners. It's a short shrub that has eye-catching purple foliage and will definitely add character to your front lawn or a backyard. This tree a relatively fast-growing one and can get up to 6 to 10 feet tall and has a span of about 5 to 8 feet.

It prefers full sun on most days, and it can also thrive in partial shade. The purple leaf sand cherry can be planted as a hedge tree for optimal privacy or used to line walkways and driveways. It's native to growing zones 2 through 8, and it prefers neutral to acidic soil that is moist and well-draining.

10. Sargent Crabapple (Malus sargentii)

Malus toringo sargentii - Selective Focus

This compact tree grows gorgeous white flowers and small edible red fruit, known as crabapples. On average, it grows to about 6 to 10 ft and height and has a spread of anywhere from 6 to 12 feet at maturity. It prefers full sun daily and at least a few hours of unfiltered light in the evenings. The crabapple tree a relatively slow-growing one, and it only reaches about a foot a year. The sargent crabapple can grow in a wide variety of soil textures but prefers well-drained soil.

It can, however, tolerate dry conditions for short periods of time. It's one of the easiest plants to transplant and grows, and it can be grown as a single trunk tree or multi-stemmed. It's also native to growing zones 6 through 8.

11. Crimson Queen Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Red, orange and brown leaves adorn this Japanese Maple at Westonbirt , the National Arboretum. The tree sits in a park surrounded by coppery acers, beech and pine trees.

The Japanese maple tree is definitely a showstopper and will work well in most small outdoor areas. It's even small enough to place in containers if pruned regularly. These trees come in several different sizes, and the Crimson Queen variety doesn't get taller than 10 feet. Its gorgeous wine-colored leaves will definitely stand out in your yard. This tree grows in zones 5 through 8 and surprisingly requires very little maintenance.

Check out this plant container on Amazon.

It grows well in partial shade or full sun and prefers moist, slightly acidic, and well-draining soil. Maples are notorious for taking full sun very well, so don't be afraid to plant this tree in open areas.

Wrapping Things Up

As you can see, there are several short trees to choose from if you're looking to accommodate a small lawn or provide more privacy around your home. We hope that this post has helped provide you with a few great options to consider.

Be sure to check out our other posts before you go:

11 Beautiful Succulents That Don’t Need Sun

11 Gorgeous Trees That Like Wet Soil And Shade

A California Lilac tree growing and blooming wildly, 11 Beautiful Trees Under 10 Feet

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *