Having a small garden can feel limiting, especially when it comes to planting trees. But there are actually dozens of excellent narrow tree varieties that are perfectly suited for petite yards. With the right choices, you can add vertical interest and make the most of every inch in your compact garden.
Why Narrow Trees are Ideal for Small Gardens
Narrow columnar trees offer numerous advantages for small space gardens
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Provide privacy, screening, and block views without taking up much horizontal room.
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Draw the eye upwards, adding height and depth to flat landscapes.
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Allow sunlight to reach other plants since they don’t shade too widely.
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Offer multi-season interest with flowers, fall color, fruit, and evergreen foliage.
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Attract pollinators and birds.
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Create strong focal points and specimens.
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Contrast nicely with spreading shrubs and groundcovers.
With smart narrow tree selections, even the tiniest garden can feel like a grand estate!
12 Stunning Narrow Trees for Small Gardens
Here are some of the best tall skinny trees to maximize limited yard space:
1. Crimson Spire Oak
This oak tree has a narrow upright growth habit, reaching 40 feet tall but only 15-20 feet wide. The lobed leaves turn vibrant red in fall. It’s fast growing for an oak.
2. Skyrocket Juniper
Skyrocket Juniper is an evergreen conifer that grows 15-20 feet tall but only 2-3 feet wide. The steely blue-green foliage provides good privacy. It’s great for screens and side yards.
3. Ginkgo ‘Jade Butterflies’
A dwarf variety of Ginkgo, ‘Jade Butterflies’ reaches just 10 feet tall and 2 feet wide. The fan-shaped leaves emerge bright green, turning golden in fall. It’s slow growing so needs little pruning.
4. Austrian Black Pine
Growing 50 feet tall but only 15 feet wide, this fastigiate pine has bundles of dark green needles. It makes a nice narrow screen or vertical accent.
5. Red Rocket Maple
Red Rocket Maple explodes with crimson fall foliage. It has a narrow columnar shape, growing 50 feet tall but just 15 feet wide. Pruning while young helps establish the upright form.
6. Eastern Red Cedar
With dense evergreen foliage, Eastern Red Cedar is valued for screens where horizontal space is limited. It can reach 50 feet tall while pruned to just a 10 foot spread.
7. Columnar Sargent Cherry
This ornamental cherry dazzles in spring with pink flowers and has brilliant orange-red fall foliage. It grows just 8 feet wide but up to 25 feet tall.
8. Little Giant Arborvitae
Perfect for small gardens, this diminutive evergreen reaches just 10 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It makes a nice low hedge or geometric feature.
9. Hollywood Juniper
Hollywood Juniper has light green twisted foliage that forms dense ropy cords, giving it a very sculptural look. It grows slowly to 15 feet tall and just 3-4 feet wide.
10. Armand’s Arborvitae
Armand’s Arborvitae keeps a narrow pyramidal shape with lemon-scented bronze foliage in winter. It reaches 15 feet tall and just 3 feet wide when mature.
11. Golden Curls Willow
Unlike weeping willows, Golden Curls Willow has a narrow upright silhouette with twisted lemon-yellow branches. It gains 35 feet tall by 10 feet wide.
12. Tremonia Columnar Oak
This oak grows 50 feet tall but only 10-15 feet wide. The slim profile needs minimal trimming. Dark green leaves turn burnt orange in fall.
How to Select the Best Narrow Trees
When choosing narrow trees, consider:
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Mature height and spread – Ensure it will fit the space.
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Sun exposure – Match the tree to light levels.
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Soil conditions – Select trees suited to your soil.
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Climate – Choose trees hardy for your zone.
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Growth rate – Faster growing varieties fill space quicker.
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Evergreen or deciduous – Pick the seasonal look you prefer.
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Ornamental features – Prioritize flowers, fall color, etc.
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Wildlife benefits – Many native narrow trees support birds.
Match the narrow tree to your garden conditions and landscape vision. A thoughtfully selected slender tree can make a big impact even in a petite yard.
Design Tips for Using Narrow Trees
When incorporating narrow trees into small gardens, keep these tips in mind:
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Allow enough space between multiple trees for future growth.
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Situate them carefully to avoid infringing on structures as they mature.
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Stake young trees to establish straight leader stems.
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Prune lower branches as canopies fill in to show off tall trunks.
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Water deeply and mulch well, especially at first.
Choosing trees with care, your small garden can flourish with inspiring narrow tree accents for years to come. Don’t let limited space deter you from the joys and benefits of trees!
Criteria When Choosing a Narrow Tree for Your Yard
When selecting the right narrow tree for your property, consider the following criteria:
Look for trees with a naturally upright, columnar growth habit, like the ones in this post! Make sure they keep their narrow form as they mature, rather than spreading out.
Consider the mature height and spread of columnar trees to ensure they will actually fit into your space without disturbing structures, power lines or neighboring properties. Think about where it will cast shade, especially if you grow veg on your property.
Decide whether you prefer an evergreen tree that retains its foliage year-round (here’s a full list of narrow evergreen trees) or a deciduous tree that provides seasonal interest and allows more light during winter.
Some trees are great for wet areas. Some can serve as a great windbreak. Other trees provide shade or privacy. Some trees make beautiful focal points. Which do you need?
There are also many native trees (or native cultivars) that provide food and habitat to wildlife and bring nature into your space. Choosing a tree based on ecological value is a great way to narrow down your choices. Learn more about native plants.
The Best Narrow Trees for Small YardsYou can also get all the details of these narrow trees in my YouTube video.
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Here are some of my personal favorites. And don’t worry, in this article I’ll be sharing all of the details about each narrow tree on this list.
- Goldspire Ginkgo
- Forever Goldie Arborvitae
- Crimson Pointe Flowering Plum
- Tsukasa Silhouette Japanese Maple
- Japanese Flagpole Flowering Cherry Tree
- Slender Hinoki Cypress
- Columnar Sweetgum Slender Silhouette
- Sky Pencil Holly Tree
- Frans Fontaine Hornbeam
- Armstrong Gold® Maple
- Weeping White Spruce
- Blushing Delight™ Columnar Apple Tree
- Moonglow, Blue Arrow, Skyrocket and Pencil Point Juniper
Keep reading for more details about each of these unique tall skinny trees for tight spaces.
Zones 4-9 Full Sun, Part Sun 14-15′ H x 5-6′ W (potentially 30′ H x 10′ W at full maturity*)Growth Rate: ModeratePurchase Here
The dark green foliage of Ginkgo ‘Goldspire’ (Ginkgo biloba ‘Goldspire’) has unmatched beauty. Unharmed by urban smog, the leaves will filter out the pollutants in the air to give you tons of fresh clean air.
This narrow Gingko will provide shade and beautiful deep green backdrop for other plants to pop against. In the fall, the leaves of ‘Goldspire’ turn a beautiful shade of golden yellow that demand attention in your autumn garden.
*It’s important to note that Goldspire is a newer cultivar, so it’s difficult to know it’s full grown size. According to Dick Crum, aka Dr. Dirt, who has been writing newspaper columns about gardening for 45 years,
Zones 3-8 Full Sun 12′ H x 3-4′ WGrowth Rate: Moderate, >1’/yearPurchase Here
Forever Goldie (Thuja plicata ‘4EVER’) tops off at 12 feet tall and has bright green foliage tinged with yellow. You’ll love how its foliage ‘turns gold with the cold.’ Its glowing needles shine in the summer and is a beacon of brightness in cold, gloomy weather.
This well-behaved tree doesn’t shed, so you’ll get maximum visual interest all year round. The arborvitae’s soft foliage and upright, pyramidal stature can also stand alone as a focal point on your property.
Zones 4-9 Full Sun 20-25′ H x 5-6′ WGrowth Rate: ModeratePurchase Here
‘Crimson Pointe’ Flowering Plum (Prunus x cerasifera ‘Cripoizam‘) is a dense deciduous tree with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. In early spring, it’s covered in stunning clusters of fragrant pink-white flowers along the branches before the foliage appears.
This beautiful, narrow tree has attractive deep purple foliage throughout each season.
I have the Crimson Pointe flowering plum tree on my property and it’s beautiful. After the rain, it will lose it’s shape, but after a few hours, it pops right back into it’s columnar form.
It also has small fruit (plums), which don’t taste very good. This fruit will drop from the tree. But, because of the narrow habit, the plums fall in a small area and are easy to clean up.
I love that this is one of the first trees to flower in the spring and has a deep plum foliage that lasts spring through fall. It’s a great tree and very easy to care for.
12 Narrow Trees for Small Yards that Pack a Punch: Skinny Trees to Maximize Yard Space
FAQ
What trees grow in narrow spaces?
- Blue Point Juniper. Growing Zones 4-9. Mature Size: 10 to 15 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide. …
- Emerald Green Arborvitae. Growing Zones 3-8. …
- Hicks Yew. Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’ …
- Sky Pencil Holly. Growing Zones 5-9. …
- Vokel’s Upright Hinoki Cypress. Growing Zones 5-9.
What is the narrowest privacy tree?
- Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) …
- Dwarf Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens ‘Tiny Tower’) …
- Armstrong Red Maple Tree (Acer rubrum ‘Armstrong’) …
- Autumn Gold Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba ‘Autumn Gold’) …
- Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
What is the best tree to have in a small garden?
- Acer griseum.
- Amelanchier × grandiflora ‘Ballerina’
- Crataegus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’
- Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’
- Prunus ‘Amanogawa’
What kind of tree is tall and skinny?
If your landscape has a few tight spots, choosing a columnar tree makes an easy solution. In addition to a natural narrow habit, tall skinny trees also bring a dynamic energy, acting as a vertical exclamation point in any setting.