There are lots of good reasons to plant a tree. It will give your garden structure, introduce seasonal interest and support a wide range of wildlife. But even those trees that are recommended for smaller gardens will become quite large in time, and the sort of multi-stemmed specimens that are currently favoured by garden designers are expensive and often surprisingly difficult for home gardeners to get their hands on.
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So perhaps what you should actually be planting is a large shrub. After all, according to the Royal Horticultural Society, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish between a large shrub and a small tree. In general, it advises, ‘shrubs tend to produce multiple woody stems that sprout from low down, while trees usually have one tall main trunk.’ In other words, if you can get over the shrub’s reputation for old-fashioned lumpiness, you will discover an exciting range of naturally multi-stemmed plants that rarely get taller than two or three metres.
Ecological designer Nigel Dunnett is increasingly turning to shrubs in his own naturalistic planting schemes, to introduce structure and biodiversity. “Multi-stems are popular with designers because they give height and structure with transparency, delivered at a human scale. Trees have to be manipulated into multi-stemmed forms, but that is the natural habit of a shrub, which makes it more predictable and manageable.
“Neither option is maintenance free but, especially for less confident gardeners, it is probably not quite as daunting to clear the leafy base of a shrub and lift its canopy, as it is to coppice a tree in order to keep its height under control.”
In his landmark scheme at the Barbican in London, Nigel has used a wide range of shrubs, including philadelphus, sorbus, shrub roses and amelanchier, chosen with an eye not only to their structure, but also for their seasonal interest. “There is a certain irony to that,” he says. “I have long been associated with the perennial movement, which began as a reaction against the old idea of a shrubbery as a boring monoculture of blobby shapes, but I think we have moved beyond those hard distinctions and should embrace all the available options.
Using multi-stemmed shrubs in our Shrub Steppe planting at the Barbican added visually interesting structure, flowers, fruit and autumn colour, but also introduced additional bird habitats that increased the overall wildlife value of the scheme.”
Landscape architect Stefano Marinaz has created many elegant gardens in small spaces, particularly for London clients, and values multi-stemmed plants for their sculptural presence. “Personally, I think that a 2-2.5m-high amelanchier is a fine choice in many situations, with a light-filtering canopy above head height framing views out through the garden.”
There are lots of good reasons to plant a tree. It will give your garden structure, introduce seasonal interest and support a wide range of wildlife.
The most important consideration, he says, is to choose shrubs that won’t constantly reshoot from the base. “Things like viburnum, hamamelis and osmanthus become woody quite quickly, giving a sense of age and character to the stems and making maintenance easier. It is a simple job to remove any young suckers that appear low down when there is such a big difference between the multi-stemmed framework that you want to keep, and the soft young growth that you need to remove.”
Hydrangea aspera Villosa Group is another shrub Stefano recommends growing as a multi-stem, with the bonus of interesting bark that peels attractively as the plant ages. “And once you lift the canopy you get a beautiful opportunity to plant underneath, maybe with something like a shady-tolerant grass or heuchera, which can look very pleasing.”
Sarah Price is a designer who is known for the ecological sensitivity of her gardens, as well as the exquisite beauty of their planting, and uses multi-stemmed shrubs to help build up layers of successional interest. “I certainly wouldn’t want to discourage anyone from planting a tree, but it is all about context, and shrubs can be a valuable part of the overall composition,” she says.
Her show-stopping Nurture Landscapes Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2023 included Elaeagnus ‘Quicksilver’ in an airy multi-stemmed form that showed off its shimmering foliage to stunning effect, together with Rosa glauca, its whippy stems arching down from a high crown. Sarah sometimes pole-trains ivy or wisteria into similarly weeping forms, and was recently inspired by the sight of a Rubus ‘Benenden’ covered in white flowers growing alongside a cercis at Benton End garden in Suffolk. “You can get some beautiful effects if the shrub is managed correctly,” she says. “Well- trained Garrya elliptica and Itea can both be wonderful. Even a Buddleja can develop a tree-like character if you prune it right.”
Don’t worry unduly about where the dividing line falls between a tree and a shrub
Mat Reese, who worked for years at Great Dixter in East Sussex before going on to create the landmark private gardens at Malverleys in Hampshire, reinforces the point about correct maintenance. “At Malverleys we often work with shrubs in a similar way to Dixter. They can introduce a nice sense of solidity and permanence, especially in a new garden. They aren’t always quick to establish but can be trained to look like a tree and many have an ultimate height of a couple of metres, in contrast to an actual tree that will keep on growing.”
Many of the shrubs he recommends, including Prunus incisa ‘Mikinori’, Staphylea holocarpa var. rosea and Maackia amurensis, are routinely listed as either a shrub or small tree, underlining the point that in many ways the distinction is irrelevant in a garden setting.
“What you really need to think about is where and how you use them,” says Mat. “Essentially, they are all little trees with strong skeletons that can set up a nice conversation between the garden and the wider landscape.
"Lots have wonderful flowers. Magnolia liliiflora ‘Nigra’ produces masses of gorgeous tulip-shaped flowers from spring to summer. Others, including Osmanthus delavayi have bark that develops an aged character relatively quickly. And many, such as Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla ‘Eva’, will produce attractive fruit as well.”
So, don’t worry unduly about where the dividing line falls between a tree and a shrub. Poodle-clip a Phillyrea angustifolia in cloud-like niwaki style; embrace the naturally layered elegance of the variegated Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’; or winter prune a Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ to thin its bulk, while leaving four or five elegant wand- like stems to carry the new season’s growth.
In the garden (as in the world beyond the gate) diversity is the key to resilience. Let’s just call them all ‘trubs’, and celebrate the possibilities they have to offer, in both small and larger gardens.
Top ‘trubs’ for small gardens
1. Osmanthus delavayi
Slow-growing, rounded evergreen with scented white flowers in spring. Full sun or part shade. 3m x 4m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7a-9b†.
2. Prunus incisa ‘Mikinori’
Semi-double white flowers in early to mid-spring. Good red and orange autumn foliage. Best grown in full sun. 4m x 3m. RHS H6, USDA 6a-8b.
3. Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’
White flowers in early summer and dark-purple foliage. Full sun or part shade. Copes with moist soil. 2.5m x 2m. RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.
4. Hydrangea aspera Villosa Group
Dark-green leaves and dark-blue flowers ringed by mauve florets in late summer. Part shade. 3m x 2.5m. RHS H5, USDA 7a-9b.
5. Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla ‘Eva’
Also known as Sambucus ‘Black Lace’, this elder has dark deciduous foliage and fragrant, pale-pink blooms in late spring and early summer. Grow in full sun for the best foliage colour. 3m x 2m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-7b.
6. Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Carmine Red’
A deciduous shrub with an airy, spreading canopy. Clusters of dark-red, lightly fragrant flowers on bare branches in winter. Leaves turn yellow in autumn. 3m x 4m. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.
7. Maackia amurensis
An unusual Asian shrub or small tree, with attractive young foliage in spring, panicles of creamy-white flowers in summer and attractive bark to enjoy in winter. Grow in full sun. 3m x 2.5m.
8. Garrya elliptica
Known as the silk tassel bush, this evergreen shrub has long, silvery catkins up to 20cm long in winter. Fast growing. Grow in full sun or part shade. 4m x 4m. RHS H4.
Here are more ideas for great small trees for the garden