Integrating plants and shrubs with your patio and other hardscapes can enhance your landscape, but nothing creates more drama than a well-chosen patio tree. Whether you are looking for aesthetics, functionality, or both, the right tree can change the whole look of your outdoor space.
Serviceberry (Amelanchier 'Autumn Brilliance') courtesy Monrovia
Before selecting a tree for your patio in the Mid-Atlantic region (generally USDA Hardiness Zones six and seven), it is best to determine your criteria. Will your tree be planted in the ground, or will it be potted? Gene Sumi, certified professional horticulturist for Homestead Gardens, Inc. in Davidsonville, Maryland, recommends that trees go in-ground rather than in pots for this region. “Even if a potted tree can remain outside for the winter, it is still very vulnerable to root freeze if it remains above ground,” he explains. “If you are going to try to move a potted tree indoors for the winter, you must realize that an appropriately sized pot for a tree will be heavy and difficult to move indoors, and unless the tree is tropical or subtropical, the tree will not survive indoors.”
Determining the intended purpose of the patio tree is crucial in your decision. Do you want your tree to serve a function, like shading the patio or providing a privacy screen, or are you looking to provide visual interest or a splash of color? “Consider your needs,” says Dean Smouse, landscape designer of Urban Gardens, Inc. in Cockeysville, Maryland.
“Do you want shade, or would you prefer an open canopy that allows light to filter through? If you are looking to add color, consider the colors already in and around the patio area. Also think about allergies, as some trees pollinate more than others.”The last big considerations are size, bloom schedule, and seasonal elements. With a bit of research, you can find the maximum height and spread of a tree and the rate of growth, for example, how many inches a tree will grow in a given year. Generally, a tree’s tag at a nursery will indicate bloom time (if a tree is to flower or fruit). “Considering the final size of the tree as well as the seasonal elements it offers (flowers, bark, leaves, structural beauty, fragrance, whether it attracts wildlife, etc.) can help you select the right tree,” says Eric Johnson, director of horticulture for Wayside Gardens in Hodges, South Carolina.
Smouse adds that proper care can open up a wider field of options in tree selection. “With a maintenance program for pruning and fertilization, your options can be opened up to use trees that aren’t always considered ‘patio trees’.”
So, what are the best patio trees for the Mid-Atlantic region and why? Following is a list of patio trees recommended by landscaping and horticultural experts.
Chinese Dogwood (Cornus Kousa Chinensis from Monrovia)
Top 10 Patio Trees For In-Ground Use
Chinese Dogwood (Cornus Kousa)
“The Chinese Dogwood is my choice over the native American Dogwood (Cornus Florida),” explains Sumi. “The Chinese Dogwoods grow about the same height as the native variety, but are more upright in form, so their spread is smaller. They are also naturally resistant to fungal disease and the Dogwood Borer.” Height: 20 feet. Spread: 15 feet.
Winter Green Hawthorn (Crataegus Viridis ‘Winter King’)
“An excellent choice for a medium to larger patios, and as a stand-alone specimen,” says Smouse. “Its distinct gray-green stems provide ideal architecture, lustrous foliage, and its small white flowers and red fruit are outstanding. This is truly a four-season tree that may encourage you to spend more time on the patio.” Height: 20 to 25 feet. Spread: 15 to 20 feet.
Weeping Siberian Pea Tree (Caragana Arborescens ‘Walker’)
Highly recommended by Wayside Gardens Horticulturist Stephan Winterfeldt, this petite tree has large heart-shaped to rounded dark green leaves, and will grow flat against a trellis. It’s also perfectly happy in sun or shade. Height: 5 feet. Spread: 3 to 5 feet.
Dwarf Southern Magnolia (Magnolia Grandiflora ‘Little Gem’)
“This magnolia is an evergreen, broadleaf tree with many advantages,” says Sumi. “It produces large, deep green, glossy leaves that it retains through the winter, and is hardy in our region. It features many beautiful, large white blooms with a strong scent of lemon throughout the summer.” Height: 20 feet. Spread: 10 feet.
Japanese Stewartia (Stewartia Psuedocamellia)
“A very unique, beautiful lightning bolt pattern of exfoliating bark is a real show,” Smouse explains. “You will get white flowers in July, and an orange to red fall color. It’s a slow grower (about 12 inches a year) with a tight pyramidal/oval form.” Height: 20 feet. Spread: 10 to 15 feet.
Serviceberry (Amelanchier ‘Autumn Brilliance’)
“With nice form and multi-season interest (blooms in spring, fruit in summer, and nice fall color), Autumn Brilliance is stunning in flower and later bears fruit that tastes like a cross between a blueberry and a raspberry,” says horticulturist Eric Johnson. “The fall color is typically brilliant orange-red. It could be a little messy with the fruits and the winter leaf drop, but it’s still a plant well worth the extra effort.” Height: 15 to 25 feet. Spread: 15 to 25 feet.
Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia Indica) (Any of the 18 zone 7 varieties)
“Crape Myrtles have a wonderful structure with very smooth muscular cinnamon-colored branching, which is usually multi-stem, but can also be single-stem,” says Smouse. “They have a long bloom time through the hottest part of the Maryland summer, and great fall color from yellow to bright orange.”
Height: 15 to 25 feet. Spread: 10 to 15 feet.
Dwarf Buddleia (’Peacock’, ‘Adonis Blue’, and ‘Purple Emperor’)
“These have a nice compact form, and are covered in blooms for much of the summer,” says Johnson. “They invite butterflies into outdoor living spaces, and [perform very well] in containers, or planted in the ground.” Height: 5 feet. Spread: 3 to 4 feet.
Double Knock Out Rose (Rosa ‘Radtko’)
Jeremy Moore of Monrovia Nursery in Azusa, California believes that roses for the patio deserve a second look. “These roses are very hardy and drought tolerant,” says Moore. “They can bloom continuously from March through November, are a great focal point, and are pruned easily to maintain perfect shape.” Height: 3 to 4 feet. Spread: 3 to 4 feet.
Japanese Snowbell (Styrax Japonicus)
Sumi suggests the Japanese Snowbell, which provides dappled sunlight and light shade to a patio. “The tree is found in single trunk, which forms a round head, or in multiple low branching forms, which mature into a beautiful spreading tree about 20 feet wide,” says Sumi. “In April, the tree sports thousands of pure white blooms in the shape of small bells.” Height: 20 feet. Spread: 15 to 20 feet.
Amy Feinstein is a frequent contributor to ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
Homestead Gardens, Inc.: 410-798-5000
Monrovia Nursery: monrovia.com
Park Seed: parkseed.com or 800-213-0076
Missouri Botanical Garden: mobot.org or 800-642-8842
Spring Meadow Nursery: springmeadownursery.com or 800-633-8859
Urban Gardens, Inc.: urbangardensinc.net or 410-833-4930
Wayside Gardens: waysidegardens.com or 800-213-0379
