SQUEEZE ME IN: SCREENING TREES FOR NARROW SPACES

Choosing the right tree is especially important when looking to screen off neighbours, tall structures or other properties. Narrow garden beds are tricky, and care has to be taken both in terms of planting the right container-size tree to fit the planting space and in the selection of the tree with the right form to ensure it can grow unrestricted to flourish.

There are a number of excellent trees to consider, and these are fastigiate in form which means that they grow more upright than outwards. The team at Speciality Trees have native evergreen and deciduous recommendations to suit these tight and sometimes awkward spaces.

Choice Selections:

Pyrus calleryana ‘Capital’ (11-12m tall x 1-3m wide)
This tree has a narrow growth habit with luscious shiny green leaves turning red and oranges in autumn. An attractive curl in the foliage adds further interest and the slender, columnar shape lends itself well to tight spaces making it the go-to ornamental pear for tall and skinny blockout.

Liriodendron tulipifera fastigiata (20m tall x 4m wide)
A smaller tree which is more upright than it is wide, forming a tear drop shape with age. It offers the same beautiful characteristics as its parent, but its growth habit is much narrower with erect, upright growing branches.

Left: Pyrus calleryana 'Capital'
Right: Liriodendron tulipifera fastigiata

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Sweet Spire’ TM (3m tall x 1.2m wide)
This newer selection of evergreen Magnolia grows more upright and sender producing the same attractive creamy white flowers we are accustomed with evergreen Magnolia.

Acer platanoides ‘Crimson Sentry’ (7m tall x 4m wide)
This is a super flashy crimson foliaged Maple with dense upright branching. It has a compact growth habit with large crimson leaves in summer turning to gold and orange in autumn. Adds great colour contrast foliage. This is a small tree with grey-black bark that is lightly textured.

Syzygium australe ‘Straight and Narrow’ TM (5-8m tall x 1-1.5m wide)
This is an outstanding evergreen native selection for slim spots. This Lilly Pilly offers dense foliage and a naturally columnar form and is considered a better selection to 'Pinnacle. Foliage is a mid-green colour and looks awesome clipped to define a border or path.

Left: Acer platanoides ‘Crimson Sentry’
Right: Syzygium australe ‘Straight and Narrow’ TM

Callistemon viminalis CV01 ‘Slim’ PBR TM (3m tall x 1-1.5m wide)
This is a narrow growing Bottlebrush with all the usual colour and texture and colour of traditional Bottlebrush but with the benefit of being able to use as a compact alternative in narrow positions. Flowers are red and numerous over the warmer months. This is a lovely alternative as a screen or hedge to attract birds, bees and butterflies into the landscape.

And there are still others! Banksia integrifolia ‘Sentinel’(3m tall x 1m wide), traditional Italian Pencil Pine (Cupressus sempervirens ‘glauca’ (15m tall x 1m wide) and Ginkgo biloba ‘Blagon Fanfare’ (8m tall x 2m wide). 

Cupressus sempervirons ‘glauca’

Ensuring you can plant correctly in your allocated space is the reason a number of sizes are offered in many tree lines, so talk to Specilaity Trees via the links below if you are in any doubt about the size of tree required for your planting space.