10 best trees to grow in pots
Choose the right kind of ornamental tree for potting. Trees grown in containers can add even more luster to your home. Here are 10 best trees to grow in pots.
1. Citrus
Citrus of all types — most usually lemons, limes, kumquats, oranges and tangerines — can be grown in giant containers and make especially accents on patios, in herb gardens or tucked into a backyard bed. All citrus plant life are frost-tender; in bloodless climates, format on bringing the bushes internal to a sunny window or greenhouse.
If citrus leaves commence to yellow or drop, it’s most probably a signal of nitrogen deficiency. Supplement watering with a weekly or bimonthly feeding of diluted natural fertilizer all through the developing duration to set up container-grown citrus for success.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 25 tiers Fahrenheit, or minus 3.9 stages Celsius (USDA zones 9 to 11; discover your zone); in less warm areas, format on bringing the container indoors over winter
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Varies by using species; dwarf citrus timber are in particular well-suited for containers
Citrus is one of the best trees to grow in pots
2. Conifers
Evergreen conifers, such as pine, juniper, fir and cypress trees, make excellent container plants, providing year-round pastime and shape on patios, terraces and balconies. All conifer require well-draining soil in a container, and most thrive in a spot with full sun.
Look for dwarf and slow-growing conifer sorts that continue to be a great deal smaller and are naturally extra well-suited for developing in containers. ‘Wilma Goldcrest’ Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Wilma Goldcrest’), for example, solely reaches three toes tall and 18 inches large when grown in a container.
Where it will grow: Hardiness varies with the aid of species; many fall in zones three to 8
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Varies broadly with the aid of species; dwarf sorts are in particular well-suited for containers
Conifers are one of the best trees to grow in pots
3. Edible Fig (Ficus carica)
Figs bushes are prized in Mediterranean courtyards. Their large, lobed leaves forged deep shade, the gnarled branches are eye-catching year-round and, in early summer time and once more in fall, they undergo tasty fruits.
Figs develop properly in containers as lengthy as they have masses of solar and regular water, however anticipate vegetation to remain smaller and set fewer fruits than these grown in gardens.
Figs planted in climates with a long, warm summer, and given masses of water, undergo the sweetest and juiciest fruits. Sure, they make a mess if they drop onto the patio, however it’s really worth it.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 5 tiers Fahrenheit, or minus 15 ranges Celsius (zones 7 to 9); some types are hardy down to minus 5 ranges Fahrenheit, or minus 20.6 stages Celsius (Zone 6)
Water requirement: Moderate for backyard use; excessive for tastier fruits
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Up to 25 toes tall and wide; effortlessly stored smaller in a container with pruning
Edible Fig is one of the best trees to grow in pots
4. Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)
Japanese maples make stunning container plants. Their refined foliage virtually shimmers when positioned in a shiny spot on a terrace. Many varieties, like ‘Crimson Queen’ and ‘Orangeola’, have dazzling fall foliage.
Choose a beneficiant container for potting up a Japanese maple, and cross it into a spot that receives full solar in cooler areas and afternoon colour in hotter areas. These subtle bushes grow first-rate barring a great deal publicity to wind — if you’re developing on a patio or balcony, pick a sheltered vicinity for the tree. Keep the soil in the container persistently moist. Learn more about how to grow and care for Japanese Maple.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 tiers Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 ranges Celsius (zones 5 to 8)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full solar or partial shade; refuge from baking sunlight
Mature size: Varies by using species; up to 20 toes tall and wide; without difficulty stored smaller in a container with pruning
Japanese Maple is one of the best trees to grow in pots
5. Olive (Olea europaea)
These Mediterranean natives make dignified container timber and are ideal for placing an Italian, French or Spanish theme on an outside terrace. Olives are naturally shallow-rooting, in contrast to different bushes their size, and a mature olive — gnarled branches and all — can stay fortunately in a container for years if given the proper care.
Be positive to begin with a good-sized container for mature trees; plant in well-draining soil in a sunny location. Give constant moisture and, in bloodless climates, refuge in winter. To keep away from cleansing up an oily fruit drop, pick a fruitless olive range like ‘Swan Hill’.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 ranges Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 stages Celsius (zones eight to 10)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Can develop to attain 20 to 30 toes tall and 15 to 25 ft wide; without problems saved smaller in a container with pruning
Olive is one of the best trees to grow in pots
6. Palo Verde (Parkinsonia spp.)
A best tree for a container in a desolate tract or low-water garden, palo verde varieties a cover of great branches and tiny leaves to solid dappled colour over a patio. From April to June, relying on variety, the branches are blanketed in clusters of small yellow plant life that appeal to pollinators.
Plant in a quick-draining cactus and succulent mix, and keep away from overwatering these wilderness natives. Some palo verde species have spiny branches; if you select one of these, be certain to area the pot away from foot traffic.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 25 stages Fahrenheit, or minus 3.9 ranges Celsius (zones 9 to 10)
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Varies with the aid of species, from 15 to 30 ft tall and wide; without difficulty saved smaller in a container with pruning
Palo Verde is one of the best trees to grow in pots
7. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
Privet make high-quality topiary plants, grown both in the floor or in containers. For formal or cottage-style gardens, attempt developing privet in pots skilled into popular bushes or trimmed into pyramids or globes. Small-leaved privets, which include California privet (L. ovalifolium) and European privet (L. vulgare), are the species most frequently grown in gardens, and each thrive in containers in full solar to partial shade.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 tiers Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 ranges Celsius (zones four to 7)
Water requirement: Moderate; low as soon as established
Light requirement: Full solar or partial shade
Mature size: Can develop to about 10 to 15 toes tall and eight to 15 ft wide; without problems stored smaller in a container with pruning
Caution: Privet can be invasive in components of the Midwest and Western U.S.; take a look at with your neighborhood nursery earlier than planting. Privet stems and leaves can be poisonous to pets if ingested.
Privet is one of the best trees to grow in pots
8. Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
Plant a southern magnolia in a massive container the place you have masses of vertical area for a tree to develop — they can without difficulty attain 10 ft tall, or more, in a container. The two-sided leaves — with one aspect velvety bronze and the different a deep, sleek inexperienced — make an superb distinction to faded foliage and mild walls. Learn more about how to grow and care for Southern Magnolia.
Keep soil moist and reduce branches frequently to assist manage size.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 5 tiers Fahrenheit, or minus 15 levels Celsius (zones 7 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: Varies by way of species; can develop up to eighty toes tall and 50 toes extensive in the landscape; without problems saved nearer to 10 toes tall in a container with pruning
Southern Magnolia is one of the best trees to grow in pots
9. Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis)
The identical laurel that produces culinary bay leaves additionally makes a tidy accent tree that can be grown in a giant container. Frequent clipping of the outer 6 inches of the branches helps hold the structure of the tree, encouraging the plant to continue to be small, full and bushy. Hang clipped twigs to dry, or supply them away in bundles to pals or neighbors.
Position the potted tree the place it will obtain full solar to partial shade, and water consistently.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 tiers Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 ranges Celsius (zones eight to 11)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full solar or partial shade
Mature size: Ultimately up to forty ft tall and wide; effortlessly stored smaller in a container with pruning
Sweet Bay is one of the best trees to grow in pots
10. Witch Hazel (Hamamelis spp.)
Witch hazels are deciduous trees, grown mostly for their late-winter to early-spring blooms. Tiny buds open on naked branches, unfurling to expose strange, fringy plants that function a beautiful fragrance. Some sorts bloom as early as fall in moderate climates.
Plant in a massive container positioned in full solar to partial coloration alongside a walkway or in a small patio, the place flower heady scent can be preferred up close.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 stages Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 stages Celsius (zones 5 to 8)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full solar to partial shade
Mature size: 10 to 20 toes tall and 10 to 15 ft wide; without difficulty saved smaller in a container with pruning
Witch Hazel is one of the best trees to grow in pots
Care Tips for growing trees in pots
Put the proper plant in the proper place. As with any plant, deciding on a range that prospers in your climate, solar and moisture stage is the solely way to make sure it will thrive in your garden. With container-grown plants, you have the benefit of being in a position to cross them. If the first placement isn’t working (not ample sun, for example), pass the plant to every other spot.
Choose dwarf varieties, if available. In general, smaller timber make higher types for containers. If you see dwarf hybrids of bushes that are now not on this list, such as dwarf apples, gingko and others, they may additionally make properly container plants. Ask for recommendation at your nursery earlier than shopping for a tree to develop in a container.
Start with a massive container. Once you convey a potted tree domestic from the nursery, repot it into a large container than it got here in. Grow a tree in the biggest container you can, aiming for a soil depth of at least two to three feet. Make certain the container has a drainage hole.
Watering. Plants grown in containers dry out greater shortly than these planted in backyard beds. Set up a steady watering agenda for your potted tree to supply it the water it needs; higher yet, put it on a timed drip irrigation system.
Fertilizing. Trees grown in the identical container for many years can use up the vitamins in the soil and run out of the ones they need. This is especially frequent with citrus, which are all heavy nitrogen feeders. Regularly fertilize potted bushes for the duration of the lively developing season with a diluted answer of natural fertilizer.