8 Best Small Trees for Front Yards: Based on Our Customer Reviews

The landscaping in your front yard is an opportunity to beautify your property and provide a lively welcome to those who visit your home. Likewise, the right front yard landscaping decisions can also boost your curb appeal and increase the overall value of your residence. In many cases, the best way to achieve these fantastic outcomes is to add an alluring ornamental tree to your front yard.

The right tree will compliment your home’s façade while becoming a landscape focal point with eye-catching features that draw interest no matter the season. However, in addition to valuing year-round attractiveness, selecting a tree species with a moderate mature size that will fit well in the relatively limited growing space typical of residential landscape spaces is crucial.

While there are plenty of factors to consider when choosing a front yard tree, we’ve decided to make your search a bit easier. This article will reveal a selection of the best small trees for front yards that you can choose. Read on to find your favorite.

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

No list of small ornamental trees for residential front yards is complete without including the flowering dogwood. The fact that countless homeowners have planted this tree for decades may lead some to believe that doing so is a stereotypical landscaping option. However, the undeniable beauty of the flowering dogwood is more than enough justification for its continued use.

Before touching on the brilliant blooms for which this plant is so well known, let’s consider this tree’s growth habit. Flowering dogwoods often grow to about 25 feet tall while developing a set of branches that spread gracefully, forming a considerably broad canopy given its small overall size. That growth habit ensures this tree remains elegant even when it has no leaves or flowers.

But, of course, flowering dogwoods certainly look their best when they are in bloom. The typical bloom time for this species falls between March and May. During this time, flowering dogwoods coat their canopies with countless petal-like flower bracts that come in various shades of white and pink.

Thanks to their timeless beauty, flowering dogwoods are dependable ways to enrich your front yard’s appearance. If you want a surefire way to make your landscape look better than ever before, planting a flowering dogwood may be the best option for you.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)

Although serviceberry trees rarely receive the acclaim granted to other species on this list, they remain an excellent option for front yard spaces. Like some of those other viable small tree options, serviceberries demonstrate an incredible ability to maintain their intrigue throughout nearly every month of the year.

This plant’s ornamental value first becomes apparent in early spring when it blooms with many lovely white petals. The early spring flowers of a serviceberry tree make it stand out brilliantly against the relative starkness of the landscape at that time of year.

Eventually, the flowers give way to pleasant sets of dangling berries. The berries can vary in color from bright red to deeper shades of purple. These berries add visual appeal and are also delicious and nutritious.

Serviceberry trees have a small stature that sometimes leads to people classifying them as large shrubs rather than small trees. Regardless of specific classifications, serviceberry trees are an excellent option for front yards and manage to help support wildlife in addition to the benefits we’ve already mentioned.

Betty Magnolia (Magnolia x ‘Betty’)

Here's a comprehensive factsheet for Betty Magnolia (Magnolia x 'Betty') in table format:

Anyone familiar with flowering trees knows that the Magnolia genus offers some of the best options. While trees in this genus come in many different varieties, nearly everyone offers blooms as beautiful as any other plant you can imagine.

Our recommendation for front yard plantings is the Betty magnolia. This magnolia is ideal for residential front yard plantings because it grows to be no more than 20 feet tall.

In addition to that moderate size, the Betty magnolia holds impressive flowers in the spring season. Each flower has large petals with a deep pink hue. Along with their visual appeal, these flowers also give off a lovely fragrance.

Betty magnolias also have a tasteful multi-stemmed habit that gives the plant character even when not in bloom. In many cases, Betty magnolia trees are also relatively easy to care for, which only adds to their popularity for homeowners.  

Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Many homeowners and gardeners are searching for a vibrant “pop” of color during the spring season. Still, achieving that color pop can seem more elusive than expected. Fortunately, the eastern redbud is the ideal small tree to plant if radiant springtime color is what you envision for your front yard.

This tree coats its branches in blooms in early spring even before the leaves arrive. Despite the name redbud, these flowers are closer to a magenta hue that will stand out while few other plants are in bloom.

Once the leaves do arrive, they’ll add their distinct statement to your landscape. Each deciduous leaf is relatively large and has a neat heart shape. In fall, these leaves show hints of yellow and light orange before dropping to the ground.

Seasonal interest in early spring can be difficult to find in a small tree, but not if you choose to plant an eastern redbud. This plant’s flowers alone make it worth your consideration, while its small size of about 20 feet tall makes it perfect for front yard spaces.

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Many of the trees we’ve featured in this article add color to the landscape via their flowers. However, the Japanese maple tree can provide color without displaying a set of showy blooms. Instead, it’s the leaves of this plant that provide its noteworthy hues.

Japanese maple leaves are deciduous and typically deep red for the majority of the growing season. This shade makes this tree catch the eyes of passersby, striking a contrast to the typical greenery most other trees provide.

In fall, these leaves can become even more impressive as they can take on more vibrant shades of red or even turn golden orange in some cases. Beyond color, these leaves add value thanks to their unique shape, which consists of multiple pointed shapes that emanate from a single origin.

Despite not providing a remarkable floral display, Japanese maples make up for their lack of blooms with fantastic foliage. These trees also come in many different varieties, including dwarf species that are considerably more compact than the already moderately sized parent species.

Flowering Crabapple (Malus)

Here's a comprehensive factsheet for Flowering Crabapple (Malus) in table format:

The flowering crabapple is another tree you cannot overlook if you’re looking for the perfect plant species for your front yard. As the name implies, this tree blooms with incredible flowers that usually appear in April and May.

The specific color of these flowers can vary from white to pink and light purple, depending on the specific variety you own. Regardless of your type, you can rely on a flowering crabapple to grace your landscape with copious blooms at the height of spring.

As you likely know, these trees also produce fruits that can be as numerous as the flowers. However, while technically edible, the intense tartness of a raw crabapple makes this fruit one that people rarely eat. Still, these fruits hang like ornaments from the tree’s limbs, adding interest later in the growing season.

Along with flowers and fruits, crabapples have some subtler traits that add to their merit. For instance, most crabapples have a textured bark and captivating growth habits. These trees can also attract plenty of interesting pollinators to your landscape.

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

Crape myrtles are well known for delivering beauty to the landscape in multiple forms. We’ll begin with the most obvious example of that, which is this plant’s long-lasting flowers. Each year, crape myrtle flowers appear with lovely shades of red, purple, or pink and can last from the middle of summer all the way into fall.

However, simply noting this tree’s flowers does not accurately depict its visual intrigue. In addition to these flowers, crape myrtles also have magnificent fall foliage that can carry shades of yellow, orange, and red.

Still, even when the leaves drop, crape myrtles continue to impress. Their bark is more distinctive than that of most other trees, as it exfoliates with patches of color ranging from light gray to tan and pale pink.

Planting a crape myrtle is only an option for those who live in hardiness zone 6 or warmer. If you live within that range, adding a crape myrtle to your front yard will surely be one of the best gardening decisions you can make this year.

Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)

Our final entry on this list is another small tree that rarely gets its due. The fringe tree grows throughout a surprisingly broad hardiness range, from zones three through 3 through 9, and has a relatively long bloom time as well.

From mid-spring into early summer, the fringe tree looks fantastic thanks to the many white flowers responsible for this plant’s common name. The overall effect of these countless petals is a detailed frilly texture and a creamy white hue.

However, those flowers do much more than impress the eyes of those who visit your home. Rather, they are also responsible for attracting various types of native bird species during the bloom time.

Lastly, fringe trees rarely encounter significant issues related to pests and diseases. They also develop a neat and appealing shape without extensive pruning. At a mature height of just 20 feet tall at most, fringe trees fit well in residential front yard spaces.

Where to Find the Best Small Trees for Front Yards

If you want a small front yard tree that will impress everyone who visits or even passes by your home, you need to source your plants from a trusted supplier. At PrivacyShrub.com, we provide healthy and beautiful small trees and other plant types that look fantastic in your yard. Visit our site today to get access to some of the best nursery stock you can find.

Frequently Asked Questions about Small Front Yard Trees

Would you like to learn more about small trees beyond knowing about some of the best species options? If so, read through the sections below to find answers to some of this topic's most commonly asked questions.

How Large is a Small Tree?

Despite being one of the most popular plant types for residential landscapes, many people are unsure of what constitutes a small tree. Generally, when you hear the term small tree, you can expect a plant that grows no more than 25 to 30 feet tall at maturity.

What’s the Difference Between a Small Tree and a Large Shrub?

In some instances, there is a bit of overlap between small trees and large shrubs. In fact, some species, such as the serviceberry, could be classified into either category. Often, plants that grow with a single main stem are more likely to fall into the small tree category. But with that said, plenty of trees have multi-stemmed growth habits. Ultimately, no single trait distinguishes a large shrub from a small tree.

How Much Space Does a Small Tree Need?

As is true regarding any plant you grow, you need to anticipate the mature size of a small tree before you choose its growing location. Not only do you need to consider the mature height of the tree, but you should also factor in the mature spread of the tree. Ensure your growing location has plenty of room to account for both the mature height and width of your chosen tree’s canopy.

When is the Best Time of Year to Plant a Small Tree?

Generally, it’s best to put new plants in the ground during either the spring months or during the fall. These times of year generally have moderate temperatures, making it easier for plants to adapt to their new growing locations. When you plant in spring or early fall, your small tree will have the best chance to establish its roots and begin healthy growth.

Can Small Trees Provide Shade?

Small trees have less capacity to provide ample shade than large trees. However, depending on the growth habit of the tree you choose, you might get a decent amount of shaded area when your plant is mature. For example, mature dogwoods often spread considerably, casting a relatively large shadow below their limbs.

Contact PrivacyShrubs.com for Your Next Tree Purchase

Are you ready to enhance the appearance of your front yard landscape? If so, you should take the time to find the ideal small tree for your space. The eight options in the list above should provide you with plenty of inspiration. Once you’ve found the tree you like best, head over to PrivacyShrub.com to purchase the small tree of your dreams.