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Do you want to plant evergreen trees in your small garden? Well, we would say that is a really good idea! Evergreen trees won’t shed leaves throughout the year unlike other trees and can retain their leaves until the next growing season.
The leaves of evergreen trees are thicker when compared to deciduous trees and are often needle-like. You might notice a leaf on an evergreen for up to two years before it falls.
Also, there is no fixed time as to when the leaves might fall, they can fall anytime throughout the year.
Tropical species of evergreen trees are broad-leafed but in cold areas, evergreen trees’ leaves are often like shrubs or conifers.
Evergreen trees do not require many nutrients but rather retain nutrients because of their slow growth, unlike deciduous trees that require a lot of energy.
The leaves of an evergreen tree provide insulation for the trees as well and they also fertilize themselves!
What Are the Fastest Growing Evergreen Trees for Small Gardens?
If you are looking for evergreen trees that will look beautiful in your small garden, then you have come to the right place!
Many evergreen trees make your landscape impressive. Let us look at some of the fastest growing evergreen trees for small gardens:
1) Arborvitae
This evergreen tree has bright green foliage that looks good all year round. It can grow up to 15 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide.
It young plants also thrive in containers and grow at the rate of 12 inches per year. Its variety is hardy from Zones 4-8.
2) Arizona Cypress
This type of evergreen tree is heat and drought resistant. It can be pruned into a hedge, or you can allow it to mature up to 20 feet tall in a pyramidal shape.
The arizona cypress will grow slowly if the soil is dry but if you give it the right conditions it can grow up to 3 feet per year. It is ideal for low water landscapes and develops gray-green needles.
3) Japanese Cedar
Japanese cedar is a fast-growing tree and can grow up to 50 feet tall but there are shorter varieties of this plant as well.
They grow about 1 foot a year and their tiered horizontal branches give it a loose pyramidal shape. In some varieties, the needles change the color to black-green as they mature.
4) Blue Joint Juniper
This type of evergreen tree is a low-maintenance tree that is ideal for winter or summer.
It has almost no insect or disease problems and is a little slow grower but will reach 12 feet tall and 4 feet wide. It has powdery blue foliage and is hardy from Zones 4-9.
5) Italian Cypress
Italian cypress has blue-green foliage, and it holds its shape without pruning. It usually grows about one to two feet per year.
The italian cypress is also tolerant of ocean breezes so if you live near a beach even you can plant it in your garden! It can grow up to 25 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
What Evergreen Trees are Good for Screening?
Let us look at some evergreen trees that are good for screening. Although everyone has their own choice this list lists down some of the evergreen trees that will reach above your garden fence.
So, here’s the list of evergreen trees that are good for screening:
1) English Holly
Although this evergreen tree has spiky leaves on young plants as it grows the leaves become smooth. It has small white flowers and grows bright red berries as well.
Although they are slow growing when they are young these evergreen trees grow into a nice pyramidal shape like a tree. It thrives in well-drained soils like other evergreen trees.
2) Bull Bay
This evergreen tree produces white flowers in the summer and has large leaves with a leather-like texture on top and a furry underside. It grows well in most soils but should not be kept under direct sunlight,
3) Cherry Laurel
This tree is popularly known for its uses for screening due to its upright position. It has sweet-smelling flowers that grow vertically and has a small cherry-like fruit.
It prefers slightly acidic soil and plants it in sun to shade.
4) Holm Oak
This evergreen tree has leathery holly-like leaves. It regenerates well after pruning and gives a dense look throughout the year.
It is highly resistant to pollution and ocean breezes and the holm oak grows well in most soils.
5) English Yew
An English yew is a classic evergreen tree. It has a long life and is elegant. If well-pruned this type of evergreen tree grows to rejuvenates itself remarkably.
Its leaves are small and dark green with a whorl on the branches.
If you’re enjoying this article, check out our article on the top 5 best small trees with non invasive roots.
What Are the Fastest Growing Small Trees?
Are you looking for evergreen trees that will grow fast and look beautiful in your garden?
Then keep reading to know about some of the fastest growing evergreen trees to give your garden a touch of color and beauty it deserves!
Evergreen trees are low maintenance and require little to no care all year round.
This makes these types of trees perfect for gardens and for those people who are busy but still want to add some landscape to their gardens!
Let us look at some of the fastest growing small trees:
1) Hinoki Cypress
This evergreen tree has lush and dark green fan-shaped foliage with a pyramidal form. It is a compact tree with slow growth and has a soft-needle-like shape.
This tree is 10-12 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide when it’s twenty years old. This plant has a feathery texture and requires partial sunlight but well-drained soil.
2) Blues Weeping Colorado Spruce
This evergreen tree is a fast-growing one with a height of 10 feet and width between 5-10 feet.
It has blue and green needle-like leaves that are packed thickly around the branches of this tree. It loves full sunlight but can also survive in shade!
3) Dwarf Balsam Fir
This one is a compact plant with lush needles, rounded fir, and densely packed branches. It reaches about 5 to 6 feet wide after some years of growth and will make an ideal plant for a small garden!
4) Blue Wonder Spruce
This evergreen tree has beautiful blue-gray foliage and a compact form. It looks great throughout the year and will do well in a container also!
It has a natural dense form and will grow up to 3 feet wide 6 feet tall.
5) Tip Top Pine
This evergreen tree has white underside needles with a long form and soft feel it feels like a green muppet! It grows in a narrow and conical form and requires almost zero pruning! It also does well in sunlight and good soil.
You may also like: What are the best Trees to plant near your house for shade
What is the Fastest Growing Evergreen Tree for Privacy?
Evergreen trees make the best trees for privacy. Due to them growing all year round without having to take care of much these trees are often the best when it comes to privacy in your home or apartment.
Let us take a look at some of the fastest growing evergreen trees for privacy for your gardens:
1) Douglas Fir
Douglas fir doesn’t like hot or dry winds but does amazingly well when there’s moisture in the soil.
It has a spirelike shape that all plant lovers admire so much! It loves full sun, plant it in well-drained soil and it grows up to 5-7 feet tall.
2) Red Cedar
This is an extremely adaptable plant! You might see it growing anywhere from dry rocky slopes to urban screens!
It has rich green foliage in summers that turn brown, green in winter. It thrives in full sun, plant it in well-drained soil, and grows up to 50 feet tall.
3) White Pine
White pine is a fast-growing tree with a soft, billowy texture. It has blue-green needles that make them attractive, and these trees are self-mulching.
It likes to be in full sun or part shade, plant them in well-drained soil and they can grow up to 80 feet tall.
4) Leyland Cypress
Thanks to the Leyland cypress columnar shape they make a great plant for privacy! It has blue-green foliage and has all year-round color.
It likes to be in full sun or part shade, plant them in well-drained or consistently moist soil and they can grow up to 70 feet tall.
Final Thoughts: What Are the Fastest Growing Evergreen Trees for Small Gardens?
Although evergreen trees are not fast growers they do make for a beautiful landscape!
It is also essential to keep your evergreen trees healthy if you want them to grow and live longer! If the evergreen trees are healthy, they will live a longer and fuller life where they will strive and thrive!
Most evergreen trees require sunlight most of the day so make sure to give them the adequate amount of sunlight they need.
Also, they need to be planted in well-drained soil. If the soil is too wet or not properly drained your plant might not live a long or healthy life.
Give them a good fertilizer and you will see your evergreen trees growing in no time!
Before you go, here are some more related articles I encourage you to read below to help solve more of your gardening issues:
What are the best oxygenating plants for small wildlife ponds
