Potted Trees: Deciduous and Evergreen Varieties and Tips for the Container Garden

Many evergreen trees make wonderful container plants. The dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca ‘Albertiana Conica’), indigenous to the Canadian Rockies, is slow-growing to 3-6 feet and forms a neat, pyramidal shape. Pinus mugo or Mugo pine is a smaller pine, shrubby and symmetrical, and prefers a cool, wet climate. The umbrella pine (Sciadopitys verticillata) is an unusual conifer from Japan. Its name comes from the arrangement of its leaves which resemble the spokes of an umbrella. This pine grows very slowly in a pyramid shape and can tolerate both cold and heat.

The star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) has gray stems on which furry, gray flower buds emerge in the winter. Spring turns these buds into flat, star-shaped flowers with a slight lemony fragrance.  Another slow-growing tree, it reaches only about 6 feet in 10 years.

Incoportaing Potted Trees into your Garden

Container trees will provide a strong, vertical element in your garden. You can use their height to create dramatic emphasis among your smaller flower and foliage plants, or group potted trees together to form a grove. Matching potted trees look elegant flanking a doorway or the entrance to a deck. Select a container that complements the tree's shape and color. Whiskey barrels are long-lasting and attractive, or a terra cotta pot to harmonize with the color of your house. Adding trees to your container garden will offer shade, privacy, a dramatic focal point, a wind buffer, and rich autumn colors.

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