Tree advice

[TryingToJuggle]

Hello. I'm a novice gardener and after some advice of a tree to choose. We want a tree to go next to our fence line which will grown about 6-8 tall and maybe lots of interest sideways if that makes sense. It will go behind a wildlife pond. Any ideas?

Hawthorn for berries, cover for birds.

Most trees will be bigger than 6-8ft, and you will be constantly hacking them to keep them to that height. Why not choose a large shrub, and remove the lower branches as it grows so that it has a ‘tree’ shape. Look at Elaeagnus, Cotinus, Ceanothus Trewithen Blue for examples.

You may be wanting to continue the ‘wild’ theme and not have something more native looking. In that case why not plant a willow, as they can be cut down to a stump and will resprout making a fan of branches. Either way, remember to plant it so that it doesn’t shade the whole pond, and shed all its leaves into the pond, not ideal.

I wouldn’t plant a willow unless you have a huge garden as the recommended safe planting distance from a house is 40m.

And —not— have

Obviously not a huge weeping willow, that’s lunacy. I meant the shrubby sort which are usually grown for ornamental bark and catkins and pruned every couple of years.

A mature hawthorn can be over 40 ft tall

It would be best to plant an evergreen so that the leaves do not fall into the pond. Pyracantha are easy to train sideways by just cutting out ant forward facing branches, they are easy to maintain to the height you want. They are covered white flowers at the moment and then the berries last until spring