Best tree for planting near boundary on front driveway of a terrace.

[plantingandpotting]

I live on a long street - the top half is tree lined, our stretch is bare and would benefit from a bit of life.

I've applied to sponsor a tree on the pavement, but it won't be planted until next winter...so I'm exploring the idea of planting one in my small border (with permission from the neighbours, as it would overhang). I've attached pics of my planned planting area, which is approx 40cm wide.

So, a couple of questions for you knowledgeable folk, if I may:

Can anyone ID this roof form tree? There are three of them in the area but Google lens is being unhelpful.

That tree aside, I'm very open to suggestions of dwarf-mid-sized trees that can be planted in a 40cm hole, approx 3 m from the house to add a bit of interest. The only thing I don't like is palms.

Thank you enormously in advance! x

This space looks a bit too small for a tree, do you have any room the other side?

I'd get a 40x40 cm square planter and put an olive tree or clipped bay tree in it.

Yes there's more space on the other side but there's a telegraph pole right outside 😣

@FernPotts That's a great suggestion, thank you! I'm going to look into that option now. Would also mean I could move it in the event that the street tree gets planted too.

I would get a tree that has been pruned to a lollipop shape with a tall bare trunk and then the leaves. Either a Crab Apple or a Rowan would work well. or a varigated holly if you want evergreen.

We recently got similar from here if you are near north london
www.paramountplants.co.uk/

Triffid

Thanks for the link and suggestions, @parietal May I ask how close to the house yours is planted? I called an ornamental tree site earlier for advice and they recommended trees with fibrous root systems, given the proximity to the house - that allowed 2 varieties only, magnolia and ornamental pear.

I'd happily plant a magnolia, they're gorgeous. Just very expensive mistake if I then can't get it into the ground.

Might try dig the hole this evening and see how deep I can get.

40 cm is very small for a tree. It would be like wearing a pair of shoes two sizes too small. As it is bounded by a pavement and a path, the roots would have to go into hardcore, not nice nourishing soil. If it does grow, it’s going to drip on your head as you come through the gate.

What is the space on the other side of the path like?

Sorry, the other side of which path? On the other side of the fence is my neighbour's driveway, which is paved. To the left of the paving you can see in my picture, the brickwork continues across the width of the driveway. There's a hedgerow planted into a 1m border on the other side, but that's not really viable for planting a tree as there's a telegraph pole just outside.

I'm beginning to think I'm best off planting something with height in a 40cm planter at the very end of the border and awaiting the street planing scheme. Fingers crossed we meet the requirements!

*Hedge not hedgerow, thank you auto correct 😅

That’s not a roof form tree, it’s a tree that has been heavily pruned into that shape. So could be anything with a naturally spreading habit. We’d need a close up of leaves to identify it, and whether it was deciduous or evergreen

Put an olive tree in, they’re pretty hardy and can stand poor soil, so might suit your conditions

I have a lovely Rowan in a similar small space. It’s a hypehensis November pink. It has white blossoms in spring and now whitish pink berries that’ll turn a pinker pink in November and it’s leaves turn from green to purple reddish hues over autumn. It won’t get that big and you could trim it easily. It’s a lovely looking tree and people ask me about it regularly. Could work for you?

That looks like a birch tree clipped to that shape ( see the bark) but I'd be concerned about where the roots are spreading to.

They produce cloud shapes on trees in the Far East
Perhaps you could try some topiary.
www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/pruning-trees-cloud.html

I wouldn’t plant any sort of tree there - the roots will very quickly lift your block paving for a start. We planted a dwarf weeping willow once in almost the same place as you’re proposing but the garden was all lawn apart from the path. Eventually my dh chopped it down because he kept banging his head on the branches as he walked past. It also made a mess on the pavement outside my house and I was worried someone would have an accident.

I think a pot tree or shrub might work best.
We have a Mimosa in a pot, it's getting a bit big for the pot now, but that's a possibility, gorgeous yellow flowers in spring. My friend has a Camellia in a pot, you prune it once it has flowered and keep it well watered all summer and it rewards you early in the year with lovely flowers.

I'd think both could be trimmed to shape somewhat to fit your circumstances, alternatively a flowering cherry in a pot perhaps?

Thank you all. I'm now accepting that putting a tree in the ground will pose problems to the brickwork and the roots won't be happy.

I'm probably going to buy a 40 x 40 pot to tuck behind the front wall - I've seen some tall versions with sealed bottom halves, meaning the pot will be elevated to be in line with the wall. I'll then try planting and shaping a Camellia. This plan has the added bonus of detracting slightly from the red brick wall, which I'm not a massive fan of!

I'll post pics once I've got it planted.

The tree in your pic looks like a dragon tree, Dracaena draco. They’re very popular on Tenerife, the shape is natural. They are subtropical and only hardy down to minus 2C, but very resistant to pests and drought and require no maintenance. They’re v slow growing, and can live to be a thousand years old.

Sorry, Babdoc, it’s definitely not Dracaena draco, that has strap-shaped leaves similar to Cordyline. I have seen it in Tenerife, and have grown it as an indoor plant, it certainly isn’t hardy in the UK, apart from the extreme South West.

I think I'll knock on and ask the neighbor about the pictured tree. There's 3 of them within 50 yards of each other, so they must be linked in some way; through the same gardener 50 years ago perhaps 😅