Smallish tree for front garden

[B0D]

I’m looking for ideas for a standard tree growing to about 3-4 m to plant near my front boundary. the garden is 4 X 3 m plus the side path and a small paved bit near the house where we keep the bins. Its an open aspect and east facing

I don’t mind pruning but nothing I will need a tree surgeon for. It’s a London garden and we would like something native ideally, with maximum seasons of interest.

I was thinking of a crabapple but now I’m worried it might get too big.

hoping for some ideas !!

Amelanchier. Wonderful blossom, berries for the birds, and wonderful red leaves in the autumn but not so many that you every have to rake them up.

Was going to suggest an amelanchier too. Beautiful little tree. I used them in lots of schemes especially in planting pockets near it in paving as they don't grow a huge root network like a larger treen and damage surfacing.

Crab apple? Or rowan?

Amelanchiers are lovely, there is a walkway of them at my local NT property.
Mine died after a couple of years and I haven’t replaced yet.

I wouldn't have thought they would fit the "3-4m without pruning" brief though?
You'll need to check varieties to ensure your height requirements.

A small dogwood?

Crab apple Evereste, easy to keep to the size you'd like, gorgeous blossom in spring and long lasting apples that will keep the birds going for a good while through the winter.

Crab apple is a good idea - Malus Evereste is a lovely tree but will usually grow to about 6m with quite a wide crown. It also has large fruits which can be slippery near paths.

Malus Admiration (also known as Adirondack). The red fruits are very abundant but small pea-sized so tend to persist on the tree all winter until eaten by the birds.

Apologies if you know this already about tree heights but many people don't:
Crab apples cultivars are grafted, and the type of rootstock used will determine its eventual size - for instance M27 rootstock for very small patio trees and MM106 for taller semi vigorous trees. The same cultivar can be sometimes sourced on a variety of rootstock sizes.

Rowan - Sorbus commixta 'Carmencita' has a compact size and upright form growing to about 4 metres.

A silver pear - Pyrus elaeagnifolia 'Silver Sails' is a compact form (not much winter interest)

Amelanchier ovalis ‘Edelweiss’ - low maintenance (but rather boring in winter).

Lollipop trees are a good way of limiting size. Usually top grafted so the trunk will not grow any taller - only the crown of the tree will expand. Choose your ideal height when you buy - quarter standard, half standard, 3/4 standard or full standard. The crown needs trimming into shape once a year but the tree will maintain its overall height.

A few options for lollipops with winter interest:
holly - perhaps variegated for additional interest.
Bay - it needs a sheltered site out of the wind.
Betula utilis 'Magical Globe' Tree - a dwarf silver birch with white bark and a neat rounded crown.

Malus Evereste is a lovely tree but will usually grow to about 6m with quite a wide crown. It also has large fruits

What do you consider large @brambleberries ? The apples on mine are an inch at most.

I want a Malus Admiration now, it looks lovely.

@NebulousSadTimes Malus Admiration is lovely - such an easy tree in a small garden. My previous neighbour had several - about 15 years old and about 3.5 metres tall at that age. The fruits are striking throughout the winter.
I sourced mine from MailOrderTrees They'd shaped them beautifully on about 5 or 6 branches and the trees have retained their pleasing shape and open crown (now about 6 years old). I have never had to trim them back or treat them for disease.

In a previous garden there was a Malus Red Sentinel - it was a striking tree with fruits about 1 inch in size - similar to Evereste - and they often dropped making the path slippery. So in this context I would consider the fruits large if their weight is likely to mean they will drop and create a slip hazard. It grew much too tall for the space available (as did Malus Tschonoskii which was visible above my rooftop).

Thank you for the info about M. Admiration @brambleberries . It is looking likely that it will be mentioned in my letter to Santa

I have a M. Harry Baker, the fruits on that are gorgeous but drop quite early and don't last long because the wee man who cuts my grass makes crab apple jelly.

Hi thank you for all the replies and suggestions
it’s been a long day I will read and respond when I have a chance to digest everything.

lots of votes for Amelancheir I see and thank you @brambleberries for your advice on Malus as this is why I think I’ve been getting confused on estimating size

Although not native I have 2x sorbus pink pagoda or November pink.
Lovely blossom in spring, nice green summer leaves and now red,orange, purpley leaves with lovely pink berries which will fade to white over winter so also looks quite Christmassy in December.
Pigeons love the pink berries which is a downside as they eat them although they are usually too big for the branches so can’t get a proper grip and fly away.
it’s a great multi season tree, very pretty even in winter and will stay quite small/ medium

I had to get rid of a beautiful Crab apple called Red Sentinel when we built our extension and I really miss it. It was compact, about 3.5 metres, had beautiful blossom and abundant scarlet round fruit. The fruit literally stayed on until the new leaves came the following year so it looked like a Christmas tree with red baubles on it all winter long. Absolutely beautiful to see if it snowed. Magical.

Sadly my garden is full and I have no space for another but I do miss it.

I have an amelanchier robin hill in my small back garden, it’s beautiful in spring and, briefly in autumn. Not so sure the rest of the time to be honest….if it’s your only tree.

I also have a prunus autumnalis which I find beautiful all year. It has flowers often from December through to March where we are, lovely spring and autumn colour….its the tree I can see out of our front window and I love it. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/nov/11/gardens

failing that a rowan or a crab apple…

pick something that’ll show up against the house.

Just a vote for amelanchier 'obelisk'. It's small and very pretty.

I have a top-grafted prunus autumnalis. I know some people are snobby about top grafting but it's a neatly-done one and it suits me.

Prunus kojo-no-mai is truly tiny and gorgeous.

(Neither of the last two are native, obvs! Though I must say the little birds love pecking about on the prunus autumnalis, so clearly it is hosting some kind of little insect they enjoy. They're not eating the buds or anything.)

How about a hawthorn such as Paul's Scarlet?

I was going to suggest a Japanese maple. The colours on ours are stunning and the leaves/shape of the tree are so pretty.

An acer so many lovely ones to chose from or a mini Rowan. www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/sorbus-splendens/classid.2000048996/

The Kojo no mai mentioned up thread is truly a lovely tree, I’ve got one in the front garden and had one in a pot in the back for an out 15 years. Lovely in spring and autumn.