Cities like Perth have limited space per residential yard. Luckily, there is a large selection of small trees with gorgeous all-year-round colors that are easy to care for. So if you have a large tree taking up all your space, look at getting a local tree removal service to remove it and start from scratch.
Common small and medium-sized evergreen and deciduous trees you can plant on a small courtyard in Perth include crepe myrtle, some eucalyptus varieties, water gum evergreens, native Australian Frangipani shrubs and dwarfs, evergreen blueberry ash trees, citrus fruit trees, Magnolia Kay Parris, Japanese Maple, Lilly Pilly, oak trees, and many others.
Here is a more detailed look at some of the best fast-growing small and medium-sized trees you can plant in a small yard. Most of the trees in this list are either native to Western Australia or are readily available and can survive the local climate. Things considered while choosing the trees include their size, whether they can provide shade, safety, etc.
Crepe Myrtle -Best Overall Feature Tree for A Small Yard
Description and Pros
Crepe Myrtle is the quintessential small feature tree very common in small urban yards. Crepe Myrtle thrives in Perth’s climate and does not require a lot of maintenance save for a little pruning to remove deadwood, shape its dense crown and increase flowers.
Appearance and Landscape Uses
Crepe Myrtle produces beautiful pink flowers that will improve your garden’s appearance. Towards the end of winter and in summer, this beautiful small feature tree will turn yellow, red, or orange making it even more stunning to look at. Crepe Myrtle does not provide much shade but do consider it for its looks and its ability to thrive even in the hot summer months in Perth.
The Red Flowering Gum- Best Native small Garden Tree
Description and Pros
The red flowering gum is a native tree belonging to the eucalyptus family. This small ornamental tree is found in small numbers in the forests of Western Australia but is more common in gardens across the state. The red flowering gum is a small tree with shiny egg-shaped leaves and bright red flowers that bloom in Autumn and can stay on through the hot summer months.
Appearance and Landscape Uses
Red flowering gum is a fast-growing tree and small enough even when mature to fit in a small front yard or backyard. The tree’s gorgeous colors will add to the beauty of any urban garden or yard in Perth, especially in early spring. This is a popular tree that is native to WA and does not need much maintenance because it does not grow large enough to require trimming or pruning.
Water Gum Evergreen- Best year-round Small Garden Tree
Description and Pros
Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ) is a great evergreen small tree very common in Perth and other urban areas of Australia. The water gum is a small shrub-like tree that does not grow beyond fifteen meters in height- most are usually 5 to 10 meters tall.
Appearance and Landscape Uses
Water gum produces beautiful yellow flowers in autumn through summer and is a low-maintenance, fast-growing tree. This makes it perfect for small gardens and urban areas. Water gum seedlings can be found anywhere in Perth as it is a popular feature tree.
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Native Frangipani- Best Ornamental Small Garden Trees
Description and Pros
Frangipani are a group of small, deciduous plants- trees and shrubs-very common in the Americas, Africa, and Australia. Around the city, you’ll come across several types of Frangipanis growing in homesteads, urban gardens, and along streets. Most of them do not grow taller than eight feet and have a crown spread of about 5 meters making them ideal for a small urban garden.
Appearance and Landscape Uses
There are several species of Frangipani trees and shrubs to choose from for your garden. Some bloom bright yellow flowers in spring and can have the most beautiful colors in the autumn months.
Be sure to find the right seedlings to plant based on the style you are interested in or the kind of flowers you want. We would suggest you consider a more common species of Frangipani called Plumeria Rubra which can be found all over WA and is instantly recognizable with its bright white and yellow flowers.
Evergreen Blueberries Ash Trees- Best Small Evergreen Tree
Description and Pros
This beautiful hardy evergreen native to Australia is a must-have for homeowners who want to add a splash of all-year greenery to their small urban garden. Evergreen blueberry ash trees (Elaeocarpus reticulatus) are hard to miss where they grow because of their beautiful cup-shaped white flowers. This is a fruit tree so expect it to produce edible blueberries when the time comes.
Appearance and Landscape Uses
Blueberry ash trees produce flowers almost all year starting April through October. They are evergreen trees so expect to see healthy leaves on them even in summer. Their most attractive feature though as far as urban gardening is concerned is their small size. A mature mid-sized Blueberry is approximately 10 meters tall and meters wide. Its dense foliage also makes it an excellent shade tree.
Evergreen Ash Trees are very hardy and resilient hence why they can be found all over Australia, either in the wild or in private gardens and streets. They can survive in poor soil and hot environments where there is hardly any water or nutrients and are mostly maintenance-free. Seedlings for this native plant are readily available in WA.
Citrus Fruit Trees - Best Garden Area Fruit Tree
Description and Pros
A good fruit producer is always a great addition to any garden and citrus trees are the most common in this part of Australia because the climate is just perfect for them to thrive. Most native citrus species do not grow above five meters making them ideal for small gardens in an urban neighborhood.
Appearance and Landscape Uses
In addition to the beauty, citrus trees produce all kinds of succulent edible fruits like limes, oranges, pummelos, grapefruit, etc. They also produce beautifully scented flowers in the blooming season.
Most people have this notion that citrus plants or any fruit-producing plants are possibly too hard to maintain. However, you’ll be surprised to know that the citrus family of plants is quite easy to keep healthy even in harsh weather conditions. Some routine pruning, and watering when they are in the nursery or at a young age is all that is required to keep citrus trees happy.
Tip: Planting and maintaining citrus trees can be daunting for most people. If you find yourself struggling to keep your trees healthy in growth season, then you should consider hiring a tree service. Please use the free tool at the top of this page to find and talk to local tree services that we have carefully selected for you.
Magnolia Kay Parris
Description and Pros
Magnolia Kay Parris is a pretty-looking small to medium-sized tree that is fast-growing and quite common in WA and across Australia. This particular magnolia is perfect for a tiny garden in an urban setting because of its shape, size, and looks. A typical Magnolia Kay Parris will grow up to 6 meters tall and 3 meters wide in less than a decade.
Appearance and Landscape Uses
In terms of looks, Magnolia Kay Parris trees have distinctively shiny green leaves with beautiful brown or velvet undersides giving them a unique look in any garden. They produce gorgeous white flowers that are also fragrant in autumn and overall beautiful autumn color. This tree is also well-suited for the polluted urban atmosphere in the city.
Magnolia Kay Parris is also known as the evergreen magnolia meaning it keeps its foliage throughout all seasons including late summer, winter, or fall. It will keep your yard looking green even when other deciduous trees and shrubs develop bare branches. You can plant this tree in your backyard as a small shade tree because it has big leaves or in your front yard and it will fit right in.
Japanese Maple- Best Overall Ornamental Autumn Colour Garden Tree
Description and Pros
The Japanese maple does not need any introduction as an ornamental tree in Australia. This is one of the most popular non-native ornamental trees across the world and its presence is hard to miss in any environment. This sought-after ornamental tree has beautiful autumn-color leaves and flowers that will transform your yard when the season rolls in.
Japanese maples can be found in the forest but a majority of them are grown artificially as decoration in homesteads and city streets. There are different sub-species common across Australia but the beautiful Acer Palmatum is the most popular thanks to its bright red and orange foliage.
Appearance and Landscape Uses
Any Japanese maple will have a stunning appearance that is instantly recognizable even when it’s growing among other trees. It is a woody tree that usually grows to a maximum of about 5 to 10 meters. It can be easily identified by its unique palmately lobed leaves that are the center of attraction due to its vibrant autumn colors.
Japanese maples do require some careful maintenance especially when they are at a young age. You need to trim, prune, water them, and use the right fertilizer to keep them healthy until they are mature especially in the hot summer or late winter. Japanese maples are deciduous trees which means they will lose most of their leaves in fall and grow them back in spring through Autumn and summer.
Planting Japanese maples is easy provided you know where to position them and how to treat them when they are young. They do well in direct sunlight so you should ideally position them where they will have some protection from the sun’s rays. Trim and prune them in late winter or early spring so that they can grow healthy branches and take the desired shape.
Common Lilly Pilly- Australian Cherries
You’ll have no doubts about deciding whether to add the common Lilly Pilly to your yard after you see how beautiful it is. Common Lilly Pilly trees are known for producing bright pink, red or purple cherry fruits that are edible. They are a great addition to any landscape or yard and can be used as a hedge or standalone ornamental fruit-producing tree.
Other trees you can consider adding to a small urban yard include oak trees, ornamental pears, cottonwood, and Griffith Pink Trees. All these are very common in this part of Australia and easy to keep healthy with a little help from a professional tree service or local arborist.
Author: Ben McInerney is a certified arborist with over 15 years of experience in urban tree management, including tree removal, trimming and arborist reports.
