Small Trees to Plant Near a House
Short answer: choose a tree whose mature spread fits the space, and plant it at least half that spread away from the house — more for bigger trees. Japanese maples, serviceberry, Japanese tree lilac and tree-form hydrangeas are good small trees for Capital Region yards.
How far from the foundation?
A simple rule of thumb: at least half the tree’s mature width from the wall, so branches don’t rub the siding and roof. A tree that spreads 20 feet goes at least 10 feet out. Large shade trees belong much farther away. Clay soil drains slowly — plant a little high, never in a low spot where water sits.
Small trees we stock
| Tree | Mature size (from our catalog) | Plant at least |
|---|---|---|
| Butterfly Japanese maple | 8′ tall, 6′ wide | 3–4 ft from the house |
| Limelight hydrangea tree | 10′ tall, 8′ wide | 4–5 ft |
| Emperor I Japanese maple | 15′ tall, 15′ wide | 8 ft |
| Bloodgood Japanese maple | 20′ tall, 15′ wide | 8 ft |
| Ivory Silk Japanese tree lilac | 20–25′ tall, 15–20′ wide | 10 ft |
| Rainbow Pillar serviceberry | 20′ tall, 15′ wide | 8 ft |
Math: “plant at least” = half the mature width, rounded up. Sizes from each plant’s page in our catalog.
Planting tips
Dig twice as wide as the root ball and no deeper, set the top of the root ball level with the ground, water deeply, and mulch 2–3 inches (kept off the trunk). Our garden guides have the full steps behind our one-year guarantee on hardy trees and shrubs.