When it comes to landscaping your property, there are many sizes and shapes of trees to consider. Some soften the landscape while others make a bold, dramatic statement. In order to have the beautiful, well-balanced yard you want, consider the guide below, which features various tree shapes.
Columnar-shaped trees:
These trees, when mature, are tall and give the appearance of stately columns when placed near a formal entryway. They don’t provide much shade, but they do provide a natural boundary for driveways and privacy for your property.
Columnar-shaped trees are tall and thin with branches that grow upward, not outward. This means they take up less room and can be placed closer together than other tree varieties. Some examples of trees you can look for in this category include Lombardy poplars, Italian cypress, Emerald green arborvitae and pyramid oaks.
Open-shaped or spreading trees:
Unlike columnar trees, the open-shaped trees spread their branches and are often wider than they are tall. You will likely spot them in business districts where they help soften the landscape of steel, concrete and brick.
Spreading tree varieties take up more room than other trees and can help fill in wide-open areas in your yard. Depending on which variety you choose – cherry, dogwood, ginkgo or mimosa – you may have a towering tree or one that is shorter and shaped like a bush. Keep in mind that the shade provided by spreading trees is more speckled than solid.
Weeping-shaped trees:
If you’re looking to add a bit of artistic drama to your yard, weeping-shaped trees are the way to go. They can be used to accent a specific area or soften another one that is bare or drab. Another advantage to the weeping varieties: They provide a perfect canopy or playhouse for imaginative youngsters.
Varieties to choose from include weeping willow, weeping cherry or weeping mulberry. If you don’t like the thought of pruning, don’t plant weeping trees close to walkways or streets. Because their long branches tend to sweep the ground, they will hang over sidewalks and have to be kept trimmed for passersby. They can also block someone’s view while backing out of the driveway.
Conical or pyramidal-shaped trees:
The most well-known pyramidal-shaped tree is likely the popular Christmas tree. It is wide at the bottom, has a main center trunk and sports branches that grow horizontally. The conical tree, on the other hand, is similar to the pyramidal tree but is more slender.
Check with your local nursery for tips on how much room to leave between trees as they need room to spread out and reach their full width. Among this category you will find the blue spruce, Fraser fir, western red cedar and the pin oak, one of America’s most popular shade trees.
Umbrella-shaped trees:
If you’re looking for a great place to park the lawn chairs or a hammock, this variety might be the way to go. Umbrella-shaped trees, when mature, have branches that spread out like an overhead canopy or an open umbrella.
If the branches are high enough, you’ll enjoy the open area beneath this tree and have a clear view of the surrounding area. That can be important when you want to keep tabs on the pool area or young children. The cut -leaf Japanese maple, flowering cherry trees and the acacia are listed as umbrella-shaped trees.
Vase – shaped trees
Picture a flower vase with a narrow trunk and a wide opening for the bouquets they hold. The vase-shaped tree is similar in that it has a central trunk that branches out much wider at the top. Because it arches in an upright manner, it still provides shade with plenty of room to walk under it.
Crape myrtles and Kwanzan cherry trees are good examples of vase-shaped trees, along with the American elm. If you’re hoping for beautiful trees to line walkways or meandering paths, you might consider the lovely vase-shaped tree variety.
Round or oval-shaped trees:
You just can’t beat a good shade tree in the hot summer. The sun doesn’t easily pierce the tight, leaf-covered branches of the round or oval-shaped tree. They leaf out quickly in spring and by summer, a yard full of this variety provides a natural sunscreen for outdoor activities.
These trees also have a reputation for their beauty. Take time to leaf through a tree guide or catalog and study these round and oval-shaped trees – Bradford pears, sugar maples, white ash and the lovely sourwood.
Whether you’re planning for a new home site or simply adding trees to your present one, remember to study a guide to tree shapes. To have a beautiful, well-balanced yard, the trees you choose to use really do matter. Happy landscaping!
