Suitable tree for planter (5/6ft max)

Morning all,

I am after a couple of small trees to grow in planters all year round then xmas lighted up at xmas. I dont want them to grow more than 5/6ft.

Obviously norwegian spruce seems to be the go too, but has anybody got any other suggestions. Ideally as low maintenance as possible

 

It would probably be useful to know the size of the planters, if you already have them. And do you want conifers or something else or not bothered?

 

The age old problem is always, I dont want them to grow big, but that means they will be slow growing which means you usually have to start small.

Maybe any of the dwarf conifers, I doubt any species conifers would be happy for long in containers.

Or how about standard trained olive, you would need to shape them up from time to time.

 

If it is a Christmas conifer look you are wanting then picea glauca var. albertiana, the alberta spruce, might work for you. They are pretty common around this time of year and our local independent has 2-3ft ones for under 20 quid, so they aren't massively expensive.

Alternatively for a similar look you could use clipped yew which don't need much attention apart from a twice yearly clip. The species will grow taller but there are small cultivars or ones that you can keep small by pruning.

 

No not got the planters yet,not sure on size at all. I just want something that wont get silly tall or can be cut down but will continue to grow

 

We used to put Xmas Lights around our Viburnum when it was this high. Evergreen, flowers and you can trim as we did to make a tree shape. It was lovely and unique.

 

Are you after a tree shape or bush shape is ok too? I have manuka, leptospermum scoparium in a large pot. Evegreen, nicely flowering in spring. Probsbly at some point it will outgrow the pot and will need to be planted out, so far all good.

 

A mature dwarf conifer at the size you want is going to be pricey, e.g. Picea Glauca Var Albertiana Conica. Alberta Spruce Conica

 

Another option could be to place a conical shaped obelisk in each pot as the structure to support your Christmas lights. Afterwards, during the growing season, an easy annual climber like Thunbergia will quickly cover the obelisk with foliage and flowers, giving you interest from April to October. The climber can easily be replaced each year. Most annual climbers prefer a sunny location but don’t need a pot that would be a suitable size for a tree.

 

Almost any tree would be fine as once they become pot bound they will survive but not grow very much. A sort of self- bonsai-ng effect

The container is key to success, anything tall will easily topple over if you breath to that direction unless the container is big (50cm minimum), has a wide footprint (goodbye elegant tall and slim posh ones... ) and is heavy.

Plastic ones are ok, I have grown tall shrubs quite happily in 50cm Asda plastic containers, but the bottom layer was rocks and the soil a mix of clay soil and compost. Impossible to move around, but usually stayed upright.

In addition, a large potted plant will need a lot of watering over the summer, big pots are more forgiving than smaller ones.

My container tree/ shrub plan now is Arbutus Unedo Compacta (a freebie as I ordered a Rubra and they let me keep the Compacta when sending the correct one ), Juniperus Skyrocket (mature height about 3m) (currently a £2.99 twig from JParkers) and I'm considering a Quince too.

I bought a couple of very sturdy terracotta pots from B&Q link that are reasonably priced.

My taller plants have solar powered subtle lights all year round, they are not doing awfully much in the depths of winter but are lovely especially in autumn.

This Christmas we are having visitors so I'm lobbying to erect the plastic C-tree just outside the window, decorated with battery lights and baubles, anchored down with bricks. The Child objects, and wants the tree inside. After all, "who would want to use the coffee table to hold their cups anyways?"

 

Almost any shrub/tree will be happy enough for a while, but the most important things are the size of the container, and the soil mix. Compost is no use - you need soil mainly, or a soil based compost, with some gravel/grit mixed through it for drainage, especially if you're wanting an evergreen because the other big problem is in summer. Anything in a container will need sufficient water to keep it happy, even if you move it to a shadier site for the bulk of the year. Even in consistently wet areas, an evergreen with dense foliage will prevent water getting through well enough, so you'd have to be very vigilant with that. Mulching will help a bit with moisture loss.
In addition to the aforementioned yew, pittosporum might work quite well, and they can be trimmed and shaped. I grow Osmanthus, albeit in a riased bed -not in a container, and it's very adaptable. Easy to prune and shape.

If you want a 'Christmas Tree' as opposed to just something green, you can usually get potted ones quite cheaply in many outlets. They won't grow particularly quickly though.

 

You could maybe have a look at Abies Koreana. Certainly you would not have an issue of them getting too large as very slow growing, undemanding and I have 2 which I have had in planters for years and still quite happy.
Snag is they are not cheap but long lived and if you had to move house you could take them with you. Perhaps a bit too slow growing for what you want but worth a look. They are an attractive conifer, much nicer imo that your typical Norwegian Spruce and produce lovely cones from quite a young age.