1 / 11

What Is a Dwarf Tree?

Dwarf trees are artificially made one-third to one-half the size of a normal or standard member of its species. In horticultural practice, the process of “dwarfing” can be accomplished through selective breeding, genetic engineering, restricting nutrients or hormones, and grafting selective portions of certain trees onto a different species.

Dwarf trees are highly sought after by those with limited yard or garden space, with several ornamental, fruiting, evergreen and deciduous dwarf trees available. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions and little-known facts about these incredible trees. They include:

• Dwarf trees aren’t the same as bonsai trees. Bonsai is an art form that involves specialized pruning and training practices to create a miniature, artistic representation of the tree in nature.
• Almost all commercial apple orchards use dwarf or semi-dwarf apple trees to make picking and spraying easier.
• What some people consider as dwarf trees are actually semi-dwarf trees. Semi-dwarf trees grow to one-half to three-quarters the size of a standard tree of its species.
• Some dwarf trees are naturally occurring. Natural dwarfing results from adaptions to environmental stressors (like poor light and soil quality) where only small varieties of a tree can survive.

If you’re interested in incorporating a dwarf tree into your landscape, following are 10 unique and desirable dwarf trees.

2 / 11

Magnolia ‘Butterflies’

Hundreds of magnolia tree varieties are notorious for their showstopping flowers, and the Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ is no exception. It derives its name from the yellow bowl-shaped flowers that resemble a butterfly when they’re in full bloom, from mid-March to April. Otherwise, the tree has large, pointy, dark-green foliage until left barren through winter.

‘Butterflies’ only grows between 10 and 20 feet tall and requires little maintenance or pruning. They thrive in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 through 9, so are hardy down to -20 F.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7p63MoqOyoJGjsbq5wKdlnKedZLmqv9Nom7CZopt6tb7Enqpo