Trees normally grow in the ground to have enough nourishing substrate to grow and stay in place for many years, sometimes several hundred years for the most vigorous. However, if you don't have a garden large enough to install one or more trees, or if your outdoor space is limited to a terrace or balcony, you can still plant them with shrubs but also by selecting certain species of trees. Here are our top 10 trees to grow in pots.
1 – Lemon tree
The lemon tree (Citrus limon) somewhat satisfies our desires for exoticism with its evergreen foliage. Although it is associated with the southern sun, the beautiful light, and the warmth, it is not grown indoors. It is used to being grown in pots, as long as it is wintered without frost, in a veranda or garage with a small light source, or otherwise in the shelter of a wall, under a terrace for example.
You can also opt for kumquat (Fortunella margarita) which is more resistant to cold (-10°C). Potted citrus trees should be planted from spring to late summer, in a pot with drainage containing a substrate heavy enough to retain water because, contrary to popular belief, lack of water is often the cause of the death of the lemon tree. In any case, potted citrus fruits then require regular pruning and repotting.
2 – Olive tree
The olive tree (Olea europaea) also takes us back to the sunny terraces of Provence, listening to the song of the cicadas. But then again, many of them have perished as they have been installed too cold in the northern half of France! This tree, with its silvery-grey evergreen foliage, and often tortured trunk, should be grown in a large pot, so as not to feel cramped, pierced for drainage, and protected from the sharp cold in winter, by covering it with its pot, with a winter veil, because below -10°C, you will lose it.
A warm and sunny location is a must before considering the maintenance of a potted olive tree. If your deck is north-facing, forget about that tree. And if your region still has harsh winters, choose more cold-hardy varieties such as 'Aglandau' or 'Cipressino' which can withstand temperatures as low as -15°C.
3 - Japanese Maple
The Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) also makes us travel further afield, to Asia (China, Korea, Japan), with a huge advantage that allows it to resist the cold much more since its hardiness reaches -20 to -23°C. Its palmate, delicate, light foliage takes on wonderful orange, carmine red, and purple tones in autumn before falling off because it is deciduous. It will prefer less sunny situations in a humus-rich substrate with an acidic tendency.
Its advantage also lies in its compact habit, relatively slow growth, and modest size, which makes it particularly suitable for growing in pots.
4 - Dwarf Judean Tree
The dwarf Judas tree (Cercis chinensis 'Avondale') is a slow growth that will not allow it to exceed 2m in height. With its abundant dark pink flowers on all the branches that bloom before the leaves in spring, this variety with its compact habit obviously finds its place in pots on a terrace, in a light, well-drained substrate, even dry and calcareous, without fear of summer drought, nor winter cold since it resists down to -20°C.
Its heart-shaped, rounded, thick, deciduous leaves change colour as they evolve: red in the juvenile stage, then green, then turning golden yellow in autumn. It has everything to please in all seasons, after all!
5 - Shrimp Willow
The Shrimp Willow (Salix integra 'Hakuro-Nishiki') stands out in spring when it is covered with salmon pink and green leaves, evolving into a mix of cream and green to form a bushy, almost ball-shaped habit in the summer season, before losing its leaves in autumn. Particularly hardy (-30°C), this small willow could have been created precisely to sit in a pot on a terrace as it ticks all the boxes of the requirements of this crop.
Growing it in a pot filled with a cool, rich, heavy substrate, even moist, exposed to a mild sun, not too hot, or even in light shade, it will give you an impression of light, with its extraordinary foliage. And its development will hardly exceed 1.5m in height.
6 - Saw palmetto
The saw palmetto (Chamaerops humilis) is probably one of the easiest palms to grow, which explains why it also wins the palm (!) of the most sold and cultivated. Hardy to -12°C, this saw palmetto has bright green evergreen foliage, very indented, arranged in a bushy rosette, which makes it perfectly suited to growing in pots, especially as its growth is slow.
Palm trees are synonymous with exoticism and warmth, so consider offering them a sheltered location, in full sun, in a sandy substrate, very well-drained, and even dry.
7 - Dwarf Pine
The dwarf pine (Pinus mugo) or mountain pine is characterized by its slow growth and its rounded, compact, bushy habit, which will never make it exceed 3m in height, or even only 2m for the variety 'Gnom'. Its rigid dark green needles create dense foliage, but the 'Winter Gold' variety is noticeable by its golden foliage in winter. Other conifers find a suitable place on a terrace, grown in pots.
Particularly hardy (-30°C), these dwarf pines are not very demanding on the nature of the substrate, which must however be well drained but required to be able to take advantage of a sunny exposure.
8 – Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus has many species and varieties among which the horticultural variety Eucalyptus gunnii 'France Bleu' will be perfectly adapted for cultivation in pots or tanks since it is a dwarf form (3m). Its bluish, aromatic evergreen foliage is irresistible in its lightness and elegance. If necessary, you can prune it to force it into a more compact habit.
In full sun, sheltered from cold winds, in a light, rich, dry, well-drained substrate, this eucalyptus will resist both cold down to -12°C, as well as episodes of summer drought provided it is watered a little.
9 - Flowering Dogwood
The flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is prized for the beauty of its bright spring blooms in clusters surrounded by 4 pink petal-like bracts, and its deciduous foliage that takes on attractive hues of red, orange, and purple in the fall, around decorative fruits.
It will thrive best in light sun and partial shade. Its rather slow growth and its spreading and rounded shape make it a tree suitable for growing in large containers, containing a humus-rich substrate, rather acidic, fresh, rich, and well-drained.
10 – Dwarf Fruit Trees
We tend to favor ornamental trees and forget about the others, whereas planting dwarf fruit trees on your balcony or terrace is very well considered. Beyond citrus, dwarf varieties of apple, cherry, and other fruits like strawberry tree, peach, or figality dwarf fig (Ficus carica Figality®) can be grown in pots.
To allow them to produce fruit, it will be necessary to install a drip irrigation system at their base, without which the fruits will not grow. Fertilizers are also necessary since the nutrients in the substrate remain limited.
You are now spoilt for choice when it comes to a potted tree, so to help you select the most suitable one, be sure to consider the specific needs of each of the species you are interested in, in terms of exposure, light, water requirements, substrate, and temperature, not to mention that the size of the pot for good growth should not be underestimated.