Native Trees & Shrubs for Smaller Urban Yards

Choosing native plants for urban lots is an excellent way to support biodiversity, enhance curb appeal, and create low-maintenance landscapes. These trees and shrubs are ideal for small spaces, providing year-round interest and habitat value.

When space is limited, selecting the right plants for your landscape is crucial to achieving both beauty and functionality. Small trees and large shrubs offer an ideal solution for urban gardens, providing year-round interest, attracting wildlife, and fitting seamlessly into tight spaces. Whether you’re looking to add a splash of color with vibrant blooms, enhance the local ecosystem, or create a natural privacy screen, this page features a selection of small trees, compact trees for narrow lots, and large shrubs that thrive in urban environments.

Small Trees for Small Urban Lots:

Alleghany/Smooth Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis)
A multi-stemmed tree reaching up to 10 meters tall and wide; produces white spring flowers and edible berries. Supports pollinators and many species of birds.

American Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana)
A 6–9 meters tall tree with a spread of 3–6 meters; features white spring flowers and orange-red fall berries. Supports many species of pollinators and birds.

Blue Beech (Ironwood) (Carpinus caroliniana)
Grows 6–10 meters tall and 6–9 meters wide; smooth, gray bark and striking fall color. It is shade tolerant, a good option for a shady area in your yard.

Dwarf Chinquapin Oak (Quercus prinoides)
A compact oak growing 3–6 meters tall and wide; produces acorns valuable to wildlife.

Dwarf Hackberry (Celtis tenuifolia)
Reaches 3–4.5 meters tall and wide (can sometimes reach 10 m high); drought-tolerant with small, sweet fruit for birds.

Eastern Hop Tree ( Ptelea trifoliata)
A small tree, up to 8 meters tall; fragrant flowers and papery seed clusters attract butterflies.

Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
A stunning spring bloomer, 6-9 meters tall and wide; heart-shaped leaves and vibrant pink flowers. This one can grow in sun to shade.

Eastern White Cedar ( Thuja occidentalis)
Dense evergreen, 12-15 meters tall ; excellent for hedges and screening.

Hawthorn ( Crataegus spp.)
A small, thorny tree, 6–9 meters tall and wide; white flowers and red fruit supporting pollinators and birds.

Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)
A slow-growing tree reaching 8–12 meters tall; hop-like fruit and yellow fall foliage. Shade tolerant.

Pin Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica)
A small, fast-growing tree that grows up to 12 meters tall and 3–6 meters wide; produces clusters of red cherries loved by birds.

Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum)
Unique bark and ornamental-like leaves; grows up to 10 meters tall. It is shade tolerant. Best planted in shade or part-shade.

Large Shrubs in Place of Trees:

American Hazelnut ( Corylus americana)
Reaches 2-3 meters tall; produces nuts favoured by wildlife. It is a medium to large shrub and can sometimes look like a small tree, it is often multi-stemmed. 

Arrowwood ( Viburnum dentatum)
Reaches up to 3 m tall, blooms attractive white blooms in spring, attractive to pollinators. A multi-stemmed, dense growing, rounded shrub. Can be a nice option for hedging.

Black Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Reaches an average of 3 meters tall; produces clusters of dark berries favoured by birds.

Bladdernut ( Staphylea trifolia)
Reaches up to 6 m in height. Grows best in shade or part-shade. Attractive foliage with fragrant flowers in the spring that are in loose dropping clusters that attract pollinators. Produces bladder-like dropping fruits pods that persist through the winter.

Chokecherry ( Prunus virginiana)
Grows 4–9 meters tall; attractive white flower clusters and dark red fruit suitable for wildlife. Can be a multi-stemmed shrub or a small tree. It can form a thicket.

Flowering Dogwood ( Cornus florida)
Grows up to 6 m tall with attractive blooms in the spring. A shrub that naturally grows in the Carolinian Zone in Ontario and is hardy to southeastern Ontario.

Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum)
Grows 2–4 meters tall and wide; bright red berries persist into winter, attracting birds. Prefers moist soils. Can be a nice option for hedging.

Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)
A large shrub, with an average height of 4 meters tall and 3–4 meters wide; attractive white flowers and then clusters of dark blue-black berries that attract wildlife. Vivid fall foliage. A multi-stemmed shrub that can be used for hedging.

Ninebark ( Physocarpus opuliffolius)
A shrub that can grow 2.5 m tall and wide. Attractive foliage and white blooms followed by the production of reddish seed capsules Highly attractive to pollinators. A multi-stemmed shrub that can be used for hedging.

Pagoda Dogwood ( Cornus alternifolia)
A small tree with a graceful tiered structure, growing 4-6 meters tall and wide; creamy flowers and blue-black fruits. Can grow in sun to shade.

Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)
Reaches 2-3 meters tall and wide; red stems provide winter interest and thrive in moist or dry soils. Attractive red stems in the winter. A great option for erosion control. A good option for hedging.

Shadblow Serviceberry ( Amelanchier canadensis)
Grows 4-6 meters tall and 3–4 meters wide; early spring blooms and sweet, blue-black fruit. Known for its early spring flowers (white). Can also be considered a small tree. 

Spicebush ( Lindera benzoin)
A shrub that grows up to 3 m tall with early small yellow blooms in the spring. It is tolerant of shade but can grow in sun with moist well-drained soil. Produces red berries favoured by wildlife. Leaves, when crushed, have a spicy, citrusy aroma. 

Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Dramatic shrub or small tree, 6 meters tall; vivid red fall foliage and fuzzy fruit clusters. Underground stems will form colonies. Tolerant of poor-nutrient soils and tough growing conditions.  

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
A deciduous holly, up to 3.5 meters tall; bright red berries persist into winter. This one does require consistently moist soils. Good for a lower, wet area of your yard. For berry production, this one does require more than one plant, male and female plants.

Wild Plums (Canada Plum, Prunus nigra and American Plum, Prunus americana)
A deciduous shrub or small tree that grows 6-10 m tall. Attractive white blooms early in the spring and it produced fruits that are attractive to wildlife.  

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Grows 3.5 meters tall and wide; fragrant yellow flowers bloom in fall.