If you live in an apartment and are looking for more greenery, shade or even more privacy on your balcony, then you should consider buying a tree.
While most people think that trees can only be grown in medium to large gardens due to their deep roots and fast-growing branches, the rise of smaller tree varieties means they are happy to be kept in containers and can be trimmed to fit any size of balcony.
So in this article, I’ll share my tips and experience on choosing the right tree and creating the right conditions to help your plant to thrive.
Contents
My 10 Favourite Balcony Trees
Japanese Maple (Acer)
I’m starting off the list with my all-time favourite tree, the Japanese maple, also known as an Acer. With their intricate and colourful leaves, they bring a stunning visual display to your balcony in all seasons.
Dwarf maples, such as the Acer Palmatum can grow up to only 1 meter tall and have beautiful red leaves that create a lovely canopy for your outdoor space.
Citrus Trees
Dwarf citrus trees are perfect for balconies as they have a compact structure but still produce full-sized fruit, making them ideal for those of us who want our balconies to make produce as well as look beautiful.
Ideal for balconies that receive full sun all day with little wind, you can get trees that produce lemons, limes, oranges, and mandarins.
Dwarf Conifer
If you’re looking for a dense tree that will give your balcony immediate structure and privacy, then a dwarf conifer could be for you. Most dwarf conifers are also incredibly easy to look after, rarely needing pruning and being largely drought tolerant once established.
Camellia
If you’re looking for a tree that’ll give you beautiful flowers as well as foliage, then a camellia could be the plant for you. To care for them on your balcony, position them in partial shade and use a well-draining acidic soil. From my experience, camellias need to be kept in consistently moist, but well drained soil to produce the best flowers.
Boxwood Trees
If you’re into topiary, the art of shaping trees and shrubs, then boxwood trees could be perfect for you. Their dense foliage and slow growth rate makes them ideal for growing on your balcony. With regular pruning and care, you can create a stunning and personalised green space on your balcony.
Azalea
I love Azaleas as their beautiful blooms can brighten up any balcony, with evergreen varieties, such as the Coronado Red giving dense foliage for privacy throughout the whole year. Azaleas are compact and manageable plants, making them perfect even if you have a small balcony.
They thrive in containers and don’t require extensive pruning to maintain their shape, making them a perfect addition to your outside space even if you don’t have a lot of time.
Magnolia
Magnolias provide really fragrant white blossoms to give your balcony a sweet, floral scent. Southern Magnolias are great trees to grow on your balcony because with careful pruning, they happily thrive in containers.
Bay Laurel Tree
Bay laurel trees are an excellent choice for your balcony due to their versatility, aromatic foliage, and culinary potential. Their glossy, dark green leaves and compact growth, makes them well suited to creating shade and privacy on any balcony space.
Dwarf Crape Myrtle
A dwarf crape myrtle tree could be a wonderful addition to your balcony gardens as their compact size, stunning blooms, and ease of care make them ideal for many people. Their vibrant flowers abundantly come in a range of colours including pink, purple, and white, which add a pop of colour to your space.
California Lilac
The California lilac is another great tree to introduce into your balcony. Their delicate blue flowers appear in the spring and become a hive of activity for bees and other pollinators, helping your balcony space to give back to nature. As some varieties can become quite large, I would recommend training and pruning your plant to keep it at a managable size.
How To Choose A Tree For Your Balcony
Because trees can become quite large, it’s important to thoroughly research a tree you’re considering purchasing. From our experience, you need to consider the following points before buying a tree.
- Tree / Root Size: It’s important to research the size of the tree you’re looking to buy to make sure that it won’t grow too big for your balcony, and that the roots don’t grow too big for a pot that you’re looking to plant it in.
- Choosing The Right Pot: You need to ensure that the pot you buy is large enough for the tree’s roots, but manageable enough to move. Take a look at our balcony container guide if you need help here.
- Sunlight: Different trees need different amounts of sunlight to thrive, so make sure that your tree doesn’t need more or less sun than you can get on your balcony.
- Fertilised Soil: Trees need a lot of nutrients to survive, so make sure to fertilise your tree at least once a year in spring for optimal growth
Why Should You Plant A Tree On Your Balcony?
From our experience, adding a tree to your balcony offers lots of benefits including:
- Reduce noise pollution
- Cleaner air
- Shade
- Privacy
- Flowers and foliage
- Attracting bees and other beneficial insects
- Personalised environment
Conclusion
With a little bit of time, you can be enjoying the benefits of a balcony tree and create a green oasis wherever you live.
If you’d like to learn more about creating a beautiful balcony garden, click here. Otherwise, take a look at our recommendations for growing vegetables on your balcony.
