A Guide to Ornamental Trees

Ornamental trees are striking plants that can add visual appeal to any garden. A single large ornamental tree can make a stunning garden centrepiece while planting several smaller trees can be a great way to fill space quickly and create blocks of colour.

Trees that have been well looked after can live for many years. Growing an ornamental tree is a long-term investment in your garden, so you want to be sure that you can create a good environment for it. 

Thankfully, tree care is easy once you know the basics. We’ve put together this comprehensive guide to Ornamental Trees to help you look after these beautiful and unique plants.

We’ll discuss some general basics first, before talking about how to grow and care for 3 of our favourite ornamental trees – Maple Trees, Cherry Blossoms and Grafted Eucalyptus Gums.

What is an Ornamental Tree? 

Ornamentals are trees that are grown purely for their exciting aesthetic features. Whilst many fruit trees can be planted ornamentally, most ornamentals do not produce fruit.

Generally, ornamental trees will fit into one of three categories:

1. Weeping Trees are categorised by their soft branches and hanging foliage. The Himalayan Fur Pine and the Willow Tree are both great examples of weeping ornamental.

2. Structural Trees are trees that are grown for their interesting shape and structure. They can be large or small – just as long as they are enjoyable to look at!

3. Flowering Trees are perhaps the most popular type of ornamental tree, and the name is pretty self-explanatory. These trees burst into bloom with beautiful flowers.

Choosing an Ornamental

There are a lot of different trees out there for you to choose from! Narrowing down exactly what you’re looking for can help give you a place to start. 

Typically, ornamentals will have one or two particularly fascinating features that make them such popular choices. Usually, this includes:

1. Bold Colours

One of the most common reasons for planting an ornamental is to inject some colour into your garden landscape. Popular colourful trees include the striking red of the Claret Ash, the delicate purple flowers of the Jacaranda or the bright sunny yellows of the Golden Rain Tree.

2. Unique Foliage

Other trees are famous for their uniquely shaped foliage and flowers, like the intricate frills of the Lagerstroemia (available in ‘Crepe Myrtle’ and red ‘Indica’ varieties). For interesting foliage shapes, the Himalayan Pine and Ginkgo Maidenhair are both highly sought after.

Other Practical Considerations

When it comes to your aesthetic preferences, the tree that you choose is completely up to you. However, there are a few practical concerns you should always keep in mind when selecting an ornamental.

The first is perhaps the most obvious – space. Some ornamental trees can grow to truly grand proportions, and many will develop extensive root systems that need a lot of space and plenty of nutrients. Some plants will thrive alongside tree roots, but others may not. Always check first to see how plants may get along with your tree as potential neighbours.

Other considerations relate to the foliage of your tree, and the extent to which it may affect sunlight exposure for the surrounding plants. A fully-grown tree will typically create a filtered-to-full shade area underneath its canopy.

Deciduous trees will also shed their leaves in bulk over the dormant winter months. This can be slippery and a bit annoying, but on the upside, you can use these leaves to make a great DIY mulch.

Planting Your Ornamental Tree

There are three conditions that you’ll need to get right for your tree to thrive  – soil, watering and sunshine. There can be a lot of variation between what different ornamentals prefer, so always check the care instructions for your tree when you’re choosing a planting position.

When it comes to the soil, it helps to prepare before planting to ensure the best possible environment for your new tree. With a few rare exceptions, most trees will prefer rich loamy soil that’s fertile and high in organic matter. 

Working through some Fertiliser or Organic Compost a few days before you plant can also help improve your soil, adding extra nutrients and improving drainage. There are two ways that ornamental trees are usually sold – container trees or bare root trees. 

Planting Bare Root Trees

Bare root trees are uprooted trees with intact root systems. They are not kept in pots and often have their exposed root ball wrapped or protected until planted. Bare root trees have advantages: they are often cheaper, they’re more adaptable, and they tend to be more mature in their growth. However, they’re usually only available in the winter months.

To plant, dig a hole that is deeper than it is wide. Depending on your soil, we recommend digging roughly twice as wide as the root ball of your tree. Another rule of thumb is to go 10-20cm larger than if you were choosing a pot. Create a small mound in the centre to support your roots when placing the tree in the hole. Check out our Guide to Bare Root Trees for more comprehensive info.

Planting Container-Grown Trees

Container-grown trees are sold in pots and are available for planting all year round. For most trees, the mild conditions of Spring or Autumn are usually the most ideal. However, every tree is a little bit different and many ornamentals will be fine to plant at other times. 

When replanting a tree sapling from a pot, always dig a little wider than the pot – usually around 10-20cm and plant to the same depth. These trees are super simple to plant and many smaller ornamentals can simply be moved to other, larger pots to continue growth.

Pruning Ornamentals

Pruning is an essential part of caring for any ornamental tree. Cutting back any dead or unsightly old growth will help the tree to redistribute important proteins and nutrients towards new growth. For some trees, it can also help you to train the foliage canopy to grow into your desired shape.

Different trees will tend to have specific requirements, so always check the care instructions for your plant before pruning. However, there are a few general tips to keep in mind when it comes to pruning. For instance, most deciduous and flowering trees should be pruned back in Autumn or Winter when the blooming season is over. Take care not to damage new buds.

Evergreen trees should be pruned in late winter, in preparation for the Spring growing season. Try to prune these lightly – never more than one-third of the tree at any time. As well as eliminating dead or diseased growth, you can also prune back any low-hanging, spindly or scraggly-looking branches that affect the appearance of your tree. 

Mulch, Compost and Fertiliser.

Adding organic matter to your garden is a fantastic way to encourage a big, healthy tree to grow. Trees are the giants of the garden world, so a bit of extra food in their younger years doesn’t hurt! After that, most trees are pretty good at caring for themselves.

Fertiliser will be generally required annually for the first 3 years of growth for most ornamental trees – but again, every tree is slightly different. Meanwhile, annual mulching can help to preserve moisture during the drier months, and the addition of compost can also improve soil conditions

How to Grow 3 Popular Ornamental Trees

We’ve included a brief guide to three of our most popular ornamental trees – Maples, Cherry Blossoms and Grafted Eucalyptus Gums. 

For advice on growing other popular ornamentals, you can also check out our Guide to Growing and Caring for Magnolias.

Maple Trees (Acer)

Maple trees hail from the Acer family, and most species are deciduous. These trees are famous for their foliage colours, with leaves that turn flaming gold and red in Autumn and deep, calming green in Spring and Summer. We have many species of Maple here at Diacos, including Canadian Maple,  Silver Maple and the bold Jeffers Red.

Some of the most exciting varieties available include the Weeping Red Japanese Maple, with a beautiful clean form and deep purple leaves that change into a brilliant red over Autumn. The Pink Flamingo is another highly unique variety that is sure to be a conversation starter, with stunning leaves of pastel pink and white.

Growing Maple Trees

If possible, plant your maple in fertile, well-draining loamy soil that has been pre-prepared with compost. Most maples will also tolerate denser clay soil, but loose & dry sandy soils are not ideal. For best results, aim for acidic soil with a pH level of between 5 and 7. Full sun is fine for American & European maples, but Japanese varieties will want a little more shade. 

Plant in a hole 10-20cm larger than your pot (or root ball if buying bare root) and work the soil back in loosely before watering in well. Try to keep the soil around your sapling moist for the first 2-3 years of growth. After this period, most maples should start to adapt and take care of themselves. Fertilise annually in the Spring during these early years to add a healthy nutrient boost.

Cherry Blossom Trees

These classic ornamental trees look simply iconic, whether planted alone as a feature tree in a zen garden or in a row along a fence line. Their delicate leaves of pink, white and purple will flutter in the wind, creating a gorgeous shimmering effect that captures the light in a unique and deeply calming way. 

We have many interesting varieties of Cherry Blossoms available, including Kanzan, Mount Fuji, Nigra Black and White Weeping Cherry. These are mid-sized trees so they make a great choice for smaller suburban gardens. They can even be used as screens, as their foliage can grow to become quite dense. Ornamental Pear Trees or Plum Blossoms can be planted for a similar effect

Growing Cherry Blossom Trees

These trees require a bit of balance – they don’t like conditions to be too wet or too dry. Plant in fertile loamy soil with good drainage after working compost through the area. Although they aren’t the tallest trees, it’s still good to give them a few metres of space to allow their extensive root systems to establish themselves properly.

Plant in full sun or part-shade location, but be sure to shelter from any harsh coastal winds if you live near the bay, as they can strip the flowers too quickly. Water frequently and keep the soil moist, but don’t let it become soggy or soaked. 

Fertilising annually at the beginning of Spring can help to encourage bigger blooms. Prune this tree as little as possible if you can, as over-pruning can often affect its flower growth.

Grafted Eucalyptus Gum

This native tree is an interesting variation on an Australian classic – a graft of two different Eucalypt species with brilliant red flowers, muted green foliage and a smaller height than a traditional towering Eucalyptus gum. This makes these gorgeous trees perfect for smaller backyards, and the grafting process results in a more resilient and disease-resistant tree.

Grafted Eucalyptus Gums are one of our most popular ornamental natives,  but we also stock other exciting Eucalyptus varieties including Mountain Ash, River Red Gum and Yellow Box. One of the best reasons to plant a Eucalyptus in your yard is the diverse array of native birds it can attract. It’s a perfect native habitat and food source for local wildlife.

Growing a Grafted Eucalyptus Tree

As with many Australian natives, this is a hardy plant that is easy to care for. Eucalyptus can survive drought periods for longer than many other ornamentals. It prefers a full sun position and moist soil with good drainage – clay, sandy or loamy soil types will all be fine as long as the drainage is good enough. Eucalyptus is best planted in late Spring or early Summer.

Dig a hole 10-20cm larger than the pot (or equivalent for bare root ball) and water the tree in well. You will need to keep this one moist for around a year, and then occasionally in the next couple of dry seasons. After that, it’s best to leave it to its own devices, unless the bloom is poor or the foliage looks particularly wilted and dried out. Adding low-phosphorous fertilisers in the first 1-3 years can also assist with strong early growth.

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This has been our comprehensive guide to Ornamental Trees – we hope it’s helped you gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of these unique and wonderful plants.

If you have any gardening questions at all, feel free to ask one of our Diacos gardeners for advice. We’re always happy to lend you a hand in the garden.
If you’re researching ornamentals for a landscaping project, our talented team can also offer custom quotes on bulk orders or provide expert input on your landscape design ideas.