ornamental trees in containers

by Sandy
(Kansas)

I would like a large container on each corner of my patio. I like large size pots for impact and prefer a clean minamalist look. I was wondering what ornamental tree would work well for this???? We live in the Midwest. Also, what would we do to care for them over the winter??? Thanks in advance for your advice! Sandy



Doug says that many folks like the look of box and cedar as container evergreens. While crabapples (dwarf or columnar) and dwarf lilacs fill the bill for flowering shrubs and small trees.

The deal is pretty simple - you can grow darn near anything you like in a container. Really.

The problem is that the weight of a container big enough to grow a small shrub or evergreen is going to be considerable. You will use artificial soil in it to lighten the load but even a rather small 18 inch tree-pot isn't going to be light. The bigger the tree, the bigger the pot and if you wind up with a half barrel sized, moving it becomes a problem.

Because you are going to have to ensure the roots don't go down to 5F. As a rule of thumb, you'll see root death when it gets down that cold and the roots are exposed. Underground, they don't get that cold because the earth buffers the ground temperature. Above ground, in a pot it is quite easy for the soil to be very close to outside temperatures. So the soil can freeze OK but it can't go very much lower or you'll start seeing dieback.

So - summarizing. You can grow anything you like by following instructions found on this site. But you have to be prepared to either move or protect those plants from cold winter temperatures if you want them to survive. Most of the time, this means moving the pots to a warmer area (like a heated garage).