10 Potted Trees that are Easy to Grow

If you have little outdoor space, potted trees are your best friend. They enhance your terrace and balcony area to make it look more like a garden.

Do you know that potted trees can provide you with fruit as well? Yes, they can.

If you plant a fig or a lemon tree, they would give you its fruits in a pot too.

Potted plants act as striking focal points either on the patio or on either side of an entryway if you have larger space. 

There are however two points for you to consider when it comes to planting trees. You need to keep in mind the weather of your city and the light exposure and moisture on the particular site where you’re thinking of placing the tree. 

Read on for the top 10 trees that can be easily planted, without much effort. 

10 Potted That You Will Love Growing

I know that growing trees in pots is difficult. I have spent thousands trying to make them grow, after a couple of months, or sometimes more, they all used to die. So, I learnt a little gardening the harder way. By failing at it to be precise.

Here I am sharing my knowledge for you to benefit. Choose from among these 10 potted trees and you will never regret.

1. Citrus 

Citrus plants when planted in large containers make for pretty accents on the patios. You can choose any kind of citrus from lemons and limes to kumquats and tangerines.

Remember that Citrus plants are frost-tender, so when the climate is more on the chilly side, make sure to bring the plants inside where they get enough sunlight. 

Citrus plants can grow nitrogen-deficient and you can know this by observing the leaves. If the leaves turn yellow, it means that the plant is nitrogen deficient. For the productive growth of the plant, you can supplement watering with weekly diluted organic fertilizer. 

Appropriate climate: Maximum to 25° Fahrenheit or minus 3.9° Celsius. Bring the plant indoors during winters. 

Water requirement: Moderate 

Light requirement: Full size

Mature size: Varies by species, dwarf citruses are appropriate for containers. 

2. Conifers 

Conifers like pine, juniper, fir, and Cypress trees serve as attractive focal points on patios year-round. Most of the conifer plants thrive in full sun and require well-draining soil in the container. 

What’s best is you can look for conifers that are slow-growing and dwarf so that they are suitable for containers. For example, the ‘Wilma Goldcrest’ Monterey cypress, when planted in a container, grows only 3-feet tall. 

Appropriate climate: Hardiness varies by species; many fall in zones 3 to 8

Water requirement: Moderate

Light requirement: Full sun

Mature size: Varies by species; dwarf varieties are suitable for containers 

3. Edible Fig 

Fig trees are a prized possession in Mediterranean courtyards. They are year-round attractive with their large, loved leaves providing shade, in summer and fall. Not to mention, they also bear tasty fruits. 

As long as they have plenty of watering and sunlight, they’ll grow well. But expect them to stay smaller and bear lesser fruits than those planted in the garden. 

Figs that are planted in long and hot summers, and provided with plenty of water bear the sweetest and most delicious fruits. 

Appropriate climate: Hardy to 5° Fahrenheit or minus 15° Celsius. 

Water requirement: Moderate

Light requirement: Full sun

Mature size: up to 25 feet tall and wide, can be easily kept in a container with pruning. 

Also Read: 7 Anjeer Benefits that Make it a Must-Have Dry Fruit

4. Japanese Maple 

Japanese Maple is the perfect plant for containers. When placed in a bright, illuminated spot, it shimmers beautifully. And varieties like ‘Crimson Queen’ and ‘Orangeola’ have spectacular foliage during fall. 

Plant a Japanese Maple in a container and place it in a spot that receives full sunlight in a cooler area and afternoon shade in hot areas. They grow best without much exposure to wind, so it’s best to choose a sheltered area for the tree. Make sure the soil is consistently moisturized. 

Appropriate climate: Hardy to -15° Fahrenheit or -26.1° Celsius. 

Water requirement: Moderate

Light requirement: Full sun 

Mature size: Varies by species; up to 20 feet high, can be easily maintained in a container by pruning.

5. Olive 

If you’re passionate about an Italian, French, or Spanish theme for your terrace space, these Mediterranean Olive trees are your go-to. They are shallow-rooted, and when given the right care, a mature olive tree can thrive easily in a container. 

Start with a good size container for mature trees. Plant in a sunny location with well-draining soil. Provide consistent moisture, and give shelter in winters. Olive is even mentioned in the Quran for its health benefits.

Appropriate climate: Hardy to 15° Fahrenheit or -9.4° Celsius.  

Water requirement: Moderate

Light requirement: Full sun 

Mature size: Can grow up to 25-30 feet tall, and 15-25 feet wide. Can be kept easily in a container with pruning. 

6. Palo Verde 

This tree is perfect for desert or low-water gardens. Palo Verde forms a canopy of branches and leaves to provide shade over the patio. During April through June, it attracts pollinators to its clusters of small yellow flowers. 

Plant it in a succulent and quick-draining cactus mix, avoid over watering. Some varieties of Palo Verde have spiny branches so make sure it doesn’t come in the foot way. 

Appropriate climate: Hardy to 25 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 3.9 degrees Celsius. 

Water requirement: Very Low

Light requirement: Full sun 

Mature size: Varies by species, can be maintained in a container with pruning 

7. Privet 

Privet makes wonderful topiary plants whether planted in containers or the ground. For cottage-style gardens, you can try to plant them in pots trimmed into pyramids or globes. Small-leaved privets like California privet or European privet are most commonly planted and thrive in full sun to partial shade. 

Appropriate climate: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius. 

Water requirement: Moderate to low

Light requirement: Full or moderate sunlight 

Mature size: Can grow up to 15 feet tall and wide; can be easily kept in a container with pruning

8. Southern Magnolia 

Where you have plenty of space for a tree to grow vertically, you can plant a Southern Magnolia there. They can easily reach 10 feet of height even when in a container. Their one side velvety leaves and the other a deep shade, provide perfect contrast of foliage for your light walls. 

Keep the soil consistently moist and control size by cutting branches often. 

Appropriate climate: Hardy to 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 15 degrees Celsius. 

Water requirement: moderate

Light requirement: full to partial sunlight 

Mature size: varies by species, can be controlled with pruning. 

9. Sweet Bay 

The Laurel that gives bay leaves also acts as a perfect focal accent tree in a large container. To maintain the form of the tree, frequent clipping of up to 6 inches is necessary. You can clip them together to the plant or give them to your neighbors. 

Place it in a location where it can find full sun or partial shade and water consistently. 

Appropriate climate: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 9.4 degrees Celsius. 

Water requirement: Moderate

Light requirement: full sun or partial shade

Mature size: Can grow up to 40 feet tall and wide, but pruning can help you maintain it in a container. 

10. Witch Hazel 

Witch hazels are deciduous trees that bloom in late winter or early spring. Tiny buds appear on the branches that grow into flowers that have a lovely fragrance. Some varieties can bloom as early as fall depending on the climate. 

Plant in a large container where there is full sun or partial shade, where flower fragrance can be felt and appreciated. 

Appropriate climate: minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius. 

Water requirement: moderate

Light requirement: full sun to partial shade

Mature size: can be pruned to fit in a container.

Top 8 Tips to Take Care of Potted Trees

1. Find the right place

To ensure that the tree thrives in your home is to choose a tree that suits the weather, sunlight, etc for proper growth. You need to know which spots will work. Luckily, it’s easy to move a potted plant. 

2. Choose dwarf varieties 

If available, you can always go for dwarf varieties because they’ll fit best in containers and will be easier to maintain. You won’t have to worry about its growth (getting way too much taller for the given space.) 

3. Start with a large container

When you bring a potted tree home from the nursery, re-pot it into a larger container, aiming for a soil depth of 2-3 feet. Make sure that the container has a drainage hole. 

4. Watering

Trees planted in containers are more prone to getting dried up than those in the ground. So you need to ensure that the plant is getting consistent watering (depending on its requirement). You can use a drip irrigation system as well. 

5. Fertilizing 

The trees that stay planted in the same soil and container for a longer duration, do not get the required nutrients. This is a common issue with Citruses because they quickly become nitrogen deficient. Make sure to regularly fertilize the soil with organic fertilizers. 

6. Rotating

If you’re placing the plant against a wall, likely, the other part that doesn’t face the sun won’t get enough sunlight. Sunlight is essential for the overall growth of the plant, so you can always rotate the pot every once in a while. 

7. Re-potting 

If a plant has been in the same pot for years now and is showing signs of stress (like discoloration), it’s probably time to report. Choose a container that is wider and taller than this one. Prune the roots and change the soil as well. 

8. Planting out 

If a tree has been in a container for years and is starting to outgrow the container or the patio size, it’s time to plant it in the garden. You can plant it in the ground anytime, except when the temperatures are extremely cold or hot. Choose an appropriate spot with the right light exposure, and where it will have plenty of space to mature in size. 

Get Started to Improve the Aura around you with Some Potted Plants

I hope this information will help you get started with getting your own collection of potted plants that will make your entrances or balcony areas more natural and fresh. Remember the best decor is that which comes from the nature, directly.

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