Dwarf Shrubs for Terrace and Balcony

Woody plants aren't just for gardens. Anyone with a balcony or terrace can get a dwarf shrub as a botanical companion. These plants are ideal for creating a beautifully green immediate outdoor environment. Some can even serve as a privacy screen. There's a lot of choice. You can opt for deciduous shrubs, small trees, or dwarf conifers.

Dwarf conifers have the advantage of wearing a green dress all year round. They bring particular joy in winter. When Advent arrives, many a mini pine and mini spruce are adorned with candles and Christmas decorations. This adds a lot of coziness to the cold season. Just as excellently prepared against frost and similarly undemanding in care are dwarf forms of juniper and false cypress. There are specimens with elegant silvery-blue needles. Also very pleasing in their fresh green attire and beautifully dense are the dwarf forms of the arborvitae. Dwarf Korean firs are also good candidates for life in a terrace container.

As small trees, there are beech and oak in practical container sizes. The Cut-leaved Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Laciniata') with its delicate foliage loves a sunny location, and with its mature height of up to one and a half meters, it can withstand winter frost well. The same applies to the Liliput edition of the English Oak (Quercus robur 'Fastigiata Koster' or similar dwarf cultivars), which grows a bit taller.

The Columnar Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus 'Fine Line' or similar columnar cultivars) adds a touch of elegance. It grows up to two meters tall and half a meter wide. This bushy, winter-hardy, and undemanding plant with lush green foliage grows, true to its name, in a columnar shape. Before shedding its leaves in winter, it lets them shine in strong yellow tones in autumn. A splendid sight next to the terrace seating area!

The Dwarf Linden (Tilia cordata 'Greenspire' or similar dwarf cultivars) presents itself as delicate and manageably sized. This pretty little tree charms with its heart-shaped leaves and fits perfectly next to a sunny balcony reading spot.

The wonderful Globe Ginkgo loves sunny to partial shade. When it has grown to about one and a half meters tall, it stops growing taller but carefully continues to develop its round canopy. The Japanese maple demands the same light conditions and offers a variety suitable for container living. It grows up to one and a half meters tall, taking its time to do so. It shines with its colorations from the palette of red tones and with its impressive thicket of branches.

How wonderful that the dwarf forsythia exists! You don't have to forgo exquisite yellow blossoms while enjoying coffee on the balcony or reading the newspaper on the terrace. You can truly savor the first intense spring sunbeams even more! This winter-hardy plant is easy to care for.

The dwarf version of the fragrant lilac awaits with lush blossoms in delicate rosy-red. This frost-hardy plant prefers a sunny spot and thanks you with a captivating fragrance. The dwarf lilac also proves to be insensitive to winter hardiness. It copes equally well with sun and partial shade. Its heavenly rosy-red blooms appear between dense foliage in the merry month of May and, with good weather, a second time with an autumn bloom.

Grass enthusiasts also get their money's worth. The delicate White-Striped Dwarf Sedge (Carex morrowii 'Variegata') is a fantastic container plant. A great advantage of this green and white grass is that it likes shade. This way, even the darker corners of the terrace can be nicely greened.

The question then arises whether to leave the small woody plants alone in their containers. That's not necessary; they are open to co-inhabitants, as long as they are suitable. It's obvious that the companion plants shouldn't shoot up too tall. After all, they shouldn't steal the show from the dwarf despite their small stature. Spring heralds like dwarf daffodils and a colorful pansy potpourri give the final touch to your green balcony oasis. Later in the year, wintergreen berries serve as an addition in the container. Heathers, as well as lavender and ivy, are also welcome.

Besides this selection, there are other small companions that like to live in terrace containers. Medlar, cinquefoil, rock broom are examples. As always in the plant world, everyone finds something they like!