table of contents
- Large trees
- Deciduous trees
- Types from A - G
- Types of H - R
- Types with S
- Types from T - Z
- Conifers
- Types from A - T
- Types from S - Z
- frequently asked Questions
Tall garden trees are not only natural sources of shade, they can also be very decorative. Since these large trees need a lot of space, you should find out about the height and width of the tree before buying.
In a nutshell
- Garden trees with a maximum height of at least 20 meters are often called large trees
- decorative deciduous and coniferous trees for courtyards, gardens or parks
- come into their own as a solitaire
Large trees
The term "large trees" comes from the specialist trade and usually refers to garden trees with a maximum height of at least 20 meters. Given their size, they often provide shade and are used on extensive grounds, in courtyards or in gardens. Since many of these garden trees can get not only large, but also very old, their location should be carefully considered. Because transplanting is extremely time-consuming and can lead to the death of the tree if improperly handled.
Deciduous trees
Types from A - G
Maple-leaved plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia; Syn.: Platanus x hispanica)
- Other names: Bastard plane tree, common plane tree, hybrid plane tree, London plane tree
- Height: 25 to 35 meters
- Spread: 15 to 25 meters
- Growth rate per year: 45 to 60 centimeters
- Flower: yellowish green, inconspicuous
- Flowering period: April to May
- Foliage leaves: similar to the Norway maple
American (pointed) oak (red oak, wiss. Name Quercus rubra)
- Height: 20 to 30 meters
- Spread: 10 to 15 meters
- Growth rate per year: 30 to 60 centimeters
- Flower: inconspicuous
- Flowering period: May
- Foliage leaves: up to 23 centimeters long, obovate to oblong, lobed, pointed
- splendid autumn colors
Copper beech (purple beech, wiss. Name Fagus sylvatica purpurea)
- Height: 25 to 40 meters
- Spread: 10 to 25 meters
- Flower: inconspicuous
- Flowering period: April to May
- Foliage leaves: reddish leaves, ovate, wavy
- Autumn color: yellow-orange
Gray poplar (Populus x canescens)
- Height: 20 to 25 meters
- Spread: 15 to 20 meters
- Flower: male catkins two to three centimeters long, females up to 10 centimeters
- Flowering period: March to April
- Foliage leaves: triangular to ovoid, six to twelve centimeters in size
Types of H - R
Wood poplar (Canada poplar, wiss. Name Populus x canadensis)
- Height: 30 to 35 meters
- Spread: 12 to 15 meters
- Flowers: red male catkins, female yellow-green
- Flowering period: March to April
- Foliage leaves: approximately triangular, long, pointed, six to ten centimeters long
Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
- Height: 20 to 30 meters
- Spread: 12 to 20 meters
- Flower: pyramidal, white panicles, up to 30 centimeters high
- Flowering period: April to May
- Leaves: pinnate, up to 25 centimeters long, up to 10 centimeters wide
- Autumn color: beautiful golden yellow to brownish yellow
European beech (common bay, wiss. Name Fagus sylvatica)
- Height: 25 to 40 meters
- Spread: 10 to 25 meters
- Growth rate per year: 20 to 50 centimeters
- Flower: green-pink, inconspicuous
- Flowering period: April to June
- Leaves: broadly elliptical, five to ten centimeters long
- Autumn color: bright orange-yellow
Types with S
Poplar (Populus nigra "Italica")
- Other names: pyramid poplar, pointed poplar, Italian poplar, Lombardy poplar
- Height: 25 to 30 meters
- Spread: 3 to 8 meters
- Flower: male, pendulous catkins
- Flowering period: March to April
- Leaves: rhombic, six to eight centimeters long
Note: Populus nigra "Italica" is a natural mutation of the black poplar. They only exist in the masculine form.
Black walnut (black walnut, wiss. Designation Juglans nigra)
- Height: 20 to 30 meters
- Spread: 20 to 30 meters
- Flowers: yellow-green male catkins, female flowers spherical
- Flowering period: June
- Leaves: pinnate, 30 to 50 centimeters long
- Autumn color: magnificent yellow
Note: The fruits of these large trees are edible.
Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)
- Height: 20 to 30 meters
- Spread: 15 to 20 meters
- Flower: yellow-green to reddish
- Flowering period: February to March (before leaves shoot)
- Leaves: 5-lobed, deeply incised, finely silvery-white hairy underside, 10 to 15 centimeters long
- spectacular autumn colors
Silver linden (Tilia tomentosa)
- Height: 25 to 30 meters
- Spread: 15 to 20 meters
- Blossom: hanging, tufted inflorescences
- Flowering period: July to August
- Leaves: crooked heart-shaped, 7 to 13 centimeters long, silver underside
- Autumn color: beautiful golden yellow, remains for a long time
European lime tree (Tilia platyphyllos)
- Height: 30 to 40 meters
- Spread: 15 to 25 meters
- Flower: hanging panicles
- Flowering period: June
- Foliage leaves: asymmetrically heart-shaped, 10 to 15 centimeters long, slender tip
- Autumn color: beautiful golden yellow
Note: Somewhat narrower large trees are the coral red summer linden (Tilia platyphyllos "Rubra").
Norway maple "Cucullatum" (ball maple, wiss. Name Acer platanoides "Cucullatum")
- Height: 20 to 30 meters
- Spread: 10 to 15 meters
- Growth rate per year: 60 to 150 centimeters
- Flower: yellowish-green, umbel-shaped
- Flowering period: April to May (before leaves shoot)
- Leaves: 5- to 7-lobed, 10 to 18 centimeters wide
- Autumn color: striking yellow-orange
Note: You should pay close attention to the height of the large Norway maple trees, as there are also many small varieties such as "Globosum" or "Almira".
Types from T - Z
Grape oak (winter oak, wiss. Name Quercus petraea)
- Height: 20 to 40 meters
- Spread: 15 to 20 meters
- Flower: inconspicuous, male flowers as limp, hanging catkins
- Flowering period: April to May
- Foliage leaves: five to seven rounded lobes on both sides, eight to twelve centimeters long
Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
- Height: 25 to 35 meters
- Spread: 20 to 30 meters
- Growth rate per year:
- Blossom: tulip-like, greenish-white with yellow and orange spots, four to five centimeters in size
- Flowering period: May to June
- Foliage leaves: one or two lobes, clipped tip
- Autumn color: bright golden yellow
Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto)
- Height: 20 to 30 meters
- Spread: 10 to 15 meters
- Flower: inconspicuous
- Flowering period: May to June
- Leaves: 8 to 25 centimeters long, obovate, rounded, almost symmetrical lobes on both sides
- Autumn color: attractive amber color
Winter linden (Tilia cordata)
- Height: 20 to 30 meters
- Spread: 10 to 20 meters
- Growth rate per year: 25 to 50 centimeters
- Flower: yellowish-white
- Flowering period: June to July
- Leaves: round to broadly heart-shaped, up to six inches long
- Autumn color: bright yellow
Conifers
Types from A - T
Colorado fir (gray fir, wiss. Designation Abies concolor)
- Height: 20 to 25 meters
- Spread: 4 to 8 meters
- Flower: showy male flowers (cylindrical, red, three to four centimeters long)
- Flowering period: May
- Cones: at the top of the tree, 8 to 14 centimeters long, blue-green to cloudy purple, remain on the tree
- Needles: dull gray-green to gray-blue, thick, four to eight centimeters long
Caucasian spruce (Sapindus spruce, wiss. Name Picea orientalis)
- Height: 20 to 30 meters
- Spread: 4 to 8 meters
- Flower: about two centimeters long, yellow male flowers, green female flowers
- Flowering period: May
- Cones: five to nine centimeters long, drooping, purple-red to brown, very resinous
- Needles: blunt, just under an inch long, rounded at the front, thick and stiff
Nordmann fir (Caucasus fir, wiss. Name Abies nordmanniana)
- Height: 25 to 40 meters
- Spread: 5 to 8 meters
- Growth rate per year: 15 to 40 centimeters
- Flower: female cone flower (reddish or yellow-green), male flowers inconspicuous
- Flowering period: May
- Cones: greenish, later dark brown, upright, about 15 centimeters long
- Needles: shiny, arranged upwards like a brush, 2 to 3.5 centimeters long, not piercing
Types from S - Z
Bald cypress Designation Taxodium distichum)
- Height: 20 to 35 meters
- Spread: 4 to 10 meters
- Growth rate per year: 25 to 35 centimeters
- Blossom: male flowers on five to twelve centimeters long double clusters, female flowers inconspicuous
- Flowering period: March to April
- Cones: sitting, two to three centimeters large, disintegrating when ripe
- Needles: 0.5 to 2 inches long, soft, almost feathery
- Autumn color: rust-brown
Note: These large trees are also suitable for wet and swampy soils.
Red spruce (Picea abies)
- other names: Norway spruce, red fir
- Height: 25 to 45 meters
- Spread: 6 to 10 meters
- Flowers: female cone flowers in the upper regions (light red to yellow-green), male flowers initially crimson red, later yellow
- Flowering period: May to June
- Cones: brownish, drooping, 10 to 15 centimeters long
- Needles: up to 2.5 centimeters long, stiff, piercing
Ancient sequoia (Chinese redwood, wiss. Name Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
- Height: 25 to 45 meters
- Spread: 6 to 10 meters
- Blossom: male panicle flowers (up to ten centimeters long) especially in the upper crown area, inconspicuous female flowers
- Flowering period: March to April
- Cones: hanging, two centimeters long, spherical to ovoid, shed when leaves shoot in the following year
- Needles: soft, one to three centimeters long
- Autumn color: reddish to copper colored
frequently asked Questions
Yes, the varieties "Altena" (20 to 30 meters high) or "Westhof’s Glorie" (street ash, 20 to 40 meters high) are suitable as large garden trees.
The German oak (bot. Quercus robur) grows to between 30 and 40 meters high and 15 to 25 meters wide. However, their garden value is now classified as rather moderate.
Yes, there are large garden trees that are poisonous, such as the common horse chestnut or the red beech, both of which are considered to be slightly poisonous.