Every garden needs beautiful trees to create spaces within the garden and to provide screening, shade and habitat for birds and animals. Trees add foliage, colour and interest to the garden as well as add character and atmosphere. There are so many beautiful indigenous trees to choose from! Here is a list of some of my favourite ones that can be used in a small to medium sized garden:

Information for Trees sourced from Random Harvest Indigneous Nursery

1. Heteropyxis natalensis (Lavender Tree)

Heteropyxis natalensis is a hardy, slender, upright, narrow, semi-deciduous tree with truly beautiful, pale creamy bark that, with age, develops beautiful apricot coloured patches on it. The leaves are pale green, shiny and waxy and when crushed smell strongly of lavender. In autumn they turn red or purple and depending on how cold it is, hold onto them for winter and drop them a few weeks before the new tender green leaves appear. It bears small clusters of yellowish, sweetly scented flowers, from September to March, which attract butterflies and other insects. Ideal tree for small gardens. It is particularly beautiful planted in groves and also makes a good container plant. The leaves can be used for herbal tea and potpourri and most parts of the tree are used medicinally.

Size 4 to 8m

Size: Small to Medium, Growth Rate: Fast Growing, Evergreen or Deciduous: Semi-Deciduous, Frost Hardiness: Fairly Hardy,  Position: Full Sun, Soil: Loamy Soil, Shape: Columnar, Medicinal: Medicinal,  Drought Hardiness: Drought Resistant

2. Dais cotinifolia (Pompon Tree)

Dais cotinifolia is a very hardy, fast growing, deciduous, small tree with attractive slightly blue green leaves. In spring it has scattered pink leaves in the crown adding to the interest. It bears masses of very showy, fragrant pink, pom-pom like flowers that attract a whole host of birds and insects from November to February. It begins flowering whilst still young. Popular garden subject for sun or semi-shade. Ideal for small gardens and containers. Size 2 to 7m

Size: Small to Medium, Growth Rate: Fast Growing, Evergreen or Deciduous: Deciduous , Frost Hardiness: Frost Hardy, Position: Full Sun, Position: Semi-shade, Soil: Loamy Soil, Soil: Well-drained, Shape: Oval, Garden Uses: Small Gardens, Garden Uses: Specimen,  Drought Hardiness: Drought Hardy

3. Dombeya rotundifolia (Wild Pear)

Dombeya rotundifolia is a very hardy, deciduous, drought and fire resistant, upright tree. It has round, leathery, rough leaves, and attractive, rough, fissured bark which is utilized by Woodpeckers. This is one of the first trees to bloom in spring where it stands out on the bare hillsides in snowy white patches. Showy clusters of sweetly scented white flowers start blooming in profusion on the bare branches in July and continue well into September before the leaves appear. The flowers dry beautifully and can be used for pot potpourri. It is a good bird, insect and butterfly tree. It has a non-aggressive root system which makes it an ideal tree for a small garden. It is quite fast growing and can be planted in sun or semi-shade as a specimen tree or as an element of a wildlife garden. Used medicinally. Size 3 to 5m.

Size: Small to Medium, Growth Rate: Fast Growing, Evergreen or Deciduous: Deciduous , Frost Hardiness: Frost Hardy,  Position: Full Sun, Position: Semi-shade, Soil: Loamy Soil, Soil: Well-drained, Medicinal: Medicinal, Garden Uses: Small Gardens, Garden Uses: Specimen, Drought Hardiness: Drought Hardy

4. Nuxia floribunda (Forest Elder)

Nuxia floribunda is a hardy, evergreen, fast-growing, neat and attractive tree that is quite small in drier conditions, but if its roots find water it can get quite big. Pale grey, smooth bark contrasts beautifully with the glossy, dark-green leaves that turn quite purple in winter. Its huge heads of showy, sweetly-scented, white flowers cover the tree from May to September. The flowers attract a whole host of small pollinating insects, moths and butterflies that in turn attract birds. It has many magical and medicinal uses. It grows well in a container, and is also a lovely tree with which to create a small forested area in the garden. Plant in either full sun or semi-shade and water regularly. Size: 3 to 10m

Growth Rate: Fast Growing, Evergreen or Deciduous: Evergreen, Frost Hardiness: Frost Hardy, Position: Full Sun, or Semi-shade, Soil: Loamy Soil,  Well-drained, Medicinal: Medicinal, Garden Uses: Container Plant, Garden Uses: Form Plant, Garden Uses: Small Gardens, Garden Uses: Specimen,  Drought Hardiness: Needs Watering

5. Mundelea sericea (Cork Bush)

Mundulea serica is a very hardy, semi-deciduous, decorative, large shrub that always stands out in its natural habitat of grassland and rock. The fissured corky bark is a protection against fires which are frequent in its habitat. It has blue-grey leaves that are covered in silvery hairs giving the whole shrub a silvery look. It has gorgeous, dense pendulous bunches of deep mauve, pea-shaped flowers from October to February that attract masses of birds coming to sip on the nectar as well as a myriad of insects. With its robust, neat shape and corky bark, it makes a good accent plant but needs well-drained soil. It is host plant to two butterfly species. Traditionally used as a fish poison. The bark and roots have medicinal and magical qualities and crushed leaves are used to bleach hair. Lovely tree with non-aggressive roots for a small, sunny garden.

Growth Rate: Slow Growing, Frost Hardiness: Frost Hardy, Plant Type: Shrub, Plant Type: Tree, Soil: Sandy Soil, Poisonous: Poisonous, 

6. Tabernaemontana elegans (Toad Tree)

Tabernaemontana elegans is a hardy, deciduous, upright small tree that has beautiful, large, shiny, dark green leaves and a lovely rounded shape. The clusters of beautiful white flowers are sweetly scented and borne from October to February and attract bees to the garden. These are followed by interesting, large, paired fruits with raised, corky dots like the skin of a toad, hence the common name. These lovely fruits split to reveal seeds covered with bright orange pulp. The fruits are edible. The thick, brown corky bark protects the tree from fire. An ideal tree for a container or small garden, planted in sun or semi-shade. Used medicinally. Size 3 to 5m

Size: Small, Growth Rate: Fast Growing, Evergreen or Deciduous: Deciduous , Frost Hardiness: Frost Hardy,  Position: Full Sun, Position: Semi-shade, Soil: Loamy Soil, Edible: Edible, Garden Uses: Container Plant, Garden Uses: Small Gardens, Garden Uses: Specimen,  Drought Hardiness: Drought Resistant

7. Apodytes dimidiata (White Pear)

Apodytes dimidiata is a hardy, evergreen, beautifully shaped, fairly fast growing tree with dense, glossy, dark green foliage. Densely clustered spikes of strongly scented, snow-white flowers that are borne from September to April, especially after good rains. The flowers attract many pollinating insects to the garden. The bees visit the flowers early in the morning when the scent is strongest. When there is a breeze the tiny petals are like confetti blowing around the garden. They are followed by very decorative bunches of black berries with a fleshy red ‘cap’ that attract birds to the garden. The trunk is white and, in older specimens, becomes patched with lichen. This tree makes a wonderful garden subject. Can be used as a small avenue tree, as a specimen in a small garden or create a forest effect by planting close together. Its wood is a beautiful pale pinky-brown. It also has many traditional uses. Size 5 to 10m

Size: Small to Medium, Growth Rate: Fast Growing, Evergreen or Deciduous: Evergreen, Frost Hardiness: Frost Hardy, Plant Type: Tree, Position: Full Sun, Position: Semi-shade, Position: Shade, Soil: Loamy Soil, Shape: Round, Garden Uses: Avenue Plant, Garden Uses: Screen Plant, Garden Uses: Specimen

8. Bersama luscens (Glossy White Ash)

Bersama lucens is a fairly hardy, evergreen, small, compact tree with a well-developed crown and beautiful blotchy, wrinkled, grey bark. The young leaves are a brilliant glossy russet brown, turning dark green when mature. The small greenish white flowers, in long narrow heads, appear from September to June and are followed by green capsules that split to reveal scarlet seeds that attract birds. The bark is sought after in traditional medicine and this species is becoming increasingly rare.

It is a beautiful, decorative tree for a shady to semi-shady part of the garden. Protect from frost especially when young. Size 2 to 5m

Size: Small to Medium, Frost Hardiness: Protect when young, Plant Type: Tree, Position: Semi-shade, Position: Shade, Soil: Loamy Soil, Shape: Canopy, Conservation Status: Endangered, Conservation Status: Protected, Medicinal: Medicinal, Garden Uses: Shade, Garden Uses: Small Gardens, Garden Uses: Specimen

Do you have any of these in your garden? Which are your favourite indigneous trees?