Small trees for Front Range yards
Quick answer
71 plants make our list of small trees for Front Range yards. Examples include One-seed Juniper, Rocky Mountain Maple, Rocky Mountain/Water Birch, Wavyleaf Oak, and 'Autumn Brilliance' Serviceberry. Each is rated for Colorado Front Range conditions and drawn from the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List and regional extension references.
Compact trees under about 25 feet, ideal for smaller Front Range lots, under power lines, or as ornamental accents. All are recommended for Colorado conditions.
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Compare these trees at a glance
| Plant | Mature height | Water | Colorado native | Hardiness | Mature form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-seed Juniper | 10 to 20 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 3 to 8 | Irregular |
| Rocky Mountain Maple | 10 to 25 ft | medium to high water | Yes | USDA 4 to 8 | Rounded |
| Rocky Mountain/Water Birch | 15 to 25 ft | medium to high water | Yes | USDA 3 to 7 | Oval |
| Wavyleaf Oak | 6 to 15 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 4 to 8 | Irregular |
| 'Autumn Brilliance' Serviceberry | 15 to 25 ft | medium water | No | USDA 3 to 8 | Rounded |
| 'Blue Point' Juniper | 8 to 12 ft | low to medium water | No | USDA 3 to 8 | Pyramidal |
| 'Ruby Falls' Redbud | 6 to 8 ft | medium water | No | USDA 4 to 9 | Spreading |
| 'Toba' Hawthorn | 15 to 20 ft | medium water | No | USDA 4 to 8 | Rounded |
| Adirondack Crabapple | 15 to 18 ft | low to medium water | No | USDA 4 to 8 | Rounded |
| Allegheny Serviceberry | 15 to 25 ft | medium water | No | USDA 3 to 8 | Rounded |
| Amur/Ginnala Maple | 15 to 20 ft | low to medium water | No | USDA 3 to 8 | Rounded |
| Apple | 15 to 25 ft | medium water | No | USDA 4 to 8 | Rounded |
Ordered Colorado-native first, then alphabetically, not a quality ranking. Full list below.
All 71 plants
One-seed JuniperJuniperus monosperma10 to 20 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Rocky Mountain MapleAcer glabrum10 to 25 ftmedium to high waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
Rocky Mountain/Water BirchBetula occidentalis15 to 25 ftmedium to high waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 7
Wavyleaf OakQuercus undulata6 to 15 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
'Autumn Brilliance' ServiceberryAmelanchier x grandiflora15 to 25 ftmedium waterUSDA 3 to 8
'Blue Point' JuniperJuniperus chinensis8 to 12 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 8
'Ruby Falls' RedbudCercis canadensis6 to 8 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 9
'Toba' HawthornCrataegus x mordenensis15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Adirondack CrabappleMalus 'Adirondack'15 to 18 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Allegheny ServiceberryAmelanchier laevis15 to 25 ftmedium waterUSDA 3 to 8
Amur/Ginnala MapleAcer tataricum subsp. ginnala15 to 20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 8
AppleMalus varieties15 to 25 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Bartlett PearPyrus15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Bechtel 'Plena' CrabappleMalus ioensis15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Bing CherryPrunus avium 'Bing'15 to 25 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
BRANDYWINE® CrabappleMalus x 'Branzam'15 to 20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Chinese ApricotPrunus armeniaca15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8- Chinese JuniperJuniperus chinensis15 to 20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 8
Common ChokecherryPrunus virginiana15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 2 to 7- CORALBURST® CrabappleMalus x 'Coralcole'8 to 15 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Cornelian Cherry DogwoodCornus mas15 to 25 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Des Fontaines Flowering CherryPrunus x fontanesiana15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Eastern Red Cedar Juniper (Hillspire)Juniperus virginiana15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 8- Eastern Red Cedar Juniper (Taylor)Juniperus virginiana20 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 8
Elberta PeachPrunus persica 'Elberta', 'Polly', 'Red Haven'12 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
English HawthornCrataegus laevigata18 to 25 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Evans Bali Sour CherryPrunus cerasus 'Evans Bali'15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8- Gladiator CrabappleMalus 'Gladiator'15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Globe 'Navajo' WillowSalix matsudana15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 8- Golden Raindrops® CrabappleMalus x 'Schmidtcutleaf'15 to 20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
- Indian Magic CrabappleMalus 'Indian Magic'15 to 20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Jack™ PearPyrus calleryana12 to 15 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 5 to 9
Japanese LilacSyringa reticulata15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 7- Louisa CrabappleMalus 'Louisa'12 to 15 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
- Montmorency CherryPrunus cerasus10 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
- Moongold ApricotPrunus armeniaca15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Mount Royal PlumPrunus 'Mount Royal'12 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
MT. ST. HELENS® Flowering PlumPrunus cerasifera 'Frankthrees'15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Mugo PinePinus mugo10 to 15 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 2 to 7- Newport (Kankakee strain) Flowering PlumPrunus cerasifera 'Newport'15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
- Newport Flowering PlumPrunus cerasifera 'Newport'15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Peking LilacSyringa reticulata subsp. pekinensis15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 7
PINK FLAIR® Flowering CherryPrunus sargentii 'Pink Flare'20 to 25 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 7- Prairie Rose CrabappleMalus 'Prairie Rose'15 to 20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
- Prairiefire CrabappleMalus 'Prairiefire'15 to 20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Princess Kay Flowering PlumPrunus nigra 'Princess Kay'10 to 15 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8- Radiant CrabappleMalus 'Radiant'15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
- Red Barron CrabappleMalus 'Red Barron'15 to 20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
- Reliance PeachPrunus persica 'Reliance', 'Veteran', 'Contender'12 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Rocky Mountain Juniper (Medora)Juniperus scopulorum15 to 25 ftlow waterUSDA 3 to 8- Rocky Mountain Juniper (Welchii)Juniperus scopulorum15 to 20 ftlow waterUSDA 3 to 8
- ROYAL RAINDROPS® CrabappleMalus 'JFS-KW5'15 to 20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Russian HawthornCrataegus ambigua15 to 20 ftlow waterUSDA 4 to 8
Santa Rosa PlumPrunus salicina 'Santa Rosa'15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Sargent CrabappleMalus sargentii6 to 10 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8- Sargent Tina CrabappleMalus sargentii 'Tina'4 to 5 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Saskatoon ServiceberryAmelanchier alnifolia10 to 20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 2 to 7
Shadblow ServiceberryAmelanchier canadensis15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 8- Spring Snow CrabappleMalus 'Spring Snow'20 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
- Stanley PlumPrunus 'Stanley'15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
- Stella Compact CherryPrunus avium 'Stella Compact'10 to 15 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
SUCKER PUNCH® ChokecherryPrunus x 'P002S' (PP25,767)8 to 15 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8- Superior PlumPrunus 'Superior'15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Tatarian HOT WINGS® MapleAcer tataricum15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8- Tatarian MapleAcer tataricum15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Texas Buckeye (Western Buckeye)Aesculus glabra var. arguta15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 7- Thunderchild CrabappleMalus 'Thunderchild'15 to 20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
- Toka PlumPrunus 'Toka'15 to 20 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Ussurian PearPyrus ussuriensis15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
White Mulberry 'Chaparral'Morus alba8 to 15 ftmedium waterUSDA 4 to 9
YellowhornXanthoceras sorbifolium15 to 25 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 7
Frequently asked questions
- How big do these trees get?
- Mature heights range from about 4 to 25 ft across the 71 trees on this list. Each plant's page lists its exact mature size and spread.
- Which of these are Colorado native?
- 4 of the 71 trees are Colorado natives, including One-seed Juniper, Rocky Mountain Maple, Rocky Mountain/Water Birch, and Wavyleaf Oak.
- How much water do these plants need?
- 43 of the 71 are rated low or low-to-medium water; the rest need moderate water. Each plant's page lists its water rating.
- How were these plants selected?
- Each of the 71 plants meets this page's criteria and is cross-referenced against the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List, CSU Extension, Denver Botanic Gardens, and USDA PLANTS. This is a reference guide, not a paid listing.
Related guides
- Low-water trees for the Colorado Front Range
- Colorado native trees for the Front Range
- Best shade trees for the Colorado Front Range
- Front Range plants that are toxic to dogs
- Trees to avoid on the Colorado Front Range
- Deer-resistant plants and shrubs for Colorado's Front Range
- Fast-growing shade trees for Colorado's Front Range
- Best fall color trees for the Colorado Front Range
- Best pollinator trees for the Colorado Front Range
- Native plants of Colorado for Front Range yards
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- Salt-tolerant trees and shrubs for the Front Range
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