The best feature trees to spruce up your property

Decorating your property with plants, whether in your front or back yard, in the garden or indoor, is an exciting and rewarding activity. You can choose to do it yourself or hire a professional landscaper who’ll guide you on which kinds of plants are appropriate for every setting. If your focus is to have eye-catching ornamental plants outside your homes, there is no shortage of attractive trees, shrubs and other varieties of feature plants. 

Before deciding which best feature trees, shrubs or flowering plants to choose for the space, there are several factors to consider to make sure that you’ve chosen the best plants that align with the design you want for your entire property.

 

Location

Do you plan to have a huge flowering tree that blooms every summer in your front yard? A towering hedge around the lawn to provide some privacy? Or cute and colourful shrubs under the front window? Additionally, consider the soil quality in your chosen spot, the light whether the plants will be in direct sunlight or in a slightly shaded area. 

 

Size

The size of the plants depends on whether you want to add privacy in some areas of your property or purely for ornamental reasons or both. For example, hedge plants have practical functions as barriers, borders and screens. It also looks good as a topiary. Shrubs can grow less than 3 metres or more than 6 metres high and constantly need to be trimmed and pruned.  When choosing to raise trees around your property, consider the diameter of the trunk and how tall it will grow once it matures. Small trees can grow between 12 to 30 feet tall while medium to large trees can grow between 30 to 200 feet.

 

Type

Know the difference between deciduous and evergreen trees. Deciduous trees seasonally shed leaves. Maple trees are popular during autumn because of the dramatic colour it produces. Evergreen trees, on the other hand, keep their leaves all year round. Conifers, citrus, and palm are some examples of evergreen plants. 

 

Bloom Season

Plants that produce flowers a number of times within a year create beautiful scenery. Flowering trees are the best feature trees to have especially in the front yard. It adds character and charm to your property. Know which trees bloom during summer or winter and how long they last every season. 

 

Our top five best feature trees

Magnolia Grandiflora Teddy Bear

Magnolia Grandiflora Teddy Bear or Southern Charm is an evergreen tree that is popular in Australia. It is an upright tree that grows 4-5 metres with a dense foliage.  Southern Charm’s large white flowers bloom from May to November and produce a fragrant lemon scent. It is easy to grow and requires a lot of sunlight for the flowers to bloom healthy. They can be used as a border or a decorative plant in courtyards. 

 

Tristaniopsis Laurina

Tristaniopsis Laurina, also known as water gum or kanooka, is a native tree in east coast Australia that can grow up to 18 metres. Its distinct bright yellow flowers, which also produce a fragrant smell, bloom during late spring or early summer. This evergreen plant is drought-resistant and tolerates light frost. It is perfect in street planting and in gardens. 

 

Chinese Juniper 

The Chinese Juniper or Juniperus Chinensis Spartan is a narrow and conical evergreen tree that grows up to 15-20 feet. It is drought-tolerant and needs to be grown in well-drained soil. Native in China, Japan, Mongolia and the Himalayas, this pyramidal conifer has needle-like leaves when young and turns into scale-like form when the tree matures. The Chinese Juniper can serve as a privacy screen, windbreaks and topiary.

 

Native Gardenia

The Native Gardenia or Yellow Mangosteen is a flowering tropical plant that is commonly found in coastal forests. A hardy dry shrub that grows 4-8 metres tall, the Native Gardenia’s white star-shaped flowers bloom from September to November. It also bears edible fruits from late summer to midwinter that can be used in salads and desserts. It is a pretty feature tree to place in small gardens or doorways when potted.

Orange Washington Navel 

The Orange Washington Navel is an orange tree that is popular among home gardeners. It is easy to grow and requires low maintenance. It has a seedless fruit so the magic of growing this orange tree is by grafting, budding or seedling rootstock. This citrus plant originated in Brazil and was imported to the United States. Its white fragrant flowers bloom in mid- to late autumn followed by the orange fruits. It is used as an ornamental plant that is great in food gardens and backyards.  

 

Spring Colours is a plant nursery located in Sydney’s Dural neighbourhood. With over 30 years of experience in garden landscaping and delivering high-quality plants to plant lovers at great prices, we are committed to making the world a greener place and adding new life to your home and garden.

Contact us to find out about our wholesale service delivery or visit our store in Dural to browse our collection of plants!