Trees for Balconies
Trees can transform an empty balcony into a shady, private retreat bordered by green, rustling foliage. When choosing trees to grow in containers on a balcony, select slow-growing, small or dwarf species that tolerate the poor soil conditions that often exist in pots. Keep your balcony trees healthy by using pots with excellent drainage and amending the soil with organic matter when needed. If your balcony is on an upper floor, use clay pots, as they are heavier and more stable in high-wind conditions. Does this Spark an idea?
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Container Tree Care
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Choose large pots that can accommodate your balcony trees’ growing root systems. Containers at least 3 feet deep and 5 feet wide help plants survive the winter in colder climates, according to the University of Illinois Extension. Don’t use soil from your garden, as it can contain harmful pests or insufficient nutrients. Rather, fill pots with a mixture of 40 percent potting soil, 30 percent compost and 30 percent sand, perlite or pumice to encourage drainage. Fertilize trees regularly with a slow-release formula.
For Fall Color
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For bright splashes of color in autumn, choose Japanese maples (Acer palmatum). They come in a wide variety of sizes and colors; some even have red, orange or purple foliage in summer. These slow-growing trees prefer light to partial shade and moist soil, and require protection from the wind. Colorful cultivars for pots include the 7-foot-tall "Butterfly," which has blue-green foliage with white margins; the 15-foot-tall "Ever Red," which has purple-bronze, highly dissected foliage that turns bright red in fall; and the 10-foot-tall "Monzukusni," which has green and red leaves that turn crimson in autumn. Mountain camellia (Stewartia ovata) foliage turns orange and red in fall. These slow-growing trees prefer sun to light shade and moist soil. They grow to 15 feet tall with a 12-foot spread and bloom with white blossoms in summer.
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For Flowers
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For aroma and color, choose container-tolerant trees that produce showy flowers. The Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) produces panicles of aromatic white flowers, followed by deep-blue fruits. These deciduous trees grow best in sun to partial shade and tolerate a range of soil types. They have exfoliating bark and grow from 10 to 25 feet tall. The sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) grows slowly from 20 to 30 feet tall and tolerates dry soil. It blooms with aromatic, light-pink, butterfly-attracting flowers in summer. Its foliage turns red, purple and yellow in fall.
For Screening
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Evergreens provide year-round texture, color and screening. Species that grow well in containers include Rocky Mountain junipers, slow-growing evergreens that thrive in full sun, tolerate drought and produce small, dark-blue cones. The "Welshi" cultivar grows from 8 to 10 feet tall in a columnar form and has silvery new growth that turns blue-green with age. "Skyrocket" grows to 15 feet tall with a narrow spread and has blue-green leaves. The "Nasa" holly (Ilex x attenuate “Nasa”) grows to 10 feet tall and tolerates a variety of site conditions. This compact tree has dark green, spiny foliage and produces long-lasting clusters of red berries.
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References
Resources
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