Trees Used in Colonnade Forms in Landscaping

Evergreen Trees

• American arborvitae trees grow in climate zones from Alaska to Hawaii. Smaragd grows 15 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Its dense foliage forms a neat, narrow cone, reliably holding its color through winter. Spiralis grows more than 35 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, its dark-green foliage spiraling around the branches. Pyramidalis reaches 30 feet tall and 8 feet wide with a medium-to-fast growth rate and sweet-smelling foliage. Several evergreen yew trees grow with a columnar habit. The Irish yew Fastigiata grows 15 to 30 feet tall and 3 to 10 feet wide. Cold-hardy Japanese yew Viridis grows 10 feet tall and 3 feet wide. In warmer regions, Italian cypress trees form rich green living columns up to 60 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide. Swane's Golden displays new golden-yellow growth.

Deciduous Trees

• Red maple trees are fast-growing, with showy flowers, red twigs and often brilliant fall foliage in cold climates. Autumn Spire grows 50 feet tall and 25 feet wide. Armstrong Freeman grows 40 to 70 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. Greencolumn is a black maple reaching 65 feet high with a 25-foot width, displaying yellow fall foliage. The Asian white birch Fargo grows 30 feet tall and only 8 feet wide. Whitespire reaches as high as 40 feet with a 15-foot width. Poplar trees include the European aspen Erecta, growing to 30 feet tall and 8 feet wide. Lombardy poplars rapidly reach 40 to 100 feet tall and 15 to 30 feet wide. Bright summer foliage becomes golden-yellow in fall. Freely-suckering Lombardy poplars are best in open country settings.

Flowering Trees

• Red Barron crab apple grows to a narrow 20 feet tall and 12 feet wide, displaying single reddish-pink flowers in spring. Amanogawa crab apple grows to 25 feet high and 4 to 8 feet wide, producing semidouble flowers in shades of pink. Its habit is columnar in youth, aging to a vase shape. Spire's Hillier's cherry grows 20 feet high and 8 feet wide. Pale-pink flowers are displayed in spring against coppery new foliage. The magnolia Little Gem grows 15 feet high and 10 feet wide with white flowers and evergreen foliage.

Shorter Trees

• Shorter varieties of American arborvitae include Sunkist, a slow grower eventually reaching 4 to 6 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Yellow Ribbon grows 8 to 10 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, displaying bright yellow foliage throughout the year. Degroot's Emerald Spire reaches 6 to 12 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The crab apple tree Adirondack grows 12 feet tall and 6 feet wide in a columnar habit, with red buds opening to single white flowers.