Tall Columnar Trees for a Florida Landscape

For Fruits

• The columnar sargent cherry (Prunus sargentii "Columnaris") grows to 35 feet tall tree with a 15-foot spread. Along with its edible purple fruits, this tree provides color throughout the year, with red-brown bark, pink spring blossoms, red new growth, and glossy foliage that turns red, yellow and orange in fall. Plant the columnar sargent cherry in acidic, well-draining soil in a sunny site. It's hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness planting zones 4 to 8a. Another fruit tree, the columnar Siberian crabapple (Malus baccata "Columnaris") bears edible yellow and red fruits that attract birds. This 35-foot-tall tree has a 15-foot spread and is hardy in USDA zones 3b to 8a. Like the columnar sargent cherry, it blooms with fragrant blossoms in spring.

For Flowers

• For color and fragrance in a narrow planting space, choose a flowering columnar tree. Hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8, the columnar scholar tree (Sophora japonica "Columnaris") grows quickly to 40 feet tall with a 20-foot spread. Tolerant of urban conditions, this deciduous tree blooms with yellow summer flowers and grows well in light soil and full sun. In spring, the "Fastigiata" American linden (Tilia americana "Fastigiata") bursts into bloom with aromatic light-yellow flowers, attracting honeybees to the landscape. This 70-foot-tall deciduous tree has a 30-foot spread and large, heart-shaped foliage. It's hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 and prefers slightly acidic, moist soil.

For Year-Round Foliage

• Evergreens keep their foliage year-round, making these trees a good choice for screening or creating wind or sound barriers. The columnar limber pine (Pinus flexilis "Columnaris") grows to 50 feet tall, but only spreads to 10 feet wide. This conifer has blue-green needles and produces small, pendulous cones. It's hardy in USDA zones 5 to 7a and grows best in sunny sites with moist, well-draining soil. The "Fastigiata" giant arborvitae (Thuja plicata "Fastigiata") generally grows to 70 feet tall but can reach heights to 200 feet under ideal conditions. This columnar evergreen has a 20-foot spread and aromatic, dark foliage. Hardy in USDA zones 6 to 8, this arborvitae thrives in rich, moist sites and tolerates partial shade exposures.

For Fall Color

• The columnar red maple (Acer rubrum "Columnare"), a 50-foot-tall deciduous tree with a 10-foot spread, has lustrous foliage that turns bright red in autumn. It's hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 and prefers moist, acidic soil. Another cultivar, the "Fastigiata" maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba "Fastigiata"), turns golden yellow in fall. This deciduous tree reaches heights to 75 feet with a 15-foot spread and is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8a. It grows best in well-draining soil and makes a good street tree due to its high tolerance for pollution.