Gardening Trees, Shrubs & Vines Trees How-to Select Trees by Shape By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 8, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos You don't have to be a tree expert to pick a tree by shape. Whether you want a cone-shaped tree or a tree with horizontal branches, we have tree ideas for you. 01 of 08 Columnar Columnar trees are shaped like columns or cylinders, with branches of uniform length from top to bottom. They aren't necessarily narrow, but they appear to be because of the branching pattern. Many commonly known trees are available in columnar versions. Examples: cherry, European hornbeam, Lombardy poplar, red maple, quaking aspen, sugar maple, tuliptree Find fast-growing trees to add to your landscape. 02 of 08 Open-Head Irregular The branching pattern of theses trees is irregular and random, creating an open, asymmetrical canopy shape. They offer wonderful shade, and after their leaves fall, their branch architecture creates dramatic silhouettes against a winter sky. Examples: ash, buckeye, catalpa, hickory, pawpaw, sycamore (London Plane), silver maple, smoketree 03 of 08 Weeping The branches of weeping trees droop downward and are covered with graceful, cascading foliage. These typically smaller, ornamental trees soften the hardscape. Many commonly known trees are available in a weeping form. Examples: birch, cherry, crabapple, hemlock, katsura, larch, sourwood, willow 04 of 08 Pyramidal These broad, cone-shaped trees have triangular canopies that are wider at the base and narrower toward the top. Many deciduous trees and conifers have this classic shape. The large ones are stunning on properties where they have room to grow. Examples: American beech, American holly, baldcypress, blue spruce, cucumber magnolia, fir, linden, oak (pin and scarlet), sweetgum Live in a warm-weather climate? Learn about adding uniquely shaped palm trees to your landscape. 05 of 08 Globe The canopies of these trees, with their regular, rounded shape, are ideal for formal landscapes. Stately rows provide a strong linear feature, softened by the billow of their canopies. When alone on a spacious lawn, they make handsome specimens. Examples: American hornbeam, American yellowwood, bur oak, black maple, flowering dogwood, hackberry, redbud 06 of 08 Fastigiate These trees have an elongated, narrow, tapering profile and a strong vertical habit that draws the eye upward. When planted in rows, they serve beautifully as hedges to define boundaries, as windbreaks, and as effective screens against noise or undesirable views. Examples: Arborvitae, baldcypress, European beech, ginko 07 of 08 Vase Vase-shaped trees have canopies that work well near streets and sidewalks because they don't block the view of traffic or pedestrians. Branches grow at a sharp upward angle from the trunk, flaring outward at the tips. Canopies resemble upside-down triangles. Examples: Boxelder, elm, fringetree, hawthorn, striped maple, zelkova 08 of 08 Horizontal Spreading Trees with horizontal branches, even at the top of the canopy, can seem very wide. Usually massive, they overwhelm small properties and can dwarf single-story homes. But their spreading habit contrasts well with a narrow house. Examples: Beech, Eastern redcedar, fir, honeylocust, hornbeam, Korean dogwood, larch, oak (red, white), witchhazel Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit