A small tree is one you will never need to remove. Everything here stays under roughly six metres, which keeps it clear of powerlines, out of the neighbours' sightlines and within reach for pruning.

Crepe myrtles, Japanese maples, ornamental pears and compact magnolias do the most work in this size class. For natives, Euky Dwarf and the compact flowering gums give eucalypt character without eucalypt scale.

Small does not mean slow to establish. Most of these reach close to full size within six to eight years, so a courtyard reads as finished far sooner than it would with a larger species.