A towering tulip tree dwarfs a one-story home on a small lot. The same tree is in scale with a three-story mansion on a large estate. When planning a landscape, allow enough space for each plant to reach its maximum size. A mature Scotch pine tree has a spread of 30 to 40 feet and reaches a height of 30 to 60 feet. The small holiday tree that is only 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide should not be planted 8 feet from the corner of the house.
Many people crowd young plants together to make a new planting look good when it is planted.
This is fine if some of the plants are removed as the most desirable plants grow. Alternatively, annuals or less expensive, short-lived plants can fill the gaps until the woody plants begin to fill the space. Slower growing plants require less maintenance. However, most people want woody ornamentals to grow as fast as possible. Their wood is weaker than slower growing species.