5 Trees That Start Small and Grow Into Something Extraordinary

There's something uniquely satisfying about starting a tree from a tiny 2-inch starter and watching it transform over months and years into something that genuinely changes the look and feel of a space. You're not just buying a plant — you're beginning a relationship. These five trees are among the most rewarding you can grow, whether you're working with a sunny balcony, a patio container, or a backyard with room to expand.

All five arrive as 2-inch starter plants. That's intentional. Starting small means you shape them from the beginning, bond with them through every growth spurt, and pay a fraction of what a mature specimen would cost at a nursery. The patience is part of the point — and with trees this beautiful, it's absolutely worth it.

 

JACARANDA STARTER TREE

Best for: Bonsai · Patio container · Landscape

Few trees stop people in their tracks the way a jacaranda does. Known for its cascading purple-blue blooms and fine, fern-like foliage, it's one of the most visually rewarding trees you can train as a bonsai — and one of the most dramatic landscape trees you can plant if you eventually give it the ground. Starting from a 2-inch starter, it develops slowly and deliberately, rewarding patient growers with a form they've shaped themselves. Full sun and well-draining soil are its two non-negotiables. Give it those and it will give you a lifetime of spring color.

Ready to start yours? Grab a Jacaranda starter here.

 

DWARF OLIVE TREE

Best for: Patio container · Indoor statement · Landscape

The dwarf olive tree has an effortlessly sophisticated look that few plants can match — silvery-green leaves, a naturally gnarled trunk even when young, and the kind of quiet character that takes other trees decades to develop. Container-grown olive trees have anchored European courtyard gardens for centuries, and they translate beautifully to modern patios, rooftop terraces, and bright indoor spaces. They're drought-tolerant, exceptionally long-lived, and genuinely low-maintenance once established. A 2-inch starter today becomes a treasured heirloom plant before you know it.

Start your Dwarf Olive tree today.

 

PERSIAN PINK MIMOSA

Best for: Fast grower · Bonsai · Landscape

The Persian pink mimosa — also known as the silk tree — is one of the fastest-growing trees in our collection, which makes it especially satisfying for plant parents who want visible progress. Its feathery, fern-like leaves are beautiful long before it blooms, and when the powder-puff pink flowers finally arrive, the effect is genuinely spectacular. As a bonsai it develops a wonderfully dramatic silhouette. In a large container or planted in the ground, it becomes a landscape focal point that draws the eye from across the yard. Start small, and watch it run.

Bring home a Persian Pink Mimosa starter.

 

PEPPERMINT WILLOW (Agonis flexuosa)

Growth rate: 1–3 ft/year · Matures 25–40 ft · Evergreen

The peppermint willow is one of those trees that earns a second look the moment you notice it. Its long, weeping branches give it a graceful, almost melancholy elegance — and when you brush against the leaves, they release a distinct peppermint fragrance that makes it genuinely unforgettable. It's a medium-to-fast grower, typically adding 1–3 feet of height per year in its youth, and can reach 20 feet within a few years of being planted in the ground. As a container plant it stays more compact and manageable, making it a beautiful patio specimen. Evergreen year-round, it earns its keep in every season.

Get your Peppermint Willow starter here.

 

SILVER DOLLAR EUCALYPTUS (Eucalyptus cinerea)

Growth rate: 3–8 ft/year · Matures 35–50 ft · Cut foliage favorite

If you want fast and dramatic, the silver dollar eucalyptus delivers. This is one of the most vigorous trees you can grow from a starter, regularly adding 3–5 feet of height per year — and up to 6–8 feet in ideal conditions. Its round, silver-blue leaves are distinctive from day one, and they're prized by florists and home decorators alike for their use as cut foliage. In warmer climates it grows into a towering landscape tree at maturity. In colder regions it's often grown as an annual, reaching 3–4 feet in a single season before the frost sets in. However you grow it, it's one of the most visually striking plants you can start from a 2-inch pot.

Order your Silver Dollar Eucalyptus starter.

 

A NOTE BEFORE YOU PLANT

All five of these trees ship nationwide as 2-inch starters, carefully packed to arrive healthy and ready to grow. Because mature sizes and cold hardiness vary, we recommend checking your USDA hardiness zone before planting any of these in the ground — though all five make wonderful container plants regardless of where you live. Start them in a pot, give them the conditions they love, and let them show you what they're capable of. And when your tree is ready for more room, our repotting guide video walks you through exactly what to do.

The best time to start a tree was years ago. The second-best time is right now.

Ready to start something? Shop our full starter tree collection at myshelfie.shop — all ship nationwide, packed with care.