 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Small
trees for the garden If you have a small garden, choosing a specimen tree is worth taking time over. The tree needs to be hardworking, well shaped and to give you blossom and autumn or winter colour and interest. Amelanchiers are one of the garden designer's favourites. The majority are found in North America although the stockier A ovalis is native to S.Europe. The 'Snowy Mespilus' has a loose open habit and one of the most elegant is A lamarckii. Early in the year the heads of white blossom smother the trees accented by delicious coppery emerging foliage. The flowers are followed by small berries in summer and the leaves display good autumn colour. Some species are less lime tolerant than others, I grow A.canadensis which seems to be doing fine on fairly neutral soil. A beautiful spreading specimen tree eventually growing to a maximum of 6 metres is the Medlar, Mespilus germanica. The Medlar has been grown in Britain for centuries but is not that commonly seen. The flowers in June are similar to those of an apple but borne singly and much larger. It is the fruits however that provide a topic of conversation, known colloquially as 'openaers' they have apparently also been used in herbal medicine to 'bind' the bowels. The russet fruits are only eaten when frosted and starting to rot [bletted] although a jelly can be made from the firm fruit which is apparently delicious. The Strawberry Tree, arbutus, is evergreen and can eventually attain 9 metres in height. A x andrachnoides develops spectacular thin peeling bark on sinuous trunks, the colouring ranging from cinnamon to deep rusty red. The small off-white clusters of bell shaped flowers appear from autumn through to spring. A.unedo has less attractive bark but is the hardiest and carries flowers and fruits [that bear a passing resemblance to strawberries] at the same time [birds are partial to the fruit]. Azara microphylla is a native of Chile, the small evergreen oval leaves create an airy appearance. In spring tiny tufts of yellow powderpuff flowers appear along the undersides of the branches and waft a delicious scent of vanilla or chocolate around the garden on warm days. A. microphylla 'Variegata' makes a more attractive specimen tree, the leaves have heavy white variegation, it is hardy to around -15°C. Flowering much later in the year Clerodendrum trichotomum is a rather coarse looking deciduous tree which makes up to 6 metres. The leaves are large and a dull gree, but during August and September the tree bears sprays of well scented white flowers. It continues the show into autumn with metallic blue berries cupped by scarlet star shaped bracts. Over time and with a bit of judicious pruning this tree can develop a gnarled goblet shape which makes it more interesting as a specimen tree. A rather beautiful and little known tree is Xanthoceras sorbifolium [pictured], it was introduced from Northern China in 1866. As the name implies it has sorbus [mountain ash like] foliage and in May produces clusters of large white flowers. If you are lucky you will get seed pods similar to conkers. The flowers form on growth made the year before so it is best grown somewhere fairly warm and sheltered to harden off the wood which makes the flower bearing branches less susceptible to spring frosts. Other specimen trees that give a good show over a long period include sorbus with white panicles of flower in early summer, berries and good autumn colour and crab apples with their delicate blossom and array of different 'apples' in golds, reds and peaches which in some cultivars remain on the trees through the winter. This article was originally printed in The Bristol Magazine 2004 @Karisgarden.com |
|
Buy
or borrow |
| See all articles |