Your favourite centrepiece tree suggestions

Posts

• K67 Posts: 2,506

  May 2020

  Try mail order trees and ornamental trees websites. You can filter your choices and then see photos of the trees
  Evergreen might be a bit harder to find though Arbutus unedo is one but don't know whether they cope with wind.

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• rachelQrtJHBjb Posts: 819

  May 2020

  Multistemmed Betula utilis jacquemontii. Not evergreen but beautiful bark, especially in winter. Small leaves cast dappled shade and as the canopy is not dense it should be able to cope with wind a bit better.
  
  Bluebell Arboretum is a good supplier of trees and you can filter by a range of preferences https://www.bluebellnursery.com/

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• FlyDragon Posts: 834

  May 2020 edited May 2020

  An evergreen magnolia would look nice, but would probably not like the strong winds. 
  
  What about a good old native like a hawthorn?  Its not evergreen but would be beautiful in spring and could easily withstand the winds.  You could put some dainty tasteful lighting on it in winter to cheer up the space. 
  
  
  

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• berginjim5 Posts: 46

  May 2020

  katie.mac said:

  Hello
  We have a 10m x 10m grassed area at the front side of the house, we would like to plant a beautiful tree in the middle of it but are stuck for which type. What would you suggest for a centrepiece for the area?
  Its in a sunny, very windy area. Inland. House is 20m a way. No shade. A tree that has leaves all year round would look lovely. Would love some suggestions.
  Thanks

  they are deciduous but a lovely sorbus ….mountain ash would be my choice 
  

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• robairdmacraignil Posts: 782

  May 2020

  If you definitely want it to be evergreen then maybe common holly.

  If you are more flexible about being evergreen then the flower display on cherry trees can be great and a purple leaved variety also has interesting colour in other seasons outside of the flowering time as well and might leave more light into the garden in the winter.
  

  https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  

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• sam bevington Posts: 130

  May 2020

  Photiana Red Robin x
  

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• Greenbird Posts: 237

  May 2020

  Not a fan of evergreens:
  
  I'd trial a Persian Ironwood, or go the safe route for a Mountain Ash

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• BobTheGardener Posts: 11,385

  May 2020 edited May 2020

  As others have mentioned, the choice become very limited if you insist on evergreen trees.  However, there are other ways to get year-round interest from deciduous trees.  For example, you could consider using a crab apple.  These will flower profusely early in the year and many will hold their fruit from then onwards providing valuable colour for much of the winter. They are excellent for wildlife too, attracting blackbirds and other fruit-eaters.  If you are a neat and tidy person who would not like seeing the fallen fruit on the lawn then they might not be for you though.
  

  A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  

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• BenCotto Posts: 4,718

  May 2020

  I like a bit of wedding cake - Cornus controversa Variegata.
  
  It is though deciduous, something I much prefer because evergreens are so often a slap of unchanging dark green, boring all year round.
  
  One decision you’ll have to make is price vs time. A small tree costing circa £30 to £60 is unlikely to make any statement for at least 10 years. A tree with immediate impact will set you back £200 - £500.

  Rutland, England

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• katie.mac Posts: 7

  May 2020

  Thank you all for your replies. After researching the trees you have all suggested, I think we will get a deciduous tree. I love the colours and how they change over the year. Everything else in the garden is green so it would look lovely to have a pop of colour to stand out. 

  We have 3 beagles so had to unfortunately get rid of the Apple and plum trees at the front as they were becoming unwell from eating all the fallen fruit. So we would be keen to put something back that could benefit wildlife in some way. 

  Thank you all for your replies!

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