Forum home Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Is our tree being choked?

fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 398
Hi all, so we had a young tree growing… not sure what it is but had green oval shaped fruits growing on it? Anyway, in the past week or so the leaves are going brown and the fruit purple, it looks like it is dying. We are unsure if there is something else growing around it snd choking it and wonder what this is? Many thanks for any advice on what’s going on here, what the trees/plants are and what to do :-)

«1

Posts

  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    The plant growing round it is ivy and yes it should be removed I doubt it's short on water there's plenty of free space around behind it.
    Have a look at the bottom of that dead branch that might give you a clue as to what went wrong, it could be as simple as it snapped further down or something has eaten it.

    It's a bit hard to tell but it almost looks like there are two different trees there.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Is there a goat willow taking over your tree?
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 398
    Hi @Skandi and @B3 thank you for your comments. There is unfortunately some stuff in front of it at the moment due to having building work done. The tree was there when we moved in. We’ve given it a good water and will take ivy off. There’s definitely two types of plant/tree growing right together. I’ve attached some more photos. 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited June 2021
    It looks to me like a goat willow growing beside. If so, you can take it out, and the ivy. If you want to help the tree I would remove all the junk from anywhere near it, including the bird house thing. Keeping giving it a good many buckets of water weekly. Cut off anything dead and beige, remove all the grass and weeds from around the base to around 50cm and keep it that way. Keep a close eye over the summer.

    You will then have a good chance the assess the state of play and what is going on.
  • fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 398
    @Fire thank you. Ok, is goat willow bad then? It looks quite a sturdy trunk… and any ideas what the fruit tree is that it’s overtaking? Strange how so close together… thanks for your advice… we will do as suggested 😊👍
  • Could it be some sort of wild plum or damson? It's the shape of the developing fruit that makes me think that.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Goat willow (Salix caprea) is fine if you have a wildlife garden of several acres. But it seeds everywhere (little fluffy seeds that float in the air) and takes root and grows quicly whenever a seed lands in a crevice of bare soil  … it’s why you find them growing in pots and plots where other things are planted, and then they grow so fast they take over and swamp the space. Not really what’s needed in most gardens. 
    😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Others are better at tree ID than me.
    Goat willow doesn't 'do' much.  Like ash, they self seed freely all over the place. I would prioritise the fruit tree and take out the others. You'll probably find goat willow seeded elsewhere close by.
  • fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 398
    Could it be some sort of wild plum or damson? It's the shape of the developing fruit that makes me think that.
    This is growing on it now… any ideas? 😊
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    my first thought was suckers taking over. Can't see the base though
    Devon.
Sign In or Register to comment.