I have a very old one. We found some of its roots extemding under the floor of the house, at least 20 metres from the tree (I was told by various experts - builders, tree surgeons and an architect - that they're very old so shouldn't cause any problems). It's forever dropping twigs and small lichen-covered branches, and drops black-staining fruit in autumn. But it's in an out-of the-way corner (when we moved in we had to relocate an oil tank that was unwisely situated right underneath it) so I don't mind.
In fact, I love it. It's like a venerable old man in the corner of the garden. The gnarly old half-hollowed trunks (it splits into 3 very low down) must harbour all kinds of wildlife. The leaves turn a stunningly vivid lime-yellow, almost florescent when the sun shines, in autumn before they drop.
We have a medlar. Beautiful tree, interesting shape, very pretty blossom and good autumn colour. It fruits prolifically every year, but there isn’t a lot you can do with it. It does make a good jelly to have with cheese but there’s only so much of that you can eat. We find the flavour underwhelming. The fruits do hang in after the leaves drop and they look quite pretty, like lots of little copper coloured baubles. The bark is also attractive but they are very wide, spreading low trees.
We also have a quince and that’s another very attractive tree. Ours is just getting ready to come into leaf, the leaf buds and young leaves are an attractive silver- lime. Unfortunately ours doesn’t fruit very well and we’re luckily if we get 4-5 edible fruits, it doesn’t set much fruit and a lot falls and rots without ripening. No idea what variety it is as we inherited it. Going off the apple trees we inherited, the owner liked obscure, (very old) heritage varieties. I suspect there are much more robust varieties available.
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
I agree quince is a really attractive tree. Mine is a Vranja, a fairly compact one that produced a modest crop of well-sized fruit from it’s second year onwards. Q. Oblonga can get huge so avoid that one if you have limited space. Apart from membrillo, a quince tarte tartin is a delicious thing of beauty 🥧
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
@bertrand-mabel - we are having to fell a number of Ash trees which leaves us with space so we are considering planting a small orchard in place of the Ash. I will certainly look at both your suggestions, thank you 😊
I have a small, 3/4ft., mulberry tree growing in a container. I have had it now for 3 years. It had a number of fruit the first year but none last year. There were plenty of flowers last year that were decimated by the storms. There are two types of mulberry, black and white. Not referring to fruit colour. I am growing mine in a large container because it is supposed to be a dwarf variety. I saw the TV gardener/chef Huw Whittingstall? has a venerable mulberry in his garden growing in a raised bed, edged with sheets of corrugated iron set on their sides. The mulberries in Hampton Court were brought to this country for the King to raise his own silk making factories. Unfortunately, the wrong variety was bought and all of the silkworms died. Mine is breaking bud now, I am waiting to see what it does this year.
We have a medlar. Beautiful tree, interesting shape, very pretty blossom and good autumn colour. It fruits prolifically every year, but there isn’t a lot you can do with it. It does make a good jelly to have with cheese but there’s only so much of that you can eat. We find the flavour underwhelming. The fruits do hang in after the leaves drop and they look quite pretty, like lots of little copper coloured baubles. The bark is also attractive but they are very wide, spreading low trees.
We also have a quince and that’s another very attractive tree. Ours is just getting ready to come into leaf, the leaf buds and young leaves are an attractive silver- lime. Unfortunately ours doesn’t fruit very well and we’re luckily if we get 4-5 edible fruits, it doesn’t set much fruit and a lot falls and rots without ripening. No idea what variety it is as we inherited it. Going off the apple trees we inherited, the owner liked obscure, (very old) heritage varieties. I suspect there are much more robust varieties available.
I also have a quince which so far has not performed very well fruit wise. The tree is about 9 years old, covered in glorious blossom every year but so far only a couple of full sized fruit. The variety is Varanje, supposed to be pear shaped fruit. Perhaps this year
@Marlorena we were given one of these some years ago and what a disapointment. It produced 2 very very small fruits the first year which tasted of nothing. We have tranplanted it into the orchard and still does very little.
We had a young true mulberry seedling planted out which grew very well. Leaves great and flowered well but the fruit wasn't set. In a storm (many years ago) it fell down. Some years later we found from the bottom some new growth. Have nutured this but as @pansyface says it will be such a long time before we maybe see any return.
@alfharris8 what about a quince or a medlar? Fabulous fruit trees with lovely flowers in the Spring and good fruit. Yes you have to do the work before you can eat them but well worth it.
My daughter tried growing a goji berry, couldn't get it to fruit so gave it to me. It took off at a rate of knots, suckered everywhere, loads of minuscule flowerers from August to October but after several years, not a single fruit. It was a nightmare to dig out, spiny and suckering roots spread everywhere. It took about 3 years to dig out the last vestiges of it. Beware.
I bought a mulberry last year when the garden centre was having a clear out. It was supposed to be £90 but I paid 10, which I thought was a good deal for an 8ft semi standard tree. It is supposed to have giant fruits and I'm hoping it will fruit early as it's grafted but I know they are very susceptible to late frosts damaging the fruits.
My daughter tried growing a goji berry, couldn't get it to fruit so gave it to me. It took off at a rate of knots, suckered everywhere, loads of minuscule flowerers from August to October but after several years, not a single fruit. It was a nightmare to dig out, spiny and suckering roots spread everywhere. It took about 3 years to dig out the last vestiges of it. Beware.
This is basically my experience. We planted a couple down the allotment and they grew to 8ft beasts in a year or so, produced lots of flowers and then only 3 fruit between them. My allotment neighbour said that the blackbirds loved the fruit, which could have been why so few were left but in truth after trying the three I did find, I thought they were pretty horrid tasting anyway. They have since been banished to and far and way corner, so the birds can enjoy them.
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In fact, I love it. It's like a venerable old man in the corner of the garden. The gnarly old half-hollowed trunks (it splits into 3 very low down) must harbour all kinds of wildlife. The leaves turn a stunningly vivid lime-yellow, almost florescent when the sun shines, in autumn before they drop.
We also have a quince and that’s another very attractive tree. Ours is just getting ready to come into leaf, the leaf buds and young leaves are an attractive silver- lime. Unfortunately ours doesn’t fruit very well and we’re luckily if we get 4-5 edible fruits, it doesn’t set much fruit and a lot falls and rots without ripening. No idea what variety it is as we inherited it. Going off the apple trees we inherited, the owner liked obscure, (very old) heritage varieties. I suspect there are much more robust varieties available.
East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
There are two types of mulberry, black and white. Not referring to fruit colour.
I am growing mine in a large container because it is supposed to be a dwarf variety. I saw the TV gardener/chef Huw Whittingstall? has a venerable mulberry in his garden growing in a raised bed, edged with sheets of corrugated iron set on their sides.
The mulberries in Hampton Court were brought to this country for the King to raise his own silk making factories. Unfortunately, the wrong variety was bought and all of the silkworms died.
Mine is breaking bud now, I am waiting to see what it does this year.
This is basically my experience. We planted a couple down the allotment and they grew to 8ft beasts in a year or so, produced lots of flowers and then only 3 fruit between them. My allotment neighbour said that the blackbirds loved the fruit, which could have been why so few were left but in truth after trying the three I did find, I thought they were pretty horrid tasting anyway. They have since been banished to and far and way corner, so the birds can enjoy them.