Ideas for July/August flowering small tree / shrub

Qwerty7 · May 2023

Hi there
Please let me have your ideas on which plant we need !

We live in South London / Kent area and would like to plant a hardy small tree or shrub which would be a "show stopper" in July / August.

Hydrandas don't seem to do that well in our garden but is there something else - big, bright and colourful that we could plant as a lovely summery focal point.

Thank you for any suggestions.

Paul B3 · May 2023

Eucryphia x nymansensis 'Nymansay' ; flowers July/August and evergreen foliage .

Aralia elata or Japanese Angelica Tree ; spectacular white plumes at the time you request ; available in a striking variegated form too , but very expensive .

Both the above are excellent for summer pollinators .

Busy-Lizzie · May 2023

Lagerstroemia could work. It's usually seen in France and Italy. I had one in my old Dordogne garden. As you live in the south of the UK I think it would be hardy enough. Mine survived -10C in Dordogne. It likes sun. It comes in shades of white, pink, purple blossom, shrub or tree.

Qwerty7 · May 2023

oh - thank you for the suggestions. I always enjoy reading up on new plants to find out more.

Our garden is full of colour in April / May - cherry blossom, tamarisk, lilacs, forsythia etc. but we need to find a new feature for the summer months. We plant a lot of smaller flowers but they don't seem to pack the same punch that we get from the trees in Spring. thank you.