Just a thought about flowers, my man often says that Japanese gardeners favour structure over flowers, it could be the style of pruning that means your don't see flowers.
I agree with @Allotment Boy and friends summation about the leaves. If you are away then it won't get pruned? Or leave a branch/piece to grow as normal.
And the other posters all seem like helpful Identity tries. I cannot help but like the idea it is a Tea camellia in Japan.
But I do not think it a Prunus lusitanicus, which is Latin name for Portugal/ Portugeuse laurel. This has a red leaf stalk and stem. Also on ours the leaves are a little shorter and fatter in profile than the other .
Which is. Prunus laurocerasus the Cherry Laurel which if anything would look more like your leaf with no red stem, just plain green.
The names are closer and a little confusing if you do not know them.
The video of the man climbing and pruning is amazing! The Safety Elves would have a fit over here
Many thanks again for all your thoughts. I think it has taken me a while to get what people mean. I was thinking that since it is only pruned once a year, it would be more likely that the trees wouldn’t be cut at a time when the flowers were due. But @Allotment Boy mentioning about the structure may have helped the penny to finally drop. I think I see what is meant now. It’s not necessarily the timing but shape and way they are cut back.
I didn’t think it was actually a Portuguese laurel, just that this was the closest I could see. It does look risky the way they climb the trees and I can imagine how it that would go over with the health and safety mob! I have tried using the tripod ladders they have here. They are wonderful for getting into the trees. But there are parts, especially near the crown, where it is very hard except with long shears. I suppose such tools would not get them as close as they would like.
Trees like the Japanese black holly, and possibly this one, seem to have a lot of branches spring up out of the trunk and along the main branch, so I think it’s just easier to climb up and cut it rather than to use a ladder. Otherwise it can’t be done as well. At least, that’s my observation (albeit uninformed).🤔
I agree with @Allotment Boy and friends summation about the leaves. If you are away then it won't get pruned? Or leave a branch/piece to grow as normal.
And the other posters all seem like helpful Identity tries. I cannot help but like the idea it is a Tea camellia in Japan.
But I do not think it a Prunus lusitanicus, which is Latin name for Portugal/ Portugeuse laurel. This has a red leaf stalk and stem. Also on ours the leaves are a little shorter and fatter in profile than the other .
Which is. Prunus laurocerasus the Cherry Laurel which if anything would look more like your leaf with no red stem, just plain green.
The names are closer and a little confusing if you do not know them.
The video of the man climbing and pruning is amazing! The Safety Elves would have a fit over here
Hello again,
Sorry, I think I missed some of what you said. I was replying whilst transferring for a flight.
About the pruning: If I am away it won’t get pruned. The garden is only ever pruned in August. About 5 gardeners come in and do it all in a day.
The tea camellia is interesting. I think you may have mentioned it before but perhaps I was uncertain about it. One reason I was uncertain was because I have another camellia in my garden that does bloom regardless of pruning. I suppose I must have thought that if that one bloomed, so should this one. But perhaps I’m wrong here.
The leaves certainly look similar. Also, I live in a big tea growing area and actually such a tree would make sense as a kind of homage to the area.
I made a mistake. When I used AI, it said Yamamomo was Portuguese Laurel. But I have checked again and now it is saying Yamamomo is Myrica rubra.
Posts
If you are away then it won't get pruned?
Or leave a branch/piece to grow as normal.
And the other posters all seem like helpful Identity tries.
I cannot help but like the idea it is a Tea camellia in Japan.
But I do not think it a Prunus lusitanicus, which is Latin name for Portugal/ Portugeuse laurel.
This has a red leaf stalk and stem.
Also on ours the leaves are a little shorter and fatter in profile than the other .
Which is.
Prunus laurocerasus the Cherry Laurel which if anything would look more like your leaf with no red stem, just plain green.
The names are closer and a little confusing if you do not know them.
The video of the man climbing and pruning is amazing!
The Safety Elves would have a fit over here
Sorry, I think I missed some of what you said. I was replying whilst transferring for a flight.
About the pruning: If I am away it won’t get pruned. The garden is only ever pruned in August. About 5 gardeners come in and do it all in a day.