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small tree or bush
Valerie Jones2
Posts: 4
in Plants
Any ideas for a small tree which will give long season interest. Flowering or leaf colour. I dont mind deciduous or evergreen
The site is open and sunny but can be windy
0
Posts
A good small tree is crab apple for blossom in spring and coloured fruits in autumn, not too big for a small garden. Amalanchiers are lovely too, white flowers in spring and lovely leaf colour in autumn.
Photinia red robin is evergreen and can be shaped into a standard shape. Leaves are bright red when new and darken to deep green.
Am also a fan of Portuguese Laurel.
A hawthorn would be lovely there - I like the double white but there are pink forms
http://www.ornamental-trees.co.uk/ornamental-trees-c18/hawthorn-tree-crataegus-c36/crataegus-laevigata-plena-tree-pp248 . Good in windy spots, frothy flowers in spring, glossy green leaves in summer, berries for birds in the autumn followed by good autumn leaf colour - what more can you ask?
Oh, I forgot - just the sort of leaves needed by hedgehogs for hibernation
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Rhus typhina 'Dissecta', great shape for a small tree, spring colours good followed by great autumn colours! Watch out for suckers
Acers are very unhappy in windy spots - I wouldn't risk it.
I love Rhus typhina, as you say they're a great shape - I'd love one here, but one is the operative word - we don't have room for a thicket!!! Those suckers always win in my experience.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I planted a Rhus at my fathers house about 12 years ago and he tells me that he's only had about two or three suckers pop up in all that time. I think the important thing is too ensure you get a decent plant with only one main stem for starters then avoid disturbing the roots as this makes the plant think its under attack, and it fights back big time. There's a house around the corner from me where the front garden is like a sumach forest
What I've found is that they don't produce suckers until the tree gets too big for it's space and you start to prune it - it responds by throwing up suckers right, left and centre
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'm an Amelanchier lanarkii fan- comes as a bush or small tree, lovely white blossom black fruits that birds love and very vivid autumn leaves - great little tree/bush and easily trimmed if necessary
That's the one I said above, Matty, so we are agreed!
Of Course Liz