| |
Name of tree
in England
|
Botanical name
|
Comment
|
| 1 |
Snakebark maple |
Acer Hersii |
Named on account of
their striped bark, this is just one of the 'snakebark' maples. I think it is
Acer Hersii, but I can't be sure as it was given to me by a friend. It
has grown quite quickly. It is known for its vase-shaped crown of arching
branches in its early years. Planted ~1990 |
| 2 |
Loquat |
Eriobotrya Japonica |
Friends in Boston
sent me seeds of this tree which they collected from Bermuda. It is quite
a tender evergreen tree, and may not not last through a harsh winter here in
the UK. It is common in some of the southern states of the USA. Planted
~1995 |
| 3 |
Pride of India |
Koelreuteria Paniculata |
This tree grew from
seed which was collected from beneath a tree in the Botanical gardens at
Oxford. Despite its name, it is a Chinese tree. When adult, it
produces yellow flowers in August, which later turn into seeds in papery
bladders (a bit like Chinese lanterns). Planted ~1987 |
| 4 |
Common Pear Tree |
Pyrus Communis |
This tree is quite
old, and showing signs of decay. The garden originally had three of these
massive old Victorian pear trees. Two have died, and this one is on its
last legs. |
| 5 |
Incense Cedar |
Calocedrus [Libocedrus]
Decurrens |
This tree is
similar to a Thuja, and comes from the Pacific shores and islands.
The crushed foliage is said to smell of turpentine. Planted
~1994 |
| 6 |
Silk Tree or Persian Acacia |
Albitzia Julibrissin |
The seeds for this
tree were brought back from the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, having been
collected from underneath the large tree on the path winding up the knoll.
Being rather tender, it may not last through a harsh winter in the UK.
The leaves (up to 20 in long) open rather late and are quite feathery
with numerous small leaflets, and remind people of a touch-sensitive plant;
they 'close up' at night. The pink flowers open in late summer and are
borne in dense fluffy clusters - almost like a powder puff. Planted
~1995 |
| 7 |
Amur Lime |
Tilia Amurensis |
The seeds for this
tree were sent to me from the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, having been collected
from underneath the amur lime there - by one of the gardeners (Jack Green).
However, I am not convinced that this is actually an amur lime - it seems
more like a common lime to me. The amur lime is very rare in England but
is said to have one of the strongest scents of all the lime trees. I await the
first flowers. Planted ~1993 |
| 8 |
Hybrid Strawberry Tree |
Arbutus x Andrachnoides |
This is a cross
between the strawberry tree native to Ireland (Arbutus Unedo) and the
Greek strawberry tree (Arbutus Andrachne) - in each case, the fruits
only resemble strawberries. Planted ~1993 |
| 9 |
Golden Cappadocian Maple |
Acer Cappadocium 'Aureum' |
Native to Asia Minor
and ranging through the Caucasus and the Himalayan mountains into China, this
tree is becoming more common in England as one of the two cultivars 'aureum'
and 'rubrum'. The version here ('aureum') has yellowish leaves tinged
with red. Planted ~1987 |
| 10 |
Tee tree |
Stewartia pseudocamellia |
Planted in
2005 |
| 11 |
Tibetan Cherry |
Prunus Serrula |
A native of West and
South West China, this tree has become more popular in Britain not for its
(inconspicuous) flowers or (poor) autumn colouring but, rather, for its shiny
'mahogany' bark. It is sometimes said that wise gardeners plant it near a
path so that passes by can rub (but not strip) the smooth bark and thereby keep
it smooth. Planted ~1992 |
| 12 |
Korean Maple |
Acer Pseudosieboldianum |
This is quite a
rarity. The seeds for this tree were sent from the Arnold Arboretum in
Boston, having been collected from underneath the tree there (again by Jack
green). It is supposed to have excellent and early autumn colours - but
this particular plant has not shown them yet. The leaves are tending to
'brown' at the edges each year. Planted ~1994 |
| 13 |
Spur-Leaf |
Tetracentron Sinense |
This is very rare in
the UK. The spring leaf colouring and texture is exceptional, though the
leaves tend to deteriorate before the summer - with brown broken edges. A
peculiar feature of this tree is the slender spurs along the shoots, each
capped by the base of the stalk of a single leaf. There is a good example
of this tree in the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens. Planted ~1990 |
| 14 |
Jacquemont's Birch |
Betula Jacquemontii |
This tree is native
to Kashmir, and has become popular in England of late because of its smooth
clear white bark, with very few dark patches which mar the bark of the common
birch (Betula Pendula). Though this particular tree was purchased
from a reputable supplier (Hilliers, UK), it did not seem at first to be a
Jacquemontii - the bark was not particularly clear. It is, however,
imrpoving with age.Planted ~1990 |
| 15 |
Amur Maple |
Acer Ginnala |
Grown from seed that
was given to me by a friend who got it from Canada, this tree is native to
China, Manchuria and Japan. The leaves open early and are a distinct
yellow at first. In autumn, the colours are quite a bright red, though the
leaves fall early.Planted ~1986 |
| 16 |
Smooth Japanese Maple |
Acer Palmatum 'Ozakazuki' |
Acer Palmatum is
quite a common garden tree, and the form 'Ozakazuki' is quite popular.
Justifiably so, as it has fresh green leaves in summer with scarlet seeds
hanging beneath in bunches. Autumn colours are good. Planted
~1990 |
| 17 |
Colorado Blue Spruce |
Picea Pungens 'Hoopesii' |
Again, a fairly
common small garden tree, 'Hoopesii' is a strikingly ice-blue-white, probably
semi-dwarf, form of the Colorado Blue Spruce. Planted ~1986 |
| 18 |
Snowy Mespil |
Amelanchier Lamarkii [Canadensis]
[Laevis] |
Now naturalised in
Britain, this tree came originally from NE USA in 1870 and is now very common.
The white flowers appear early in spring, and the leaf colour, good all
summer long, turns a bright red in the autumn.Planted ~1985 |
| 19 |
Japanese Red Cedar |
Cryptomeria Japonica |
This is another
redwood. The first seed came to England from China in 1842, and others
came from Japan in 1861, the two types are subtley different. I think
this is the Japanese version. Planted ~1994 |
| 20 |
Sycamore |
Acer Pseudoplatanus |
The 'weed tree' of
Great Britain - the common sycamore - though it is not called this in the USA
or Scotland (where I think it is called the 'Plane' tree). This tree is
very old and established. |
| 21 |
Pond Cypress |
Taxodium ascendens 'nutans' |
Rather small -
planted in 2004. |
| 22 |
Wellingtonia or Giant Sequoia |
Sequoiadendron Giganteum |
Discovered in 1852
during the Californian gold rush, this tree is only to be found naturally in a
few parts of California. One of the trees there is the biggest tree in
the world (not the tallest - but the largest). 'General Sherman', as it is
known, is 87m high and 24m round. All the English country houses of the
nineteenth century just had to have one of these and, within 90 years of the
seeds coming to England, this was the biggest tree in every county. Second
planting in 2003. |
| 23 |
Korean Thuja |
Thuja Koreana |
Quite a rare tree,
this is said to have foliage which, when crushed, has a scent 'like a rich
fruit cake with plenty of almonds and a trace of lemon'. Planted
~1990 |
| 24 |
Japanese Umbrella Pine |
Sciadopytis Verticilata |
Not a pine at all,
this tree is another redwood. The English name comes from the whorled
leaves - like the spokes of an umbrella. Planted in 2004. |
| 25 |
Lacebark Pine |
Pinus Bungeana |
Another rarity -
though it might look quite ordinary. This is a very slow growing tree the
first of which came to England from China in 1846. When mature, the bark
shows an attractive pink/blue/grey marbled effect. Planted ~1990 |
| 26 |
Common Hawthorn |
Crataegus Monogyna |
This is the common
(white flowered) hawthorn. which forms hedges and trees across Britain.
This tree is old and established. |
| 27 |
Blue Noble Fir |
Abies Procera 'Glauca' |
From western Canada,
the blue/green version of this has been commonly planted since 1850,
particularly in Scotland. This 'bluer' cultivar is less common. Planted
~1984 |
| 28 |
Wellingtonia or Giant Sequoia |
Sequoiadendron Giganteum |
Discovered in 1852
during the Californian gold rush, this tree is only to be found naturally in a
few parts of California. One of the trees there is the biggest tree in
the world (not the tallest - but the largest). 'General Sherman', as it is
known, is 87m high and 24m round. All the English country houses of the
nineteenth century just had to have one of these and, within 90 years of the
seeds coming to England, this was the biggest tree in every county. The first
of these that I planted lived about 15 years, but then went brown and died in
2003. I have since re-planted a small one. |
| 29 |
Dove Tree or Handkerchief Tree |
Davidia Involucrata 'Vilmoriana' |
This was first
discovered by Abbe David (a French priest) in China - hence the Latin name.
The flowers are insignificant but are surrounded by two large white
bracts - which look like pieces of cloth on the tree (hence the common name).
Planted ~1984 |
| 30 |
Eucryphia 'rostrevor' |
Eucryphia Nymans 'A' rostrevor |
Planted in
2005 |
| 31 |
Chinese Tulip tree |
Liriodendron Chinense |
Nicer leaves than
the American version. Small planting in 2005. |
| 32 |
Japanese Cherry |
Prunus 'Kanzan' |
This is an old,
common, Japanese cherry. On younger trees, the branches curve upwards
but, with age, and with the weight of heavy blossoms, the branches tend to
fall, as in this case. This tree is old and established. |
| 33 |
Maidenhair Tree |
Gingko Biloba |
Quite uncommon in
the north west of England, this native of China is certainly something of an
oddity in botanical terms (being a conifer with broad leaves). The oldest
tree of this type in England was planted at Kew in 1761 - and is still in good
health. Planted ~1978 |
| 34 |
Bamboo-Leaved Oak |
Quercus Myrsinifolia |
This is a very
unusual tree. There are a number of evergreen oaks, one of which is not
uncommon in England (the Holm Oak), but the one here is reputedly the most
elegant and rare of the evergreen oaks. It was first introduced to
England in 1864. The new leaves open with a tinge of red, and the acorns
have a distinctive 'ringed' cup. Still waiting the first ones (2005). Planted
~1990 |
| 35 |
Nyssa |
Nyssa |
Not sure what type
of Nyssa this is. Planted ~1990 |
| 36 |
Oxydendron |
Oxydendron virginiana |
Not sure about this.
Planted ~1990 |
