THERE’S A TREE FOR EVERY GARDEN... HERE’S HOW TO CHOOSE YOURS
Whether you’re a fan of oaks or delicate Japanese flowering cherries, as long as you know what will thrive in your soil...
Any garden is big enough to grow a tree — you just need to select the right one. Most are adaptable, but all will like certain conditions, and the best results will come by choosing the most apt marriage of tree and location. So, firstly, assess your soil.
Clay soil is heavy, sticky and hard to work. But it holds moisture in drought and is rich in nutrients. Lots of organic material, such as compost, can improve it. On the other hand, sandy soil is light and drains easily but often is low on nutrients and needs organic material. It’s often acidic, so many lime-loving plants will not flourish. Chalky or limestone soil is very alkaline, which means plants such as rhododendron, azalea, heather and camellia will not thrive.
The choice of tree is huge but here are some of my favourites. I take a look at edible-fruit trees on the following pages..
CLAY BIG GARDENS
Oak (Quercus robur) Over many decades, it will grow to 20-40m. However, if your soil is damp you’re better growing another oak, Quercus petraea, which reaches a similar size. Oaks thrive in full or partial sun.
Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) The American tulip tree is fast-growing and, once mature, produces huge yellow-green tulip-like flowers in summer, and carries butter-yellow leaves in autumn. It likes full sun or partial shade and can reach 30m.
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) Hornbeam makes a fine tree very like a beech but thrives where a beech would falter. It will grow to 15-25m. ‘Fastigiata’ is a slim alternative for smaller gardens. Both need full or partial sun.
MEDIUM GARDENS
Holly (Ilex aquifolium) Given rich soil and plenty of water and light, the English holly is a superb evergreen tree. For holly to produce berries, you’ll need a male and a female tree. Holly can reach 12m and while birds love the berries, they’re poisonous to pets.
Magnolia x soulangeana This hybrid magnolia has glossy leaves and goblet-shaped white flowers flushed with pink. Bad weather can play havoc so don’t plant it in an exposed site or against an eastfacing wall. Growing to 8m, it likes sun or partial shade.
Field maple (Acer campestre) Shamefully under-used, this makes a superb tree that grows easily, with wonderful yellow and orange foliage in autumn. It can reach around 12m in height.
Silver birch (Betula pendula) These sun-loving trees with grey-white bark can make a lovely focal point. They will adapt to any soil, and can sometimes reach 25m, but stay fairly narrow. For very small gardens, consider the upright ‘Fastigiata’ variety. For colder Irish climates, see the Downy birch below.
Downy birch (Betula pubescens) Like its cousin the silver birch, this pretty tree is compact in width and also great for wildlife, but is much more tolerant of cooler climates.
SMALL GARDENS
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) This has highly decorative foliage on trees that can be tiny to mediumsized. Japanese maples (inset, right) have perhaps the best autumn colour of all, although their fresh spring foliage is what I love most. They need full sun or partial shade and can reach 8m.
Crab apple (Malus) Crab apples have pretty flowers in spring and ornamental or edible fruit in autumn, and many have good autumn foliage. My favourite variety is ‘Golden Hornet’, with white blossom followed by a mass of yellow fruit. It can reach 8-12m. Cockspur hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli) Not many plants are primarily grown for the beauty of their thorns, but on this tree they’re an impressive 7.5cm long and birds will sometimes build their nests in them.
The cockspur hawthorn has marvellous spring blossom, long-lasting berries and leaves which turn a rich orange colour in the autumn. This tree can grow to 6m.
CHALK BIG GARDENS
Common beech (Fagus sylvatica) A fabulous tree for a large garden with alkaline soil. The leaves are yellow-green in spring, turning a rich red-brown in autumn. Grows to over 20m.
Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) This is one of the few conifers happy in chalky soil. It has evergreen leaves in drooping sprays, which have a pleasant fruity aroma when crushed and small egg-shaped cones. It can eventually reach a towering 35m.
Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) A tough pine that will also tolerate clay and compacted soil. Not the most handsome tree, but makes a superb evergreen windbreak. Reaches more than 20m high in full sun.
MEDIUM GARDENS
Weeping beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula’) This tree’s close branches create a dense curtain of drooping foliage. It grows to 12m.
Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) Often grown as a street tree, it’s easy to see why whitebeam is popular. The dark green leaves are white felted underneath and the spring blossom is followed by red berries in autumn. It can reach 12m.
Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) A large European dogwood, it’s a congested tree that can be pruned as a shrub. This tree will reach 4m in height.
Bird cherry (Prunus padus) This pretty tree prefers a cooler climate. It thrives in full sun and moist, free-draining soil and has berries that are particularly attractive to birds. It can grow to around 20m.
SMALL GARDENS
Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus ‘Shogetsu’) Charmingly known as ‘Blushing Bride’, this is a small tree with a slightly flattened crown and cascading clusters of blossom in mid-April. The flowers are tinged with pink but open white. Growing up to 8m, this cherry needs full sun.
Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum) A lovely tree that has pretty heart-shaped leaves. The bright pink, pea-shaped flowers, which are produced in May, can sprout directly from the trunk when the tree has been pruned back hard. The Judas tree can grow to 12m.