Trees with winter flowers

Parrotia persica ‘Vanessa’

Persian ironwood follows its eye-catching autumn colour with a little surprise – clusters of dense, dark red flowers, a little like hamamelis, in winter. Hardy, it likes sun or dappled shade and fertile, well-drained soil. Will reach 3-7m (10-23ft).

Hamamelis intermedia ‘Aurora’

Witch hazels are all convincing winter performers. ‘Aurora’, with its stronglyscented, coppery flowers, is a good selection; it grows slowly to become a goblet-shaped small tree with the bonus of good autumn colour. Site in sun or dappled shade. It likes deep, fertile soil and dislikes chalk and too much wet. Will reach around 3m (10ft) tall.

Acacia baileyana

Spreading and graceful, the Australian golden mimosa is a pretty little thing. The finelydivided, blue-grey leaves are evergreen and in late winter or early spring they’re joined by fluffy, yellow flower heads, in long, dangling clusters. An RHS AGM plant that grows about 6m (20ft) tall, it likes full sun, good drainage and shelter.

Once parrotia’s glorious autumn leaves fall, li le red flowers appear

These coppery-yellow, scented ‘lemon peel’ flowers are extraordinary