Kitchen Garden Forum

......small tree in the garden - which would it be?

(We are talking about a small suburban garden. Ornamental tree - not apple, plum etc. etc. South facing.)

I'd have a Japanese Acer. Can't remember the specific variety unfortunately but friends had one which turned a brilliant cherry red in autumn and was absolutely spectacular.

Bird Cherry, Prunus Padua.

I like the fruit on my "Gorgeous" Crab Apple - see avatar - it isn't very big and the blossom is good too. It has even set fruit this year - not ripe yet.

May 2010

October 2006

Snowy mespilus Amelanchier lamarckii or, like Geoff, crab apple. I certainly would not plant a bird cherry in a small garden - at this very minute I am looking out on our 30-year old bird cherry which is a very large tree, silhouetted against the evening sky. I love bird cherries but I would certainly not recommend them for a small garden.

More useful, crab apple John Downie.

have to be acer palmatum senkaki "sango-kaku" , in my opinion, the finest specimen of the japanese maples around.

Liquid Amber - even the name sounds wonderful.

check out its autumn colour here

http://bit.ly/VQRwrU

I would add my vote for a crab apple - attractive blossom in spring, and fruit in autumn, which can be simply small but abundant and decorative, or can be useful for making crab apple jelly, depending upon the variety. Another favourite of ours is magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra', with very dark flowers over a long period.

Hi Diane,
The siting is all important with a small urban garden and I give two wonderful small trees to add to your list.
Cockspur Thorn (Cratagus Crus-gulli); Wonderful spring flowers with autumn colouring of the leaves and berries that will feed the birds during the winter months.
Amelanchier Canadensis; very similar to Monika's choice. Smothered with pinkish blossoms turning to white as it ages with a show of berries which the Blackbirds adore and make short shrift of long before they ripen and a really good variation of autumnal colours.
JB.

Fantastic - what a wonderful selection. Many thanks.

Diane - if I could only have one it would be.. the winning lottery ticket! Sorry doesn't answer your question but woudl make the opportunites endless

Westi

One of my favourite small trees is a Cornus mas (cornelian cherry) . It has clusters of yellow flowers in January or February, and then lovely bright golden leaves, in summer it gets lots of small red berries (which they say are edible), and in Autumn the leaves turn shades of reds and gold. It isn't fussy about where you put it and is slow growing but easy to prune if necessary.

I've also got a couple of clematis growing through mine too for flowers at different times of the year. The Niobe, a maroon flowered one contrasts well with the golden leaves.