In message , Bob Hobden
writes
Been thinking of some unusual trees to plant in a new local Park of about 10
acres that used to be my old allotment site. We already have lots of native
trees and shrubs btw but they won't get tree preservation orders on them for
a long time. (not that I'm suggesting the Council might eventually want to
build on the land!)

Here is my list so far....

Aesculus pavia "Briotii".

Red Buckeye (also var. flavescens, yellow flowered form) Small tree to
5 - 8m tall. Red Horse Chestnut type flowers.

Albizia julibrissin.

Silk Tree. Small tree with spreading crown to 5-12 m tall. Pink puff ball
flowers.

Aralia elata 'Aureovariegata'
Japanese Angelica Tree. To 5 m tall. Spiny.

Aralia spinosa
Devil's Walking-stick. 2 - 4 m Tall. Spiny.
Aralia chinensis

Chinese angelica tree. To 3.5 m tall. More frost tender.

Catalpa bignonioides
Indian Bean tree. To 25m tall eventually. Becoming common.

Catalpa speciosa
Northern Bean tree. To 15 - 20 m tall.

Cercis chinesis
Chinese redbud. To 12ft tall, flowers well.

Clerodendrum trichotomum
To 3 m tall. Autumn flowers and unusual fruit.

Eucalyptus coccifera

To 15 m tall quickly.

Eucalyptus gunnii

Cider Gum. To 30 m tall quickly.

Eucalyptus pauciflora
Snow Gum. To 20 m tall.

Eucalyptus subcrenulata

Tasmanian Alpine Yellow Gum. To 15 m tall.

Ficus carica
Fig. 3 - 9 m tall.

Firmiana simplex
Chinese Parasol tree. To 10 - 15 m tall.

Bean suggests that it is better suited to Cornwall than London, needing
wall protection in London. The climate's warmed since Bean wrote, but I
think that it will still need a sheltered location in most parts of the
country.

Idesia polycarpa
To 12 m tall. Fragrant flowers.

Itoa orientalis
To 8 -12 m tall. Rare. (hardiness?)

Kalopanax septemlobus
Castor aralia. To 30 m tall. Flowers in autumn. Very hardy, tropical
looking.

Koelreuteria paniculata
Goldenrain tree. To 15 m tall.

Leitneria floridana
Corkwood. To 2 - 6 m tall. Shruby. Likes damp ground.

Liriodendron chinense and tulipifera
Tulip tree. To 30 m + tall.

The latter probably doesn't count as unusual; it's a fairly common
specimen tree. There's a variegated form.

Paulownia tomentosa
Foxglove tree. To 10 - 25 m tall. Purple foxglove flowers in spring. Huge
leaves.

Can be coppiced as a foliage plant. If you don't coppice it the leaves
are less huge.


Please feel free to comment about hardiness etc, add more suggestions, pick
the list to pieces. :-)


Castanopsis cuspidata. Sort of intermediate between an oak and a sweet
chestnut.

Entelea arborescens (New Zealand Mulberry). Not very hardy.

Illicium floridanum (Star Anise).

Lomatia sp.

Phymosia rosea. Deep purple somewhat Abutilon like flowers (but actually
more closely related to mallows). I've only seen one specimen, grown on
a south facing terrace (and mislabelled as Malvaviscus arboreus, which I
doubt would be hardy).

Wollemia nobilis.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley