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Janet · 28-02-2012, 11:53 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

In article ,
says...

Janet wrote in
:

In article ,
says...

Janet wrote in
:

Plain old hawthorn can make a very beautiful and reliable tree,
interesting all year round ands submits to any amount or pruning
and shaping. If you want to push the boat out get one of the
fancier species with bigger berries, like Crataegus orientalis.

Thanks for this suggestion. I was unaware of the Crataegus orientalis
variety. Very pretty leaves - I like that. Very slow-growing though,
I suspect, are they?

Maybe not as fast as native C monogyna. C Prunifolia is relatively
fast
but the long thorns may not be appropriate for the location (handsome
though they are)

You'll find a small specimen grows away faster than a larger one.

Janet

Thanks... Two other shrub/trees that I am considering are griselinia and
tamarisk. Both grow happily in my area.

I gather tamarisk can grow very tall whereas griselina grows to only a few
metres.

Oh no it doesn't....the greenleaf one will grow to 40 ft (there are many
examples locally). I have griselinea hedges (one of them planted by me,
which I may regret in old age) and it grows like a rocket in our coastal
conditions here. It also self seeds like a weed. I have spent whole days
at a nearby NT garden,. just quelling griselinea in its bid to rule the
world. If you plant one be warned, it's high maintenance to keep it under
control and within reach.

The variegated griselinea is much slower IME but I have one I keep
pruned hard at 4 m and locally there's an unpruned one at double that.

TBH I wouldn't plant either griselinea as a solo feature plant because it
has no seasonal interest, just looks the same all year round... better as
a sturdy windproof privacy screen or evergreen background to something
more interesting.

Janet.