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.

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.

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



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


--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

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

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote ((SNIP))

Lomatia sp.

Thought they were flies :-)

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.

Thanks Stewart.
I had thought about a Wollemi Pine but they are expensive for their size.
However that puts me on another tack, how about ancient, prehistoric tree
species like the Wollemi?
Suggestions please...


--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

In message , Bob Hobden
writes

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote ((SNIP))

Lomatia sp.

Thought they were flies :-)

Quite a few generic names are reused between plants and animals. For
example, Modiola, Napaea, ...

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.

Thanks Stewart.
I had thought about a Wollemi Pine but they are expensive for their size.
However that puts me on another tack, how about ancient, prehistoric tree
species like the Wollemi?
Suggestions please...


Lots of plant genera have long fossil records. For example limes (Tilia,
not Citrus) are about 60 million years old. However some plants often
considered under this category are

Gingko biloba
Araucaria araucana (any other hardy Araucaria would be more unusual)
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
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.

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.

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



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


--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK


Would a palm or three not break up the monotony of all that common stuff:-)

In article ,
"Bob Hobden" writes:
|
| I had thought about a Wollemi Pine but they are expensive for their size.
| However that puts me on another tack, how about ancient, prehistoric tree
| species like the Wollemi?
| Suggestions please...

A female gingko.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
"Bob Hobden" writes:
|
| Albizia julibrissin.
|
| Silk Tree. Small tree with spreading crown to 5-12 m tall. Pink puff ball
| flowers.

Maybe. I have been trying for some years, and it dies back to the
ground every winter, and so has never started to grow.

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

You could also try C. canadiensis.

| Ficus carica
| Fig. 3 - 9 m tall.

Grrk. In the open, it will be a small shrub, if it thrives. As with
some of the others, it's the lack of a summer that is its problem.


You could also try Halesia monticola and Maclura aurantica.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
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....

How big is this allotment? Sounds like it might be a bit crowded.

Hi Bob,

On Mon, 28 May 2007 18:56:23 +0100
"Bob Hobden" wrote:

[]
Albizia julibrissin.

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


Does best on well drained (even sandy) soil. If soil is not sufficiently acidic
the flowers will fade very quickly and be more white than pink. Cultivar
'Ombrella' is hardier.

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


Nice tree, and hardy. Can take full sun though most don't recommend it.

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


The var. maximowiczii with deeper cut lobes is more interesting. Not a
fast grower. Avoid too windy a spot, the long petioles break and give an
untidy look.

Koelreuteria paniculata
Goldenrain tree. To 15 m tall.


I'm growing cultivar 'Coral Sun" which is very spectacular in spring. "September
Gold" is supposed to be more reliable about flowering late.

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


Be prepared to wait a long time to see flowers...
[]

How about a Davidia involucrata (pocket handkerchief tree)? I've
always wanted one of those.

Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum, the weeping katsura tree.

Cornus contraversa variegatum, the wedding cake tree.

Don't forget the rowans and whitebeams:

Sorbus aria 'lutescens'
Sorbus huphensis 'Pink Pagoda' (November Pink)
Sorbus 'Lombart's Golden Wonder'
Sorbus vilmoranii
Sorbus koehneana

Also, great opportunity to plant some maples:

Acer capidociccum ssp sinensis. Lovely copper young leaves and red samaras.
Acer pseudoplatanus 'Simon Louis Freres' Pink and green young leaves
give way to cream.
Acer pectinatum ssp forrestii (cultivars Alice, sirene, sparkling): snakebark with
pretty leaves, Alice is pink, sirene dark red.
Acer griseum. Paper bark maple, very easy to grow and spectacular.
Acer beurgerianum cultivars, fresh green with long lasting fall color.
Acer tutcheri. Great copper color, very unique olive green leaves.

And on it goes...

HTH

-E


--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
by removing the well known companies
Questions about wine? Visit http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

"Nick Maclaren" wrote
after "Bob Hobden" wrote:
|
| I had thought about a Wollemi Pine but they are expensive for their
size.
| However that puts me on another tack, how about ancient, prehistoric
tree
| species like the Wollemi?
| Suggestions please...

A female gingko.

Finding one may be a problem?

Interesting article in the Kew Magazine about their famous big Ginko near
the Princess of Wales Conservatory, supposed to be a male (actually two
joined together) but had fruit on one branch last year, turns out on
investigation that a branch from a female was grafted on decades ago and
forgotten about. So it's actually three trees joined together.

--
Regards
Bob H

"CWatters" wrote after...

"Bob Hobden" wrote ...
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....

How big is this allotment? Sounds like it might be a bit crowded.


About 10 acres.

--
Regards
Bob H

On Tue, 29 May 2007 11:13:01 +0100
"Bob Hobden" wrote:

A female gingko.

Finding one may be a problem?

Cultivar 'King of Dongting' is (ironically enough) female.

But maybe Nick was joking. Don't the fruits have a horrible
smell or something?

-E
--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
by removing the well known companies
Questions about wine? Visit http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

"Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" wrote
Would a palm or three not break up the monotony of all that common
stuff:-)

:-) Good idea, not thought of palms, suggestions please.

BTW, soil is about 3ft of good clay/silt over gravel.

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

"Nick Maclaren" wrote after ..
"Bob Hobden" wrote

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

Maybe. I have been trying for some years, and it dies back to the
ground every winter, and so has never started to grow.

I believe they need protection for a number of years until the trunk is
thick enough to be frost hardy, certainly in a friends garden near Toulouse
they grow well and he gets down to 13°C of frost each winter. I have a few
I've grown from seed and one stayed out in it's pot as an experiment and is
now growing away.

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

You could also try C. canadiensis.

| Ficus carica
| Fig. 3 - 9 m tall.

Grrk. In the open, it will be a small shrub, if it thrives. As with
some of the others, it's the lack of a summer that is its problem.

That's what I thought, but I saw one near here (Datchet) the other day that
is growing as a specimen tree and it was quite big. Was surrounded mostly by
buildings though but exposed to wind from the River. Mind you, I don't know
how old it is.


You could also try Halesia monticola and Maclura aurantica.

I'll take a look at those, thanks.

--
Regards
Bob H

"Emery Davis" wrote ...
"Bob Hobden" wrote:

A female gingko.

Finding one may be a problem?

Cultivar 'King of Dongting' is (ironically enough) female.

But maybe Nick was joking. Don't the fruits have a horrible
smell or something?

I'm convinced there will be a dog poo problem so nobody will notice the
Ginko. :-)

--
Regards
Bob H