On 10/12/2012 22:10, Kate wrote:
Hi

Can anyone suggest a shrub that has a profile a bit like a tree... grows
to 5-6 feet tall, only spreads 2 to 3 feet, and is quite "leggy" or
"trunky" (most interest is found in the top foot or two) ?

Many thanks in advance

How about a columnar yew (if you don't mind the toxicity). It will grow
taller eventually but it will take a (very) long time to do so. The
variagated cultivar is even slower (and so more expensive).

If you want flowers and can live with it getting a bit taller the
flowering cherry cv Amanogawa (lit Milky Way) isn't bad either but it
will eventually get to about 15-20' after a couple of decades. I expect
you could prune to keep the size down but I never had the heart to.

There are a few specimen columnar cypruses and other evergreens with
very columnar habits and slow growth that would be worth consideration.
There is even an oak cultivar that I have seen growing in the central
reservation of the A184 in Gateshead. Taller than 6' but nice.

Most trees will keep getting bigger but some grow very slowly. I have
some pretty large old apple trees on nominally dwarfing stock.

Regards,
Martin Brown