Large tree - Quercus robur
English Oak
(Quercus robur)
A slow growing large, deciduous tree. Over many years you can expect to see growth up to 20–40m tall. Also known as common oak, this species grows and matures to form a broad and spreading crown with sturdy branches beneath.
They’re the best at attracting insects (who’ll help to pollinate other plants in your garden) and can live for over 500 years. In Cornwall, the closely related species Quercus petraea (sessile oak) is the predominant oak species.
It supports more life than any other native tree species in the UK; even its fallen leaves support biodiversity.
Position: full sun or partial shade
Soil: any deep, well-drained soil
Rate of growth: slow-growing
Flowering period: May to June
Hardiness: fully hardy
Garden care: Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter. When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole.
Small tree - Malus Sylvestris
Crab Apple
(Malus Syvestris)
Year-round interest and tasty fruit to boot!
The eventual height will be 7-9m with a spread of approximately 8m.
Crabapples are native to the United Kingdom and have grown here for thousands of years. The fruits are much smaller and more tart than the common apple (Malus domestica) but are suitable for jellies, preserves, and cider.
So! What does it look like?
Crabapple trees are stiffer in form and spinier than the common apple. The plants are deciduous and often have attractive fall foliage. The simple ovate leaves are serrated along the margins and are borne alternately along the twigs. The fragrant white, pink, carmine, or purplish flowers appear early in showy masses—in some species and cultivars as five-petaled blossoms, in others as semidouble (having 6–10 petals) or double (having more than 10 petals) blossoms. The pome fruits often persist through the winter and are generally less than 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter.
Position: full sun
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil, but tolerates most
Rate of growth: average
Flowering period: February to March
Hardiness: fully hardy
Garden care: Plant immediately upon receipt for best results into a well prepared soil. Cut back in late winter to maintain the shape. Apply a 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the base of the plant in early spring.
Small tree - Sorbus aucuparia
Rowan
(Sorbus acuparia)
A tough tree that dares to grow where others cannot. This tree is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.
AKA Mountain ash – genus of several shrubs or trees in the rose family (Rosacease), native the Northern Hemisphere. Unrelated to true ashes (genus Fraxinus, family Oleaceae), mountain ashes are widely cultivated as ornamentals for their flower clusters and brightly coloured fruits.
Physical description - Members of the genus are small deciduous trees or shrubs and usually bear alternate pinnately compound leaves, though the leaves of some species are simple. Forming dense inflorescences, the five-petaled flowers are often white and produce small astringent pome fruits that are important for a number of fruit-eating birds. The fruit of some species can be used in jellies or alcoholic beverages.
The Sorbus tree will likely grow to a height of 8-15m with a spread of 7m.
Position: full sun or lightly dappled shade
Soil: tolerates most soils but prefers slightly acidic soil
Rate of growth: fast-growing
Flowering period: April to May
Hardiness: fully hardy
Garden care: Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased, or crossing branches in late autumn or winter. When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly.
Small tree - Crataegus monogyna
Hawthorn
(Crataegus monogyna)
Its white flowers are a welcome sign and denote that spring is officially in the air after a long winter. The Hawthorn is also known as the May tree, and you’ve probably seen loads of these elegant white flowers blooming each year in the month of May. Often used in spring ceremonies, this tree and specifically its berries have a practical use and are thought to benefit the heart and have the ability to lower blood pressure.
Mature trees can reach a height of 10-15m and are characterised by their dense, thorny habit, though they can grow as a small tree with a single stem. The bark is brown-grey, knotted and fissured, and twigs are slender and brown and covered in thorns. It often hybridises with the UK’s other native hawthorn, Midland hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata). Both species are similar and can be hard to tell apart.
Position: full sun or partial shade
Soil: any soil (except water-logged)
Rate of growth: average to fast-growing
Flowering period: May
Hardiness: fully hardy
Garden care: For best results, plant these bareroot plants out as soon as they arrive into well prepared soil.Prune hedges twice a year - in June and September, and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant in spring.
Small tree - ilex aquifolium
Holly
(ilex aquifolium)
Festive, neat and prickly. Holly is a well-loved shrub that shelters birds and gives hedgehogs a cosy place to hibernate.
You will love harvesting Holly from your own tree at Christmas, moreover, the birds will thank you for providing them with shelter and a abundant source of food in the berries. There is nothing like seeing the bright red berries and shiny, spiky leaves of holly to put a spring in your step on a cold winters day.
Easy to identify by their dark green, glossy and oval leaves. Younger plants have spiky leaves, but the leaves of older trees are much more likely to be smooth. The flowers borne by the Holly tree are white with four petals and can be expected to bloom between early spring and the beginning of summer. Once pollinated by insects, female flowers develop into scarlet berries which can remain on the tree throughout winter.
Position: full sun or partial shade
Soil: moist, well-drained, moderately fertile
Rate of growth: slow-growing
Flowering period: May to June
Hardiness: fully hardy
Garden care: Plants grown as free-standing specimens require minimal pruning - remove diseased or misplaced branches in spring. Trim plants grown as formal hedges in late summer. After pruning apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted compost or manure around the base of the plant.
Large tree - Betula pendula
Silver Birch
(Betula pendula)
This common tree, with its silver-white bark is pretty, pale and a symbol of purity. Favoured by gardeners throughout the United Kingdom and across Europe, this quicksilver tree grows fast and has amazing shiny bark. If you want to make a quick impression on your garden, try this pioneer species, it will provide any garden with stature and grace.
Fact of the day! Its timber is commonly used to smoke haddocks, among other things, and its trunk can be tapped for sap that can be made into wine.
The European silver birch has slender drooping branches and small sharp-pointed leaves about 6 cm (2 inches) long. It may grow to a height of 15-18m on light soils.
In spring, yellow-brown male catkins appear and in late autumn the foliage turns yellow before falling. It is one of the most widely used birches, grown for its narrow, conical shape and ability to grow in almost all soils and situations.
Position: full sun or lightly dappled shade
Soil: moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Rate of growth: fast-growing
Flowering period: March
Hardiness: fully hardy
Garden care: Birches don’t need much pruning, but you may want to remove any diseased or crossing branches. It is essential that any pruning work is carried out between late summer and mid-winter as the sap will 'bleed' heavily at other times. When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake well.
Large tree - Alnus glutinosa
Alder
(Alnus glutinosa)
A quick growing, nitrogen fixing, insect harbouring, bird loving water lover.
The wood of this tough tree doesn’t rot when waterlogged, instead turning stronger and harder. It can also grow in drier locations and sometimes occurs in mixed woodland and on forest edges.
Alder is the food plant for the caterpillars of several moths including the alder kitten, pebble hook-tip, the autumnal and the blue-bordered carpet moth. Catkins provide an early source of nectar and pollen for bees, and the seeds are eaten by the siskin, redpoll and goldfinch.
The bark is dark and fissured and is often covered in lichen. Twigs have a light brown, spotted stem which turns red towards the top. Young twigs are sticky to touch.
Conical in shape, mature trees can reach a height of around 28m and live to approximately 60 years.
Position: full sun or lightly dappled shade
Soil: moderately fertile, semi dry to moist
Rate of growth: fast-growing
Flowering period: March
Hardiness: fully hardy
Garden care: Alders don’t need much pruning, but you may want to remove any diseased or crossing branches. Pruning in late autumn when the plant has stopped growing will also prevent sap bleeding which can happen if the plant is still in a growth phase. This has a tendency to attract bugs which may bring disease so should be avoided to ensure you keep plants healthy.
Large tree - Carpinus betulus
Hornbeam
(Carpinus betulus)
Gnarled and awesome, the Hornbeam is as tough as they come. Its graceful, useful and its year-round foliage makes it a winter haven for wildlife.
Common hornbeam is a deciduous, broadleaf tree which has pale grey bark with vertical markings, and sometimes a short, twisted trunk which develops ridges with age. The twigs are brown-grey and slightly hairy and the leaf buds are similar to beech, only shorter and slightly curved at the tips.
Look out for: leaves that have a pleated look and a seed which is a small nut about 3–6mm long, held in a leafy bract with three lobes. The toothed leaves are usually egg- or lance-shaped and are borne alternately along the stems. They may remain on the tree into winter.
Mature trees can reach a height of 30m and live for more than 300 years.
Position: full sun or partial shade
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
Rate of growth: Slow to average
Flowering period: March
Hardiness: fully hardy
Garden care: It requires very little pruning, however if it does get too large for its allotted space, it can be cut back hard.
Large tree - Tilia cordata
Lime
(Tilia cordata)
Although you will not be getting any lime fruits for your G&T’s from this tree, it is one of our most beautiful native species. You can eat the leaves in salads and brew a pleasant tea from its flowers.
They are among the most graceful of deciduous trees, with heart-shaped, coarsely toothed leaves, fragrant cream-coloured flowers, and small globular fruit hanging from a narrow leafy bract. The bark is pale grey-brown and irregularly ridged, with characteristic large burrs and leaf shoots at the base of the tree. Twigs are slender and brown, although they become red in the sun.
Lime leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of many moth species, including the lime hawk, peppered, vapourer, triangle and scarce hook-tip moths. They are very attractive to ladybirds and many species of bird. Bees also drink the aphid honeydew deposited on the leaves. The flowers provide nectar and pollen for insects, particularly bees.
This tree can be expected to grow to a height of 15-18m with a spread of approximately 7m.
Position: full sun or partial shade
Soil: moist but well-drained soil
Rate of growth: average to fast
Flowering period: July
Hardiness: fully hardy
Garden care: Avoid very dry conditions and keep out of strong winds. Limes prefer alkaline to neutral soil, but they will tolerate acidic soil. It requires minimal pruning, but do remove any broken, diseased, or crossing branches in late autumn or winter when it is completely dormant. When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole.