Tree Selection Guide
Small Garden Trees
- Acer griseum – The Paperbark Maple with its peeling red and cinammon bark. Good autumn colour
- Alnus glutinosa ‘Imperialis’ – Very graceful, deeply cut leaved form of our native alder
- Amelanchier alnifolia – A large shrub with masses of white fragrant flower and black fruits.Very lime-tolerant. Good autumn colour
- Betula utilis jacquemontii – The white-barked Himalayan Birch
- x Chitalpa tashkentensis – A rare hybrid of Catalpa forming a small tree with abundant large flowers of pink and white in late summer
- Cornus florida – A small bushy tree, with attractive white bracts in May and rich autumn colour
- Crataegus persimilis prunifolia – A striking small round headed tree with showy fruits and good autumn colour
- Magnolia ‘Yellow Fever’ – An upright growing tree with creamy-yellow scented late flowers
- Malus transitoria ‘Thornhayes Tansy’ – A very dissected leaved form of this species. Discovered in the same batch as Malus ‘R.J. Fulcher’
- Nothofagus antarctica – A distinctive small- to medium-sized tree, with small glossy leaves that colour well in autumn
- Prunus ‘Shogetsu' – An attractive small flat-topped tree with white blossom. One of the latest Japanese cherries to flower
- Pterostyrax hispida – A dainty small tree with pendant scented flowers in summer. Good autumn colour
- Sorbus commixta ‘Embley’ – Probably the best Rowan for Autumn colour, glowing red studded with large bunches of fruit
- Sorbus vilmorinii – A dainty species with feathery foliage turning burgundy in autumn. Fruits pink at first turning white
- Tilia henryana – A beautiful slow-growing Chinese species, with downy pink young leaves. Flowers in autumn
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Upright Trees for Small Spaces
Betula pendula ‘Fastigiata’ – A columnar form of the native Silver Birch
- Calocedrus decurrens – The distinctive, fastigiate Incense Cedar. A striking large cypress-like tree
- Cupressus sempervirens ‘Totem’ – The distinctive Italian Pencil Cypress
- Eucryphia cordifolia – A columnar evergreen small tree with large white scented flowers in August/September
- Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’ – A medium sized columnar evergreen tree with large white flowers in August/September
- Magnolia ‘Gold Star’ – One of the new yellow hybrids. An upright small tree.Very hardy. Flowers like a yellow M. stellata
- Picea omorika – Serbian Spruce. A stunningly architectural, lime tolerant fir tree
- Populus tremula ‘Erecta’ – A tightly fastigiate form of the native Aspen
- Prunus ‘Spire’ – A small upright cherry with soft pink flowers and good autumn colour
- Pyrus callyreana ‘Chanticleer’ – A narrow-growing white-flowered tree with glossy foliage, that turns fiery in autumn
- Sorbus ‘Hillings Spire’ – A handsome totally fastigiate rowan. Much more vigorous than S. aucuparia ‘Fastigiata’
- Sorbus hupehensis – A strong growing upright tree. Silvery blue foliage and large clusters of white fruits
- Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ – The distinctive columnar Irish Yew, of churchyards and formal gardens
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Weeping Trees
- Alnus incana ‘Pendula’ – A vigorous but graceful weeping tree of medium size
- Betula pendula ‘Tristis’ – A distinctive elegant medium-sized tree. The branchlets hang in graceful curtains
- Betula utilis jac. ‘Knightshayes’ – A form with an unusual habit of growth similar to B. pendula ‘Tristis’
- Carpinus betulus ‘Pendula’ – A large vigorous graceful weeping tree. Not a dwarf as described in ‘Hilliers Manual’
- Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Amazing Grace’ – A beautiful tree with spreading cascading branches
- Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula’ – A handsome large weeping tree
- Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea Pendula’
- Ginkgo biloba ‘Pendula’ – An unusual weeping form of this popular tree. Gold autumn colour
- Morus alba ‘Pendula’ – The Weeping White Mulberry. Sweet edible fruits produced on a small very pendulous tree
- Picea breweriana –
- Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ – The popular Silver Weeping Pear
- Salix x sepucralis ‘Chrysocoma’ – The popular Weeping Willow
- Tilia tomentosa 'Petiolaris' –
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Evergreen garden hedges
- Buxus sempervirens – Common Box. A native evergreen shrub, long used for hedging
- Euonymus japonicus – (S)
- Ilex aquifolium and cultivars – The native Holly Tree. Makes an excellent hedge
- Laurus nobilis – The culinary Bay Leaf and Laurel of the Ancients (S)
- Ligustrum ovalifolium – Garden Privet. A vigorous evergreen hedge, good for coastal sites (S)
- Phillyrea latifolia – An excellent wind and salt tolerant large evergreen shrub for topiary or seaside shelter (S)
- Pittosporum tenuifolium – A small evergreen tree with dark, scented flowers. Excellent coastal hedge (S)
- Prunus lusitanica – Portugal Laurel. A large vigorous glossy lime-tolerant evergreen shrub. Excellent for hedge and shelter planting (S)
- Quercus ilex – The well known Evergreen or Holm Oak (S)
- Taxus baccata – The well known native Yew Tree. Excellent for formal hedges
- Thuja plicata – The Western Red Cedar. A handsome vigorous evergreen tree, tolerant of wet sites. Makes a rapid attractive hedge
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Deciduous garden hedges
- Acer campestre – The native Field Maple
- Carpinus betulus – An attractive native tree with good autumn colour
- Crataegus monogyna – The native Hawthorn or Quickthorn of hedges
- Fagus sylvatica and cultivars – The native beech tree
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Trees and shrubs for autumn foliage colour
- Acer (most)
- Amelanchier (all)
- Betula (most)
- Carpinus (all)
- Cercidiphyllum japonicum
- Cladrastris (all)
- Crataegus crus-galli – An attractive wide-spreading small tree with large thorns. Masses of white blossom in June followed by large red persistent fruits
- Crataegus pedicellata – A spreading thorny tree with good fruits and autumn colours
- Crataegus persimilis prunifolia – A striking small round headed tree with showy fruits and good autumn colour
- Crataegus phaenopyrum – The Washington Thorn is a handsome tree up to 10 m, with striking autumn fruits and foliage and maple-like leaves
- Fagus sylvatica and cultivars – The native beech tree
- Gingko biloba and cultivars – The Maidenhair Tree. An ancient species with distinctive lobed leaves that turn rich gold in autumn
- Hydrangea quercifolia – A striking deciduous shrub with white lacecap flowers in summer and rich red leaves in autumn
- Liquidamber styraciflua and cultivars
- Liriodendron spp. and cultivars
- Malus hupehensis – Plentiful scented white flowers. Small red fruits. One of the finest crabs
- Malus transitoria and cultivars – A beautiful small tree with profuse white blossom, amber fruits and good autumn leaf colour
- Metasequoia
- Ostrya carpinifolia – The Hop Hornbeam. A medium sized tree with attractive toothed leaves that turn gold in autumn. Attractive catkins
- Prunus ‘Beni Yutaka’ – A newly introduced Japanese cherry. A vigorous tree with good autumn colour and deep pink semi-double flowers in early spring
- Prunus ‘Okame’ – A small tree, flowers deep pink in February/March. Good autumn colour
- Prunus sargentii – Spectacular autumn foliage. Small pink flowers
- Prunus x yedoensis – A beautiful garden tree. Flowers early, pale blush, almond scented. Fiery autumn colour
- Pseudolarix amabilis – The Golden Larch is a hardy, slow-growing rare Chinese species, with foliage that turns a beautiful clear gold in autumn
- Pyrus callyreana ‘Chanticleer’ – A narrow-growing flowering tree with glossy foliage
- Pyrus ussuriensis – A medium-sized tree with masses of white blossom and rich-red autumn colour
- Quercus coccinea and cultivars – The Scarlet Oak. Spectacular in autumn
- Quercus palustris – The American Pin Oak. A large elegant tree with good autumn colour
- Quercus rubra – The Red Oak. A handsome, large, fast-growing American species
- Ribes odoratum – Buffalo Currant, a medium-sized hardy deciduous shrub with red autumn leaf colour
- Sorbus commixta ‘Embley’ – Probably the best Rowan for Autumn colour, glowing red studded with large bunches of fruit
- Sorbus ‘Hillings Spire’ – A handsome totally fastigiate rowan. Much more vigorous than S. aucuparia ‘Fastigiata’
- Sorbus sargentiana – A large magnificent Chinese species. Sticky red winter buds, good autumn colour and huge bunches of red fruits
- Stewartia pseudocamellia – A small tree with attractive peeling bark. Small white cupped flowers. Red and yellow autumn colour. Does best in deep acid soils in some shade
- Taxodium
- Viburnum opulus – Geulder Rose. An attractive large native shrub with masses of red fruits and fiery autumn leaf colour
- Viburnum plicatum – Tiered branches, masses of white lacecap flower heads, rich red autumn colour
- Viburnum sargentii – Vigorous shrub with white lacecap flowers in spring and maple-like leaves that turn fiery in autumn
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Trees for avenues
- Acer campestre ‘William Caldwell’ – A rare fastigiate form. Bright red autumn colour
- Acer platanoides
- Acer pseudoplatanus and cultivars
- Calocedrus decurrens – The distinctive, fastigiate Incense Cedar.A striking large cypress-like tree
- Carpinus betulus and cultivars – An attractive native tree with good autumn colour
- Cedrus spp. and cultivars
- Fagus sylvatica and cultivars – The native beech tree
- Gingko biloba – The Maidenhair Tree. An ancient species with distinctive lobed leaves that turn rich gold in autumn
- Liquidamber styraciflua and cultivars
- Liriodendron tulipifera and cultivars – The Tulip Tree is a large handsome species with butter-gold autumn colour
- Metasequoia glyptostroboides – The Dawn Redwood.A vigorous deciduous conifer, with red sinuous stems pink/red autumn colour. Very tolerant of moist or wet sites
- Ostrya carpinifolia – The Hop Hornbeam.A medium sized tree with attractive toothed leaves that turn gold in autumn.Attractive catkins
- Pinus nigra nigra – Austrian Pine.A large majestic, lime-tolerant tree, suitable as a specimen or in shelter planting
- Platinus spp. and cultivars
- Prunus avium and cultivars
- Prunus padus and cultivars
- Quercus spp. and cultivars
- Sequoiadendron giganteum and cultivars
- Tilia spp. and cultivars
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Trees for screening and wind shelter ((S) = suitable for near the sea)
- Acer campestre – The native Field Maple
- Acer platanoides
- Acer pseudoplatanus (S)
- Alnus spp. (S)
- Amelanchier canadensis – A large suckering shrub, tolerant of damp sites. Attractive white blossom and good autumn colour
- Arbutus unedo – The Killarney Strawberry Tree.A handsome native evergreen tree or large shrub, with persistent strawberry-like fruit.Withstands coastal erosion
- Betula pendula – The graceful native Silver Birch, The Lady of the Woods
- Carpinus betulus – An attractive native tree with good autumn colour
- Crataegus monogyna – The native Hawthorn or Quickthorn of hedges
- Cupressus macrocarpa – The Monterrey Cypress. Excellent for coastal shelter planting
- Eucalyptus spp.
- Fagus sylvatica – The native beech tree
- Ilex spp.
- Nothofagus antarctica – A distinctive small- to medium-sized tree, with small glossy leaves that colour well in autumn
- Pinus nigra
- Pinus sylvestris – Scots Pine.The beautiful native species with silver/blue foliage and attractive stems
- Populus (most)
- Quercus robur – The native Pedunculate Oak
- Salix (most)
- Sorbus aria and cultivars
- Sorbus aucuparia and cultivars – The native Rowan
- Sorbus intermedia – A vigorous healthy tree with large crops of red fruits
- Thuja plicata
- Quercus cerris (S)
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Trees for heavy clay soil
- Acer campestre cultivars – The native Field Maple
- Acer platanoides cultivars
- Acer pseudoplatanus cultivars
- Alnus (all)
- Carlinus (all)
- Catalpa (all)
- Crataegus (all)
- Eucalyptus (all)
- Euonymus (all)
- Ilex (all)
- Liquidambar (all)
- Malus (all)
- Metasequoia
- Nyssa (all)
- Platanus (all)
- Populus (all)
- Prunus avium and cultivars
- Prunus padus and cultivars
- Pyrus (all)
- Quercus (all)
- Salix (all)
- Sorbus torminalis
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Trees for wet soils and waterside
- Alnus (all)
- Amelanchier (all)
- Liquidamber styraciflua and cultivars
- Metasequoia glyptostroboides and cultivars – The Dawn Redwood. A vigorous deciduous conifer, with red sinuous stems pink/red autumn colour. Very tolerant of moist or wet sites
- Nyssa (all)
- Populus tremula and cultivars
- Salix (all)
- Taxodium distichum and cultivars – An attractive large deciduous conifer, with good autumn colour.Tolerant of wet and dry sites
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Trees for poor dry soils
- Acer campestre and cultivars – The native Field Maple
- Acer platanoides and cultivars
- Acer pseudoplatanus and cultivars
- Ailanthus altissima – The Tree of Heaven, with large pinnate leaves
- Alnus cordata – The Italian Alder. Excellent for rapid screening and shelter.Tolerant of all soils
- Betula (most)
- Castanea sativa and cultivars – The Sweet Chestnut is a large distinctive tree, first introduced to Britain by the Romans
- Cedrus
- Cercis
- Crataegus
- Cupressus glabra and cultivars
- Cupressus macrocarpa – The Monterrey Cypress. Excellent for coastal shelter planting
- Ilex
- Laburnum
- Platinus
- Populus alba and cultivars – The common white poplar. Felted white leaves on a striking vigorous tree
- Populus tremula and cultivars – The native Aspen
- Pinus
- Quercus robur and cultivars
- Sorbus intermedia
- Taxus baccata and cultivars
- Thuja plicata and cultivars – A vigorous healthy tree with large crops of red fruits
Quercus ilex Back to Top
