Broadleaf trees

A spring surprise for someone special, buy a tree for Fathers Day 16th June

The purple beech tree is a large noble tree with deep purple/russet red leaves and silver-grey bark bearing pink tinged flowers.Best planted as a specimen tree where it has space to flourish.  Beech roots thrive in shallow but f...[more]

Red Alder

From the North-west American coastal belt this hardy deciduous pioneer is a natural companion to several familiar British grown conifers such as Douglas fir and Sitka spruce. Provenances of red alder from the Cascade Mountains and British Columbia do well here. It makes a windfirm and pleasant looking edge to coniferous monocultures. It also fixes atmospheric nitrogen around ...[more]

Red Oak has fantastic red and orange autumn foliage colour. In Britain the Red Oak is by far the most commonly planted American oak. It comes from eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Georgia. The first introductions to Britain were confused by wrong identification in the early eighteenth century.The Red Oak was extensively used as a forest tree in Europe ...[more]

The Rowan or Mountain ash is a native species seen at its best amongst the acid rocky uplands of the north and in Wales. Its display of golden leaves and bunches of radiant scarlet berries on a fine October day is a memorable sight. In woodlands it grows well in association with sessile oak.   The rowan is widely planted to decorate streets and gard...[more]

Of the two common oaks in Britain the sessile oak tends to prefer clay soil or sandy sites. It is native. Common and sessile oak are very alike but the sessile oak produces its acorns directly onto the twigs whereas the common oak produces acorns onto stalks.  Sessile leaves underneath are slightly hairy.

Silver birch is one of the most recognised and popular trees in Britain.  Its silvery white bark and drooping branches make this a very decorative tree for planting both as a landscape tree and in small gardens.  It may be a delicate looking tree but it is very hardy and like the rowan can be found growing on the side of mountains.  The silv...[more]

The small leaved lime is an excellent tree for avenue planting and gives good shade.   It has nothing in common with citrus fruit but the name lime derives from the German word Linde which means lime. It is still used for the sounding boards and keys of pianos and organs because it does not warp. 

  Another great british native t...[more]

Sweet chestnuts roasting on an open fire at Christmas, whilst in the kitchen preparations are underway in making chestnut stuffing.  A lovely thought, in late summer early autumn the chestnuts rippen to full size,some bursting out of the spiky cases.The chestnuts we buy in shops today are usually imported from France or Italy.  Most trees are now planted mainly f...[more]

Sycamore is Europe's largest maple, which can grow upto 25 plus metres. It can withstand salty winds and so is useful in coastal planting. A useful windbreak so is often seen in parts of Scotland especially around farmhouses.  Propagation is easy using freshly picked seed.   Maturing quickly, it can be felled for valuable timber within 60 years, but the life expectancy is ...[more]

The whitebeam is a  fairly compact bushy European tree which is also native to south-east England. It can usually be found growing naturally on lime rich soils especially chalk. The broad oval white backed leaves are very decorative in summer. They tend to out shine the flat clusters of creamy-white flowers. In autumn orange-red berries are produced but they are not spectacular. This is ...[more]

Recommended-Wild Cherry makes a wonderful Spring/summer gift, because as the tree matures, it blossoms in the spring with lovely, white/pink flowers. At your request we will add a card with the words of your choice

Wild Cherry trees are native to the UK and dont grow too large and so are ideal for medium to ...[more]

The wild service tree is one of the rarest of British native trees.  In years gone by the berries were a delicacy for country folk, hanging from strings in kitchens to ripen and then eaten like sweets, full of sugar and exotic hints of dried apricot and sultana. 

The bark is an attractive dark brown and pale grey.  Young trees are conic whilst older trees tall-domed...[more]

The genus Salix contains 300-500 species (taxonomists cannot agree). These may be dwarf shrubs, bushes or large trees. Many are suitable for ornamental use. Coppice and pollards of some provide superb winter twig colours. Most willows tolerate wet ground (so do not plant over drains), but not sustained total immersion. They are good for wildlife being host to numerous herbivores including mammals ...[more]

Wych elm is reproduced by seed and not by suckering so it is more resistant to Dutch elm disease than English elm. In areas where the disease is no longer prevalent planting may be worthwhile again. The timber is stronger than oak and there is now a serious shortage of it. Trees tolerate exposure to cold, air pollution and sea winds pretty well. Most lowland soils suit it very well and it also gro...[more]

The ash tree is both British and European native species requiring a fairly mild climate and moist but well drained alkaline soils of moderate to high fertility. Fast growing but not only found in woodlands but would also suit the larger garden.  In autumn leaves turning to yellow before dropping at the first signs of frost. The&nb...[more]