Non Native Tree Advice Needed

supa_stench

Hi all,

I am about to begin building a house on a large 2 acre site in the next few weeks. The house may not have started yet but the garden certainly has.

At the back of the site I have giant redwoods, taxodium distichum, dawn redwoods, sweet chestnut, walnut and a couple of gingko bilobas.

While I have nothing against our native trees I definitely have a preference for the more unusual and rare tree species.

Which leads me to my question, what are the rarest tree species that have the ability to grow in our climate? Looking for trees that possess a bit of the wow factor if that makes sense.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated ðŸ‘

my3cents

Its a once in a lifetime display as its so rare to get just the right conditions in the spring but Davidia involucrata is a bit of fun.

To list a few I've had growing, Sciadopitys verticillata (odd looking japanese umbrella pine), Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree) try also the Chinese version of it. Sassafras has to be on the list as no one ever knows what the sassafrassing thing is. Parrotia persica (Iron wood) nothing special till you try and prune a large branch by hand - you know why it gets it name. Any/all of the large tree like cornus's for their flowers. Mulberry and Quince for that old garden feel. Some Eucryphias. Acer cappadocicum maybe Aureum which is a nice tree but a little odd for a maple as it grows from suckers. If not enough say so plenty of good conifers I haven't touched on.

supa_stench

Thank you so much!

About to fall into a Google wormhole based on your recommendations!

Would absolutely love to hear about some of the more unusual conifers.

my3cents

I'll give one that springs to mind Pinus coulteri as it has the biggest pine cones of any pine but might be a bit cold for it here, should be fine around West Cork.

There's another one and the name escapes me which has really big cones that are covered in resin no one can resist picking up the cones and they always get their hands covered in resin - OK only a real tree freak would find that funny. Edit> Looked it up Pinus ayacahuite, Mexican White Pine but would guess it was a bit of a rarity and probably not great in Ireland.

gozunda

Liquidambar styraciflua

Beautiful tree that suits it's own space to be admired ...

Atlas Cedar as well

supa_stench

Thanks for the suggestions

That Atlas Cedar is spectacular ðŸ‘

my3cents

A couple more intereresting ones for their shape are Picea ormorika, Picea breweriana, as your googling them I won't bother with any detail.

Crytomeria Japonica I like the true species but Elegans is a good variety often making a good size (20m) tree even though it has been sold as a dwarf conifer :rolleyes: Check for other varieties as there are some interesting oddities.

And a few random ones worth looking up...

Embothrium - just unmissable in flower
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Zelkova
Quercus frainetto - leaf size
Any evergreen oaks
Any Southern beeches
Any Hickories - shagbark is good
Any Wingnuts - The hybrid wingnut is possibly one of the fastest growing trees
Take a look at the larger Magnolias.

magicbastarder

i can't for the life of me remember what it's called, but a friend's mother has a tree growing in her garden which smells like candyfloss when the leaves start to yellow and drop off in the autumn. it's not a large tree.

my3cents

magicbastarder wrote: »

i can't for the life of me remember what it's called, but a friend's mother has a tree growing in her garden which smells like candyfloss when the leaves start to yellow and drop off in the autumn. it's not a large tree.

Its on the list

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

A couple more, Indian Bean Tree and Foxglove tree, both can be dodgy in really cold areas as frost catches them badly but seen some good ones in the South.

magicbastarder

huh, as i was typing that i was thinking 'it'll be just my luck if this is one of the ones mentioned above'.

my3cents

magicbastarder wrote: »

huh, as i was typing that i was thinking 'it'll be just my luck if this is one of the ones mentioned above'.

I lived with two decent sized (6m) Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) within 20 yards of my house for ten years and tbh can only really remember smelling that candy floss smell twice in that time. The leaf colour was far more noticeable but it was not far from Liquidambar styraciflua which rather stole the show.

It is a smell that you wouldn't ever forget so worth it even if you only get the full effect occasionally.

At the same garden we had a massive Handkerchief tree and in the same time period that only flowered really well once it made plenty of effort but frosts often took the flowers just before they opened. Again so good that once in ten years was worth it.

magicbastarder

well timed for me so - the one time i was in that house in the last 15 years was when the tree was performing as described.

my3cents

magicbastarder wrote: »

well timed for me so - the one time i was in that house in the last 15 years was when the tree was performing as described.

At the end of the day if you have the space and or the knowledge then you plant as many of those gems that have that little something extra no matter how fleeting.

One of my favourite herbaceous plants is "Molly the Witch" Paeonia mlokosewitschii its in flower at its best for a day but its worth the space just for that day....... oh and the seed pods and foliage are quite good

finla

Dicksonia tree fern, if it hasn't already been mentioned! You'd probably have to fleece them in the winter but they are a wow plant.

standardg60

Great suggestions there. A few other conifers that would be on my 'must plant' list if only i had the space would be;

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis pendula
Picea orientalis aurea
And Thujopsis dolabrata variegata.

Deciduous wise would also have to have both a swedish and a copper birch and while maybe not so much non native but rare enough a mature weeping beech is a spectacular sight.

macraignil

Parrotia persica (Persian iron wood), Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Zelkova serrata and Liquidambar styraciflua have great Autumn leaf colour.

I have some Cornus capitata (Himalayan strawberry tree) growing from seed I collected with the fruit 7 years ago and they are growing well. The mature trees look very good but probably do better with a bit of shelter.

The only large conifer I have planted is Pinus pinea (stone pine) and it seems to be doing well and has a nice shape to it.

Embothrium coccineum has great flowers when mature but definitely needs shelter to get established. The Holm oak (Quercus ilex) I have also found needs a bit of shelter as the one I have is now growing at an angle since it was blown over in a storm. Another one that is very nice if given shelter is Crinodendron hookerianum.

Cercis siliquestrum and Cercis canadensis are worth growing for their interesting Spring flowers as is Syringa vulgaris. The Amelanchier varieties I have tried are also doing well and have nice Spring flowers, fruit and interesting leaf colour. Rhus typhina also has good Autumn leaf colour but suckering may be a problem.

Koelreuteria paniculata, Acca sellowiana (feijoa fruit tree), Fremontodendron, Celtis australis and Prunus dulcis are other nice exotic trees I have growing and I have just planted a Paulownia tomentosa and an Acacia baileyana that are doing well so far.

my3cents

Holm Oak is a funny thing, I've always had trouble establishing them and my current one is propped up after several storms but there are some big Holm oak hedges right by the sea in Cornwall. I had one of the biggest ones in the UK (by girth about 24 ft around) in full exposure and dominating a garden yet I've never managed to plant one here that hasn't needed constant care.

I've a couple of cork oaks from seed and I'll be planting them out as seedlings rather than growing them on first hoping the don't go the way of the holly oaks.

recedite

supa_stench wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions

That Atlas Cedar is spectacular ðŸ‘

It comes in blue and weeping versions, but I prefer the more spreading layered shape of Cedar of Lebanon.


Also, not to be sniffed at, is the Eucalyptus (various species) with its gorgeous bark, especially if there is room for a stand of them planted together. Unlike some of the other specimen trees, you'll probably be able to admire the finished "look" within your lifetime.

my3cents

Cedar of Lebanon is a great tree and is really good as it reaches maturity but in time often get badly damaged when we get snow. The branches hold the snow really well and they snap. If you see any good pictures of old ones in gardens in the UK take a look and see if you can see any cable bracing which many of them now have.

In case no ones ever come across it before there is an easy way to remember which is which of the main Cedar species by the tips of the branches

Cedar of Lebon - Cedrus lebannii - Level
Atlas Cedar - Cedrus atlantica - Ascending
Deodar - Cedrus deodara - Descending

Anyone planting Eucalypts should ideally get them in really small before they have the slightest chance to get pot bound. The reason is that Eucalypts don't seem to make new roots from the base of the trunk so roots that go around the pot end up staying that way when planted out making the trees unstable when they grow.