Tree for small front garden

Hello DAG. Sorbus aria 'Lutescens' is a large tree that thrives on calcareous soils. Certainly reaches 15-20m. It is very beautiful, especially the silvery undersides of the leaves in the wind. I really don't know if one could do this but it would be seriously worth a punt: pollard it! Huge silky leaves might result. Hmm. Where can I try that one out. Anyone out there tried this? Please please provide an update..

 

Thanks jazid, 20m!!! Crocus stated 10m eventual height, do you think that suppliers like this tend to understate the height so as not to put people off?

I would have thought that when they state "reaches eventual height", that would be a maximum figure, but from what you say it looks more like a minimum!

 

DAG/Jazid, I will post on this tomorrow. I have Sorbus aria 'Lutescens' in my garden.

BM

 

So do I BM, in some of my clients gardens and surrounding hillsides. To double check I just looked through Hilliers and they thought 5-10m, then I tried Roger Phillips and he thought 25m+.

This kind of variance seems to me to be common and unhelpful. I know conditions of soil and aspect etc play a large role but when specifying a tree it seems safer to specify eventual tallest probable height rather than what happens in one locality, then let people work out whether they have the ideal conditions for the plant to attain this size.

I don't think plant suppliers specify in bad faith, far from it I reckon they try hard to be accurate, it is in their interests to be so. Also for every one punter wanting a tree smaller than x there will be another wanting one bigger than that so they cant win either way. It's just that they usually haven't grown the blasted thing beyond the minimum required saleable size (since that's what their business is) and consequently they in turn rely on books like those above as a guide.

I have found over the years that nursery descriptions of plants are often way off beam. It really is better to see local examples of what you want - if that is possible, and I appreciate that it usually isn't (we can but dream) than to rely on the catalogues too much for flowering times, sizes, etc.

 

The saga continues :D

I've just had a phone call and she's mentioned tamarisk. I've had a quick scratch round the web and there's quite a few cultivars (most autumn flowering but some spring flowering) so anyone got any specifics they are fond of or any bad experience.

Supposed to be fully hardy, very salt tollerant, wind tollerant, honey fungus resistant, and 5m x 5m at full size.

 

They like exposure, and I think they don't do well in shade or enclosure. Just come back from a jolly day out at Arundel, the tamarisk is growing wild all along the shingle. Very pretty, about 1m no more high. I've tried it and it gets to about 3m, all wiffly and flopy, and I just want to dig it up. Howzabout some local knowledge from the sunny Fife area?

 

I know this thread has twisted and turned but in regards of Sorbus aria 'Lutescens'...

I have grown it for 8 years having bought it as a 5+ years old tree.

(1998/9)

I the eight years I have pruned it lightly twice. The first time was accidental whilst removing some golden hop and the second time was to raise the crown and shape. I did not take much off just enough to bring some balance. These trees respond well to pruning and whilst they can get large it takes a long time and no pruning to achieve. Usually garden centres quote height in 10 years rather than eventual height, but eventual height would assume it is growing well and grows in vast grounds untouched.

Pictured below this tree is approximately 13+ years and whilst I live here it will not get much taller with 3 year pruning cycle but I would expect it to ticken over the medium term.

(May 2006)

I have a fair few trees in my garden that are considered monsters. Whilst there are exceptions most can be taimed if you put in the time and effort to shape them and prune properly.

 

Thanks BM/jazid for interesting replies, much appreciated!

 

Tree still not resolved yet - other things afoot at the moment - more of which another day.

However, the weeping tree I saw at the garden centre and couldn't remember the name of is Caragana arborescens 'Walker' (Siberian Peashrub) and my friend has also spotted it elsewhere so this is another possible.

Link to picture Monrovia

[ 10. June 2006, 10:22 PM: Message edited by: frogesque ]