Jules’s top 5 trees

My five favourite trees.

1) Betula albosinensis Fascination – Chinese Red Birch.

Of all the Birch varieties this is my absolute favourite. I love the variations of colours through from the base of the stem up through into the canopy, especially in the younger trees. Betula ‘Fascination’ looks great as a specimen tree but planted in groups or uniformed rows as this is when they display the colouration at their best. This trees colours up to a striking golden yellow in Autumn which glows brilliantly against dark backgrounds. Long catkins decorate the branches in Winter and contrast in Spring again the rich mahogany brown of the stems. Fantastic garden trees, I’m still mourning the loss of the stunning tree we had outside our office window!

2) Brousonnetia papyrifera – Paper Mulberry.

My mission is to generate more awareness of this lovely tree, it is terribly overlooked and this probably because it prefers a calcareous soil type. This little tree really comes into its own in late summer when it bursts into life with it extraordinary  flowers that resemble frayed balls of wool and bright orange fruits a great haven for bees, butterflies and pollinators that are looking for sustenance in late summer. This tree has a lovely broad open canopy and large leaves for shade and coverage colouring golden yellow for Autumn. Very architectural stem structure in Winter.

3) Liquidamber styraciflua Worplesdon – Cut-leaf Sweetgum.

What’s not to love about this tree, I bet it is positioned quite firmly in everyone’s top 5 and all for the same reason. I think it is best planted as an avenue tree to really get the most from Autumn colouring. The characteristic leaf shape is both ornamental and pretty.

4) Prunus avium Plena – Wild Cherry.

I love this Cherry, it has everything and does everything. It’s addition into 1970’s planting schemes means that we can now reap the benefits! It brightens up even the dreariest of industrial estates and motorways to housing estates and office blocks look closely and see what this lovely Cherry offers. An excellent avenue tree as it has a good formal structure and it’s tolerance of urban planting, in my view best planted in a natural woodland/countryside setting. The most prettiest double snow white flowers in Spring and stunning flame oranges and reds in Autumn. Keeping is British with a derivative indigenous species, I’m keeping it real!

5) Malus Evereste – Crab-apple.

A stunner in Spring! I love the floriferous display of this little Crab, smothered in pale pinks flower buds opening to a mass of baby-pink/white flowers. Loved by bees, butterflies and all the other pollinators a great tree to provide a feast of fruit for birds in late Autumn and Winter too, it offers a haven for wildlife and fantastic Springe spectacle for us and works in any garden big or small, as a pollinator for orchards or just a good family friendly little tree, a great addition.