Eucommia ulmoides

Eucommia ulmoides, or the Rubber Tree, was introduced from China in the late 1800s and remains a rarity in the UK, confined to plant collectors or public arboretums. This tree was the original source of rubber in China, and its bark is also used for medicinal purposes there.

If you were to pull apart the green glossy leaves of this tree, you would see fine strands of rubber latex connecting the wound. The thick, oval to elongated leaves are long and taper to a point, with serrated edges. Elliptical, flattened, winged nut fruits, approximately 3.5 cm long and split at the top, appear on the female plants.

Eucommia ulmoides does well on most free-draining fertile soils and forms a broadly pyramidal crown at maturity. It is suitable for wet soil and has good wind resistance. It is best in full sun but is fully hardy down to about -20 degrees Celsius once mature.

Although its flowers and seeds are inconsequential, its lustrous foliage display in the summer months makes it a majestic tree for planting on estates and parkland.

Mature height: 12-17m