Specimen tree challenge

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Can anyone suggest a specimen tree for my front garden? It should be no more than 8 feet high when mature and keep its leaves in winter. The only one I can think of is a Rhus which although it drops its leaves does have interesting fruit lasting all winter.

jfdi

A Bay Tree!

We've got one in a bed outside our back door - grown from a twig we got about 13 years ago. We carefully cut off non straight lower limbs as it matured and trimmed it in Spring every year to shape.

It's now about 7ft tall, very upright with a big 4 ft round ball of leaves on top.

AND I use it to cook with!

A
xx

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Thanks for your suggestion , I have a 4' bay in the back garden - one in the front would mysteriously vanish overnight.

Mr_Proctalgia

Dora - Do not get a Rhus, in any shape or form. I know they are pretty (especially the stagshorn one) and they have fantastic autumn colour, but they sucker like nothing you have ever seen before. I had a real job getting rid of them, they broke through the tarmac and cratered it, lifted slabs and went right through walls - They are evil - Be afraid very afraid!

Benidormqueen

Why not get a mop head conifer, i think they look very nice, i saw them in morissons they cost £12.99. i'm thinking of getting one.
Good luck with what ever you choose any-way Dora.

never_enough

Agree with Mr P. I have a stagshorn rhus, which I love, but the suckers really are a problem. Had about 70 when came back from hols last year, all at least a foot high & was only away 3 weeks! :eek:

How about a Chinese Dogwood? White flowers. Fairly slowgrowing.
Or a strawberry tree. Lots of interest, flowers, (non edible) fruit, barks pretty too. Also slowgrowing.

Or what about a big shrub?
English holly (J C van Tol is self fertile & small), Ceonothus (lilac flowers), camellias (need ericiceous soil & to be fairly sheltered) Silk tassel bush (very pretty in the winter) or even something like a Mahonia (good as a burglar deterrant as v spikey, best in a bit of shade).

I put in a Rowan last Autumn which is so beautiful I'd like a forest of them!
Sadly it does lose it's leaves & mine is going to be about 15m, however you can get ones around 7/8metres & they really are stunning. Oh & you can make very yummy jelly from the berries. I should work for the Rowan marketing board... :rolleyes:

woodbutcher_2

I have a penchant for Japanese maples.Got a beauty in my back garden but it loses everything in the winter so probably no good to you.They like shelter from the wind too.I have a Mahonia in my front garden that is green all year and has yellow flowers in the winter.It's about 4 to 5 feet now but not sure how big it will get.

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Great - keep 'em coming folks, I'm going to be spoilt for choice.
I have 2 year old rowan in the back garden, courtesy of a bird, which I could shift and I'm pretty certain they stand up to some hard pruning to keep height and spread under control. The flowers and berries are gorgeous but I'm not sure I'd enjoy the birds pebbledashing my car with the throughput.An acer would be perfect, if the dozy things would keep their leaves in the winter. I'll google never enoughs suggestions, the silk tassel bush sounds interesting. Thanks everyone.

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Just wanted to say thanks for all the suggestions/advice. By a sheer fluke I've found exactly what I want, saw it in my mate's neighbours garden. A eucalyptus allowed to grow to 8 feet by mistake and then lopped all the time to keep it at that height. Foliage all year round and not dense, with an upright habit and not too much spread.

woodbutcher_2

You could then keep a koala in it.

Mr_Proctalgia

Rowan or Mountain Ash - Especially a wild one can grow to a HUGE size we had one that over 20 years went up past a 3 story house and we had to get a truck with a hiab to lift the bits out of the back garden. That being said they are gorgeous when in berry. I googled "small specimen tree" and lot of stuff came up.

There is so much choice nowadays and I shall be hunting for one myself when I move next month, I currently have a Ginko Biloba in this garden and it had grown to be a stunning small(ish) tree with a huge swollen lower trunk but it will not like beng moved and is being left behind and I shall miss its grey/beige trunk and unusual leaves. If had a secure area I would go for a Tree Fern but the Chavs would nick it and they really aren't hardy enough.