Re: [gardeners] Need tree suggestions
Kay Lancaster (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 29 Jan 1999 21:26:20 -0800 (PST)
On Fri, 29 Jan 1999, Harry Boswell wrote:
> Nyet, I'm right in the midst of redbud territory, but they get too
> tall - I've got one that's easily 30 feet. My wife would kill me,
> unless there's a dwarf variety.
Cercis texensis, Texas redbud, is multistemmed, and rarely goes much over
10 ft, and western redbud, C. occidentalis, rarely makes it over 15.
Can you grow medlar, Meslipus germanica? I like the shape, and it's
about the right size. You'll probably want the thornless varieties
if you're stringing lights in them, though. ;-) Or how about quince,
Cydonia oblonga.
How about Franklinia altamaha? It does make 25 ft, but it's interesting
enough, and narrow enough, that it makes a good dooryard tree with proper
pruning, and the flowers smell soooo good. Fusarium is the big problem
with this one.
Or its cousin, Stewartia malacodendron, silky camellia?
Halesia carolina = H. tetraptera, carolina silverbell is another I like,
but again, it makes about 20 ft -- much broader crown than Franklinia, but
it's quite pest resistant.
Styrax americanum, silverbells? It's pretty shrubby, but can be pruned
to a tree form. S. grandifolium is a bit larger, but still only makes
about 14 ft. S. wilsonii is a Chinese cousin that's more treelike
in form naturally.
Parottia persica comes in a treelike form, and there are some forms
that seem to remain small.
Enkianthus campanulatus, redvein enkianthus? If you choose this,
get a small one... they don't like moving.
Corylus avellana 'contorta', Harry Lauder's walkingstick? Do you get
enough chilling days for hazelnuts?
Chionanthus virginicus, white fringetree, is another in the same sort
of "a little too big" group, with good disease tolerance, and a spreading
shape. Very shade tolerant, and needs moist soil. I don't know C.
retusus very well, but it's a Chinese species that rarely makes it to
12 ft.
Drimys winteri var. andina, winterbark, or Drimys lanceolata, pepper tree?
I think they'd manage in your sheltered location, and they're another with
good smelling flowers.