Choosing a Tree for the Jubilee

To mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee the tree planting initiative, The Queen’s Green Canopy, is encouraging as many of us as possible to plant a tree. Summer is not the obvious time to plant new trees, but it’s an ideal time to visit public gardens to choose varieties.

Sadly, trees don’t last forever and recently we’ve seen the loss in the village of St Mary’s Church much loved Cedar tree having to be removed. It’s now more important than ever to continually plant new specimens for future generations to enjoy as trees become more and more subjected to new pests, diseases and affected by climate change.

I’ve chosen six trees below:

Acer davidii ‘Viper’ with its white and green striated bark can be as stunning as any silver birch and would look lovely in a border to add winter interest. I’ve planted one in my own garden.
Ideal for hay fever sufferers with its lower levels of pollen is Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul’s Scarlet’ (hawthorn). Bright-pink, double flowers start appearing from March onwards.

To withstand climate change why not plant Koelreuteria paniculata ‘Coral Sun’. Also known as the golden rain tree, this has multiple seasons of interest. Bright red, new-shoots are followed by yellow flower panicles, autumn foliage colour and colourful stems.

Unusual blooms of Cercis chinensis ‘Avondale’ make a welcome change from the cherry blossom we see in spring. The flowers are far more prominent than on popular Cercis candensis ‘Forest Pansy’.

Good for urban gardens and pollution and will fit in a pocket size garden is dwarf Ginkgo biloba ‘Mariken’. This will happily grow in a container.

For something that little bit different then why not opt for Halesia carolina with its pure-white, bell shaped flowers in spring. Autumn turns the foliage to buttery shades.

Always check your soil conditions, aspect and sizes of trees before making your selections as it’s much easier to plant a tree than it is to take one out.

To find out more information you can go to: https://queensgreencanopy.org/get-involved/individuals/   where you will find advice on how to get involved, tree planting best practices and aftercare.