Articles – Page 34 – Gardeners Tips

Linden Tree Common Lime -Root and Branch

September 24, 2015 hortoris

The Lime is a tall growing well shaped tree which is often grown along avenues and public places in the UK. The flowers have an exquisite fragrance.

Key Features of the Common Lime

Latin name – Tilia Europaea, other common names Linden tree or Basswood
Height – Can grow over 150 feet tall one of the UK’s tallest trees
Type of tree – deciduous – dictoyledons
Leaves – Thin, green and heart shaped with a tapering tip and fine teeth. Lighter green underneath
Flowers – Highly scented pale yellow-green with green bracts at the base. Flower in clusters
Fruit – Woody round drupe covered with grey-brown hairs dispersed on the wind by wings.
Bark – Grey with shallow fissures when mature
Family -Tiliaceae

Origins and Distribution of the Common Lime

The tree is widely cultivated throughout Europe.
Linden trees are now popular in North America.

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Papaya – Root and Branch Review

September 19, 2015 hortoris

The Papaya is a widely grown fruit tree of the tropics. It’s large fleshy fruit contains many seeds but can weigh from 1 pound up to 20 pound on some varieties.

Key Features of the Papaya

Latin name – Carica Papaya – other common names Papaw, or Pawpaw or Mugua
Height – up to 33 feet
Type of tree – evergreen
Leaves – Long deeply lobed dark green and alternate
Flowers – Males and females on separate trees with yellow or pink petals
Fruit – Large, ovoid, fleshy fruit up to 12″ long. Orange or pink flesh surrounding multiple soft black seeds
Bark – Light brown with leaf scars
Family – The only member of the Carica genus

Origins and Distribution of the Papaya

Widely grown throughout the tropics.
Originally native to Mexico and central America.

Uses and Attributes of the Papaya

The fruit contains many vitimins and trace chemicals. The latex and leaves can be made into drinks and there are many medical uses for the Papaya.
Ripe fruit with sweet, yellow or pink flesh make a traditional tropical breakfast.
The raw fruit and the leaves contain an enzyme, papain, that is used to tenderise meat.
Green unripe Papaya are used in several folk remedies and for both contraception and abortion.
The bark can be used to make rope.

Gardeners Tips for the Papaya

Another tree to leave for the hotter (and wetter) climates.

Other Types of Papaya

There are many varieties available. Some have small pear shaped fruit others have large round heavy pawpaws.
One type has sweet, red and the other has yellow flesh not surprisingly called “red papaya” and “yellow papaw”, respectively. Either kind, picked green, is called a “green papaya.”
Large-fruited, red-fleshed varieties include ‘Maradol’, ‘Sunrise’, and ‘Caribbean Red’.
There are a growing number of genetically modified species including ‘SunUp’ and ‘Rainbow’,
Generally Hawaiian variety are smaller and pear-shaped, while Caribbean and Asian papayas are long and large.
Confusion exists with the Custard Apple family of Asimina triloba and Asimina tetramera, commonly known as the four-petal pawpaw in some countries.

Papaya comments from elsewhere

‘Deliciously sweet with musky undertones and a soft, butter-like consistency, it is no wonder the papaya was reputably called the “fruit of the angels” by Christopher Columbus. Once considered quite exotic, they can now be found in markets throughout the year. Although there is a slight seasonal peak in early summer and fall, papaya trees produce fruit year round’. for more on health benefits .

Credits
Papaya by enbodenumer CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
papaya by mars! CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Papaya by mwanasimba CC BY-SA 2.0

Hornbeam – Root and Branch Review

September 18, 2015 hortoris

The name Hornbeam derives from ‘hard tree’ a reference to the property of the extremely tough wood.

Key Features of the Hornbeam

Latin name Carpinus Betulus other common names Ironwood, American hornbeam, blue-beech, or musclewood
Height up to 80 feet spread useful for hedges
Type of tree – Deciduous – dictoyledons
Leaves – Dark green, oval, double toothed with ridges.
Flowers Male and female catkins on the same tree
Fruit Ribbed nut held in a three leaved bract
Bark Silver grey and smooth
Family Corylaceae related to Birch and Hazels

Origins and Distribution of the Hornbeam

Found in Europe and China.
Other species are also found in America.

Uses and Commercial Attributes of Hornbeam

Traditionally the hard white wood was used for Ox yokes, tools, butchers blocks and mill cogs.
Can be coppiced for charcoal production.
Chess peices and piano actions can be made from Hornbeam

Gardeners Tips for the Hornbeam

Makes a good stout hedge and retains leaves through autumn.
Hornbeam tolerate quite deep shade.
Make good bonsai subjects

Other types of Hornbeam and Species

The Oriental Hornbeam Carpinus orientalis occurs in southeast Europe and southwest Asia
The Japanese Hornbeam Carpinus japonica is similar to Carpinus orientalis
The North American species, American Hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana is similar to Carpinus betulus in leaf size and shape.

Hornbeam comments from elsewhere

Hornbeams were once coppiced and pollarded (cut back to promote new growth) on a regular basis in its native woodlands of south and south-east Britain. Epping Forest in Essex, where this practice took place, is now protected and is home to thousands of hornbeams that live alongside oak, beech, birch and holly trees.

One of the reasons Carpinus betulus can live in such close proximity to these large trees is that it is extremely tolerant to shade. However, it prefers a warm climate and does not live above 600 metres, restricting its natural habitat to the more southerly parts of Britain. Kew Gardens

Read about our series on British tree reviews with a bakers dozen fact sheets

Credits
Beneath the hornbeam on a summer afternoon by pcgn7 CC BY-NC 2.0
“Hornbeam with mushrooms by OpenEye CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Hornbeam leaf the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2

Quiver Tree – Root and Branch Review

September 17, 2015 hortoris

Key Features of the Quiver Tree

Latin name Aloe Doichotoma other common names Kokerboom
Height up to 30 feet
Type of tree – monocotyledon
Leaves – sharp toothed, narrow pioned blue-green leaves formed in rosettes
Flowers – tiny, bright yellow, nectar filled flowers on 12″ spikes
Fruit – smooth, shiny capsules flowers are edible
Bark – Sharp edged brown scales
Family – Aloaceae

Origins and Distribution of the Quiver Tree

South West Africa and Namibia.
Grows in arid areas of southern Africa.

Uses and Commercial Attributes of the Quiver Tree

The hollowed out branches were used by the San tribe as quivers.
The sharp-edged trunk and leaves make it a favoured tree for weaver birds to nest because it protects from snakes and jackals.

Gardeners Tips for the Quiver Tree

Dichotoma means forked .
The slow growing Quiver Tree with its thick trunk and rounded crown is a distinctive sight.
A position in a hot and dry South African rock garden is best if you want to grow this aloe in a garden.
Like other Aloe the quiver tree is easy to grow from seed given the right conditions.

Other types of Quiver Tree Species

Aloe pillansii, the giant quiver tree, is becoming endangered by over zealous collecting .
Aloe ramosissima, the maiden quiver tree is only found near the Orange river.

Quiver Tree comments from elsewhere

The young flower buds can be eaten and have a similar appearance and taste to asparagus. Sugar birds are drawn to these flowers in winter where they feed on the nectar produced by the flowers. Aloe dichotoma is an extremely tough tree that may reach an age of over 80 years and a height of approximately 7 metres. more from plants Africa
Dr Richard Pearson of the American Museum of Natural History told a conference on global warming that a species had three choices when confronted with climate change: die, adapt or migrate.For the quiver tree, any migration it made would have to come about as a result of seed dispersal via the wind or from droppings from birds or other animals that digested them. read more

Credits
Quiver Tree by hibbijibbies CC BY-ND 2.0
“Midas tree by Paul WatsonCC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Avocado – Root and Branch Review

September 16, 2015 hortoris

Key Features of the Avocado

Latin name Persea Americana
Other common names Alligator Pear or Avacado Pear
Height up to 60 feet 18m
Type of tree – Evergreen
Leaves – Glossy dark green elliptical shaped
Flowers Fragrant racemes in yellow-green. Three petal like lobes with nine stamen
Fruit – Green to black containing a large oval stone. Oval shape 4-6 inches long
Bark Dark grey-brown
Family Lauraceae along with cinnamon and camphor

Origins and Distribution of the Avocado

Origin in central America.
Cultivated in USA, Australia and the Canariesetc.

Uses and Commercial Attributes of the Avocado

Fruit has the highest protein and oil content of any fruit.
An important food crop and source of energy.
Used to make Guacamole or ahuaca-mulli

Gardeners Tips for the Avocado

The flesh has a smooth buttery texture when ripe
Grows in a climate without frost and with little wind.
Avocados are picked when mature but before ripening. To ripen keep at room temperature. Avocado will ripen faster if stored with apples or bananas
Can be grown as a leafy houseplant from a stone. Suspend the stone over water to start the roots

Other types of Avocado

There are over 500 varieties some with hard black skins and others with thin light green skins
Pinkerton with large fruit and small seed has green skin thas deepens in color as it ripens.
The populas Hass variety can stand relatively low temperatures and has ovate fruit with a black pebbled skin

Avocado comments from elsewhere

‘The flowers are bisexual. The male floral organ, the stamens, occur in three to four trimerous whorls (Persea three), with the innermost whorl sterile and the third whorl having a pair of glands at the base. In Persea the nectaries are at the inner fertile whorl, and filaments are longer than the anthers. A characteristic feature of the family is the presence of flaps (Persea four) on the anthers, which open from the base upwards and pull out the pollen as they open’ University of Florida read more

Credits
Avocadoes Camknows CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
“avocadoes by Elsa4Sound CC BY-NC 2.0

Further Cultivars from California Rare Fruit Growers

Anaheim
Origin Otto Keup, Anaheim, 1910. Guatemalan. Tree columnar, productive. Fruit very large, to 24 oz., elongated glossy green, seed small, oil 15%. Tenderest of cvs. for coast only. To 32Â° F. Season July.
Bacon
Origin James Bacon, Buena Park, 1954. Hybrid. Tree broad, productive. Fruit small to medium, to 12 oz., round-ovoid, smooth green. Flesh only fair, almost colorless,seed cavity molds rapidly. Hardy for Bay Area, Central Valley. To 25Â° F. Season December.
Creamhart
Origin Orton Englehart, Escondido,1969. Hybrid. Seedling of Reed. Tree open, upright, branching. Fruit medium, to 14 oz., skin green flesh extraordinarily pale,buttery, nearly fiberless. Not alternate bearing. To 30Â° F. Season April – July.
Duke
Origin Bangor (Oroville), 1912. Tree vigorous, open, resists wind. Fruit small, 12 oz., elongated pyriform, waxy green, skin paper-thin. Flesh excellent, oil 21%. Seeds commonly used for rootstocks, resist root rot. Extraordinarily hardy, recovers quickly from freeze, to 22Â° F. Season October
Fuerte
Origin Atlixco, Mexico, intro. Carl Schmidt, 1911. Hybrid. Tree open, spreading, tall. Fruit large to very large, 16 oz., elongated pyriform, skin dark green with numerous small raised pale spots, waxy bloom, skin thin. Flesh good, oil 18%, seed medium. Formerly standard cv. of California industry. Tends to bear in alternate years, unproductive near coast or in north. To 26Â° F. Season December.
Ganter
Origin Albert Rideout, Whittier, 1905. Mexican. Tree tall, spreading, open. Fruit small, to 8 oz., long pyriform, skin paper-thin, pale waxy green. Flesh good, oil 18%. Oldest avocado cv. in California. Quite hardy, for Central Valley floor and far north. To 23Â° F. Season October.
Gwen
Origin Riverside, Robert Whitsell, 1982, patented. Seedling of Hass. Tree dwarf, to 14 ft., low vigor. Fruit small, to 8 oz., a Hass look alike, elongated green, flesh good. Most productive of dwarf avocados, best dwarf for outdoor use, also for containers, greenhouse. Not hardy, to 30Â° F. Season February – October.
Hass
Origin Rudolph Hass, La Habra Heights, 1926. Seedling of Lyon. Guatemalan. Tree rather open, not tall. Fruit medium, to 12 oz., pyriform, skin thick, pebbled, coppery purple. Flesh good, oil 19%, seed fairly small. Currently the standard of the industry. To 26Â° F. Season July.
Jim
Origin John Reinecke, San Diego, 1939. Hybrid. Tree upright. Fruit small to medium, to 10 oz., olive green, with long neck, oil 12%. To 26Â° F. Season June.
Lula
Origin George Cellon, Miami, 1919. West Indian. Tree dense, broad, prolific. Fruit round, slightly pyriform, to 20 oz., slightly rough glossy green, oil 12%. Only West Indian type recommended for California, rather hardy, to 28Â° F. Season April.
Lyon
Origin R. Lyon, Hollywood, 1908. Central American. Tree columnar, slow growing, difficult to propagate, often scion incompatible. Fruit commonly over 24 oz., dark glossy green, rough, pyriform, oil 21%. High quality. Tender, to 30Â° F. Season April.
Mexicola
Origin Coolidge, Pasadena, 1910. Mexican. Tree tall and spreading, vigorous. Fruit small, 5 oz., round pyriform, skin paper-thin, purplish black, waxy bloom. Flesh highest quality, seed very large. Hardiest cv. known, seedlings useful as rootstocks in far north. Recovers rapidly from freeze. Defoliated at 20Â° F, trunk killed at 17Â° F. Season September.
Mexicola Grande
Seedling selection of Mexicola. Mexican. Tree tall and spreading similar to Mexicola. Fruit 15% – 25% larger than Mexicola and somewhat rounder in shape with better seed/flesh ratio. Skin paper-thin, purple-black. High quality flesh with high oil content. Hardy to about 18Â° F.
Murrieta Green
Origin Colima, Mexico, intro. by Juan Murrieta, 1910. Hybrid. Tree slow growing, easily trained. Fruit large, to 18 oz., oblate, green, resembling Fuerte. Flesh exceptional, oil 18%. Only cv. readily adaptable to espalier. For coast and intermediate. To 27Â° F. Season September.
Nabal
Origin Antigua, Guatemala, intro. by F.W. Popenoe, 1917. Tree dense, columnar. Fruit handsome, large pyriform, to 17 oz., green, skin resembles Fuerte. Flesh exceptionally high quality, oil 16%. Young trees require pinching to force low branching. Tends to bear alternate years. To 27Â° F. Season July.
Pinkerton
Origin John D. Pinkerton, Saticoy, 1972, patented. Guatemalan. Tree dense, productive. Fruit variable in size, 7 to 12 oz., skin thick, pebbled, green. To 30Â° F. Season November.
Queen
Origin Antigua, Guatemala, intro. by E.E. Knight, 1914. Guatemalan. Tree broad. Fruit exceptionally large, to 24 oz., elongated, purple, flesh excellent, oil 13%. Fairly hardy for large cv., worth trying in Bay Area. To 26Â° F. Season August.
Puebla
Origin Atlixco, Mexico, intro. by Carl Schmidt, 1911. Mexican. Tree broad, high branching. Fruit beautiful, medium to large, to 18 oz., ovoid, skin thin, lacquered maroon purple. Flesh excellent, oil 20%. Least hardy Mexican type, to 29Â° F. Season December.
Reed
Origin James S. Reed, Carlsbad, 1948. Hybrid. Tree columnar. Fruit large, to 15 oz., round, skin thick, pebbled, green. Flesh good. To 30Â° F. Season August.
Rincon
Origin Carlsbad, Sam Thompson, 1944. Hybrid. Tree small. Fruit small to medium, 10 oz., green, resembling Fuerte. Flesh good. For coast, Santa Barbara and Ventura. To 27Â° F. Season January.
Ryan
Origin Albert Rideout, Whittier, 1927. Hybrid. Tree low, spreading. Fruit medium, to 14 oz., elongated, otherwise resembles Hass, skin thick, pebbled, purple. Flesh good, oil 25%. For Inland Empire, Bay Area. To 26Â° F Season August.
Spinks
Origin E. Bradbury, Bradbury, 1911. Hybrid. Tree spreading. Fruit medium, to 15 oz., round with small neck, tangelo shaped. Lacquered, coppery purple, outstanding flavor, oil 16%. To 27Â° F. Season April.
Topa Topa
Origin E.S. Thatcher, Ojai, 1912. Mexican. Tree columnar, vigorous. Fruit handsome, elongated pyriform, small to medium, 8 oz., smooth dark purple with white waxy bloom. Skin paper-thin. Flesh rather poor, oil 15%, seed elongated. Seedlings commonly used for rootstocks. Hardy, for far north. To 23Â° F.
Whitsell
Origin Robert Whitsell, Riverside,1982, patented. Hybrid. Hass seedling. Tree dwarf, to 12 feet, low vigor. Fruit small, 6 oz., elongated Hass look alike. Flesh good. Bears in alternate years. For containers and greenhouse only, not hardy. To 30Â° F. February to October.
Wurtz (syn. Littlecado)
Origin Roy Wurtz, Encinitas, 1935. Hybrid. Tree prostrate, difficult to train, low vigor. Fruit dark green, medium, to 10 oz. For containers and greenhouse. To 26Â° F. Season July.
Zutano
Origin R.L. Ruitt, Fallbrook, 1926. Hybrid. Tree columnar. Fruit small to medium, to 10 oz. elongated smooth green, resembles Fuerte but inferior, has fibers. Hardy for Bay Area, Central Valley. To 25Â° F. Season November.

Horse Chestnut – Root and Branch Review

September 15, 2015 hortoris

Conker collecting has encouraged many a stick to be thrown into a Horse Chestnut tree. The candle or flower heads are even more spectacular than the crop of conkers that they give birth too.

Key Features of the Horse Chestnut

Latin name Aesculus Hippocastanum buckeye in USA or Conker tree
Height up to 130 feet
Type of tree – deciduous –
Leaves – Large green palmate with 5-7 fingers or leaflets
Flowers White or pink candle shaped upright panicles
Fruit Green spiky spherical husks containing a glossy brown inedible seed or conker
Bark Dark brown, coarse and scaly when mature
Family Aesculus has about 20 species

Origins and Distribution of the Horse Chestnut

Native to the Balkans.
Planted in temperate zones as an ornamental specimen.

Uses and Attributes of the Horse Chestnut

Distilled the conkers make acetone.
The seed extracts were used for fulling cloth and whitening hemp, flax, silk and wool.
Herbally used to treat varicose veins and haemorrhoids.

Gardeners Tips for the Horse Chestnut

Used along avenues, parks and in churchyards.
Horse Chestnuts can make large bonsai.

Other types of Horse Chestnut and key species

Texas, californian and other american buckeye or Aesculus species.
Aesculus Ã— carnea the red horse chestnut.

Horse Chestnut comments from elsewhere

In Britain, the return to school after the summer holidays is synonymous with conkers. Originally played with cobnuts or snail shells, the use of the horse chestnut in the popular children’s game was first recorded in 1848. Since 1965, the World Conker Championships have taken place every year in Oundle, Northamptonshire. Kew.org

The fruits of this tree vaguely resemble those of the (Sweet) Chestnut tree but they are not related. They develop in prickly cases, and are ripe in September and October – the ‘conker’ season.

Read about our series on British tree reviews with a bakers dozen fact sheets

Credits
“Horse Chestnut tree by JeanM1 CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
“Conkers by MamaPyjama CC BY 2.0

Olive – Root and Branch Review

September 14, 2015 hortoris

Key Features of the Olive Tree

Latin name Olea Europaea
Height up to 50 feet 15m
Type of tree – evergreen dictoyledons
Leaves Dark green with silvery green undersides. Leathery, lanceolate or ovate leaves –
Flowers Small white borne in axillary clusters.
Fruit Egg shaped or ovoid drupe green turning black
Bark Grey with gnarled ridges and appearance
Family Oleaceae

Origins and Distribution of the Olive

Dating back at least 4000 years in tablets written in Cretan 2500 BC.
Cultivated in the Mediterranean where it flourishes.
References in the Bible to olive branches an anointing oil

Uses and Commercial Attributes of the Olive

The fruit is a staple part of Mediterranean cuisine.
The fruit is crushed or pressed to make olive oil.
The oil is used in cooking and historically as a fuel.
Olive is now recognised as a colour a dull grey-green or green-grey.

Gardeners Tips for the Olive

Olives are used to hot mediterranean climates and do not thrive in the UK
Recent attempts to make them specimen plants are led by the avaricious side of the horticultural industry and great conditions are needed for your Olive to survive.
Olives are often grown in groves although most varieties will self pollinate.

Other types of Olive and key species

There are thousands of cultivars of the Olea europaea olive tree.
The Iberian olives are usually cured and eaten after being pitted and stuffed with pimentoe

Olive comments from elsewhere

‘The older an olive tree is, the broader and more gnarled its trunk appears. Many olive trees in the groves around the Mediterranean are said to be hundreds of years old, while an age of 2,000 years is claimed for a number of individual trees’

Credits
“Olives by wollombi,CC BY 2.0
OLIVES by Sara Maino CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Sausage Tree – Root and Branch Review

September 10, 2015 hortoris

An unusual tree with even more unusual fruit.

Key Features of the Sausage Tree

Latin name Kigelia Africana other common name kigeli keia
Height 30-50 feet high 12m
Type of tree – deciduous but evergreen with adequate rainfall
Leaves Pinnate with 3-6 pairs of lenceolate green leaflets
Flowers Large, dark red, strongly scented, bell flowers hanging in panicles
Fruit Pendulous grey-green sausage shaped unpalatable fruit that give the plant its common name
Bark Rough grey-brown
Family Bignoniaceae.

Origins and Distribution of the Sausage Tree

Occurs throughout tropical Africa.
Sausage tree in Arabic means “the father of kit bags” .

Uses and Commercial Attributes of the Sausage Tree

The tree is grown as an ornamental for flowers and seed pods.
Medicinal uses include treatment for abscesses, rheumatism and venereal disease
Beer can be brewed from the fruit
The many seeds are good parrot food.
The tough wood is used to make dug out canoes

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Grow Abeliophyllum White Forsythia for Spring Scent

September 8, 2015 hortoris

Abeliophyllum distichum also called White Forsythia is more refined than traditional yellow Forsythia to which it is distantly related, both being part of the Olive family.

Growing White Forsythia

Abeliophyllum distichum AGMÂ is native to Korea and produces clusters of fragrant, creamy white flowers which emerge in late winter or early spring before the leaves.
Trained against a sunny wall,Â Abeliophyllum distichum will grow 3-6 feet tall. It can be rather untidy and lax if grown in a border
Prune after flowering to within 2-5Â buds to make a permanent framework and encourage new wood for flowering next year.
Grow in full sun or light shade in average soil 3-4ft apart. Feed with a balanced fertiliser once a year in early spring
Can be underplanted with Scilla sibirica, Muscari or species Crocus for a lovely early spring display.

Abeliophyllum distichum roseum group is the seldom seen pink form. According to Junker’s nursery ‘It is sometimes called “Pink Forsythia” but this reflects more its time of flowering than either its colour or parentage! A very pretty plant that stays quite small, rarely more than 3 feet tall’.

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Majestic and RemarkableTrees

September 6, 2015 hortoris

New Trees: Recent Introductions to Cultivation by John Grimshaw, Ross Bayton and illustrated by Hazel Wilks. Amazon

A good reference work or wonderful coffee table book can be costly but the joy of a book on your favourite subject may be a great investment. I adore Trees and wish I could own and plant up my own Arboretum. Unfortunately I have to be content with good books, regular trips to sites of interest and a small number of trees in my own garden.

If I was looking for something different then this book would be amongst my first reference work from Kew and Royal Botanic Publishers. I have made plans to have a trip to Kew gardens to check out one or two ideas that I have been accumulating through winter.

Another series of books I like to browse are the ‘Remarkable’ series by Thomas Pakenham

Meetings With Remarkable Trees starts “The two largest Common Oaks (Quercus robur) in Britain and probably Europe, too – are the Fredville Oak in Kent and the Bowthorpe Oak in Lincolnshire”. In Meetings with Remarkable Trees Pakenham assembles a beautifully photographed gallery of 60-odd trees of Scotland, England and Ireland, and magnificent trees they are. One is a 600-year-old king oak that looms large over Charleville, Ireland; another is the yew tree that Wordsworth called the “pride of Lorton’s vale”; still another is a sequoia brought from the United States and planted in a Herefordshire grove in 1851. Amazon

In ‘Remarkable Trees of the World’ there are sections entitled, Giants, Dwarfs, Methuselahs, Dreams and an exceptional section about Trees in Peril. Amazon

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