Understand the effective use of soft landscaping elements (1) Flashcards
Name 5 evergreen and 5 deciduous trees (large shrubs), suitable for planting in a domestic garden.
State details of their: decorative merits / height and spread / site requirements / describe a situation where each could be used effectively.
Evergreen Deciduous
- Luma apiculata 1. Malus ‘Golden Hornet’
- Arbutus undedo 2. Amelanchier lamarckii
- Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphofila 3. Crataegus mongyna
- Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’ 4. Sorbus commixta ‘Embley’
- Ilex aquifolium ‘Madam Briot’ 5. Betula utilis subsp. Jacqemontii ‘Moonbeam’
Luma apiculata
Decorative Merits: Cinnamon-and cream coloured bark / small, broadly ovate and aromatic flowers / 4- or 5 petalled, bowl-shaped flowers (summer autumn).
Height and spread: 8-12m / >8m
Site requirements: well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any soil / any exposure
Situation: Effective as a mediterranean climate plant / could be grown in a container in a small space
Arbutus unedo
Decorative Merits: Rough, shredding red-brown bark / Mid-green leathery leaves / panicles of bell-shaped white flowers followed by strawberry-like red fruits (autumn).
Height and spread: 4-8m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Well-drained / full sun / not clay soil / sheltered
Situation: Good for wildlife / low maintenance / cottage garden (informal)
Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. ‘Niphofila’
Decorative merit: Bark flakes into patches of cream, grey, green / narrow grey-green leathery leaves / Clusters of white to cream flowers ( late spring, summer)
Height and spread: 4-8m / 4-8m
Site requirements: any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun / sheltered
Situation: Architectural / cottage and informal / low maintenance
Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’
Decorative Merits: Glossy, simple, elliptic leaves which are bright red when young and turn dark green later / sparse panicles of creamy-white flowers (spring) followed by red berries
Height and spread: 2.5-4m / 2.5-4m
Site requirements: Moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure / not clay
Situation: Low maintenance / hedging and screens
Ilex aquifolium ‘Madam Briot’
Decorative merits: Spiny, broadly ovate leaves with a bold golden-yellow margin / bright red berries (autumn)
Height and spread: 8-12m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: Hedging and screens / winter interest / pollinators
Malus ‘Golden Hornet’
Decorative merits: Broad ovoid crown / white flowers (spring) followed by profuse crop of bright, deep yellow fruits (autumn) 2.5cm, continuing to winter.
Height and spread: 8-12m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: Architectural / cottage and informal garden / patio and container
Amelanchier lamarckii
Decorative merits: Bronze-tinged young leaves turn orange and red in autumn / Short lax racemes of white flowers (spring) as the leaves unfurl / red-dark purple-black berries loved by birds.
Height and spread: 8-12m / 4-8m
Site requirements: not clay / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Crataegus monogyna
Decorative merits: Spiny branches / glossy, deeply lobed leaves / flat sprays of cream white flowers (spring) /dark red berries (autumn)
Height and spread: 4-8m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: Wildlife garden / hedging and screens / cottage and informal garden
Sorbus commixta ‘Embly’
Decorative merits: Pinnate leaves composed of up to 17 lance-shaped, finely pointed leaflets turning bright red and orange in autumn / flat clusters of small creamy-white flowers (spring) / red berries (autumn
Height and spread: 8-12m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Not chalk / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: Wildlife garden / low maintenance
Betula utilis subsp. jacqemontii ‘Moonbeam’
Decorative merits: Brilliant white, peeling bark on trunk and larger branches / ovate leaves turn yellow in autumn / yellow-brown male catkins to 12cm open in early spring
Height and spread: 8-12m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: Winter interest / cottage and informal garden / architectural
Name 5 evergreen and 5 deciduous plant species, suitable for hedging or screening (including formal or informal use)
State details of their decorative merits, height and spread and site requirement; describe a situation where each could be used effectively
Evergreen Deciduous
- Taxus baccata (f) 1. Fagus sylvatica (f)
- Buxus sempervirens (f) 2. Carpinus betulus (f)
- Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’ (if) 3. Crataegus mongyna (if)
- Ilex aquifolium ‘Madam Briot’ (f) 4. Syringa vulgaris (if)
- Pyracantha ‘Saphyr Orange’ (if) 5. Viburnum opulus (if)
Taxus baccata
Decorative merits: Formal / narrow, leathery, very dark green, linear leaves arranged in two rows on the shoots / insignificant flowers (spring) on female plants / fleshy red fruits (autumn)
Height and spread: >12m / >8m
Site requirements: Any soil / well-drained / full sun to full shade / any exposure
Situation: Hedging in a formal garden / low maintenance
Buxus sempervirens
Decorative merits: Formal / Glossy, simple, leathery, small leaves which are opposite to each other / small yellow-ish, clusters of flowers (spring) produced in the leaf axils.
Height and spread: 4-8m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / partial shade, full sun / any exposure
Situation: Hedging in a formal garden / patio and container plants / city and courtyard gardens
Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’
Decorative Merits: Informal / Glossy, simple, elliptic leaves which are bright red when young and turn dark green later / sparse panicles of creamy-white flowers (spring) followed by red berries
Height and spread: 2.5-4m / 2.5-4m
Site requirements: Moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure / not clay
Situation: Low maintenance / hedging and screens
Ilex aquifolium ‘Madam Briot’
Decorative merits: Formal / Spiny, broadly ovate leaves with a bold golden-yellow margin / bright red berries (autumn)
Height and spread: 8-12m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: Hedging and screens (security (spiny)) / winter interest / pollinators
Pyracantha ‘Saphyr Orange’
Decorative merits: Informal / Spiny / Narrow, simply, glossy leaves / Sprays of white flowers (late spring and early summer) / bright orange berries (autumn)
Height and spread: 1.5-2.5m /1.5-2.5m
Site requirements: Any soil / full sun, partial shade / moist but well-drained / any exposure
Situation: Security hedging (spiny) / low maintnenance / wall side borders
Fagus sylvatica
Decorative merits: Formal / Broadly elliptic leaves which are yellow-green in spring, rich russett-brown in autumn / small green flowers (spring) bristly fruits (autumn)
Height and spread: >12m / >8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: Hedging in a formal garden / low maintenance
Betulus carpinus
Decorative merits: Formal / conspicuously ribbed, ovate leaves / Catkins open in spring followed by hop-like fruiting catkins
Height and spread: >12m / >8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: Formal hedging / useful in woodland setting
Crataegus monogyna
Decorative merits: Spiny branches / glossy, deeply lobed leaves / flat sprays of cream white flowers (spring) /dark red berries (autumn)
Height and spread: 4-8m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: Wildlife garden / hedging and screens / cottage and informal garden
Syringa vulgaris
Decorative merits: Informal / mid-green, heart-shaped leaves / Compact panicles of fragrant, lavender-purple 4-lobed tubular flowers (spring and summer) which fade to lilac-pink
Height and spread: 2.5-4m / 2.5-4m
Site requirements: Any soil / not acid / moist but well-drained / full sun / any exposure
Situation: Low maintenance / hedging and screening in informal garden
Viburnum opulus
Decorative merits: Maple-like, palmately lobed leaves which turn pink or red in autumn / flat clusters of small white flowers surrounded by large sterile flowers / followed by translucent red berries
Height and spread: 4-8m / 2.5-4m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well drained soil / full shade to full sun / any exposure
Situation: suitanle for a shrub border or woodland garden / as part of a wildlife rich hedge / low maintenance
Arbutus unedo
Decorative Merits: Rough, shredding red-brown bark / Mid-green leathery leaves / panicles of bell-shaped white flowers followed by strawberry-like red fruits (autumn).
Height and spread: 4-8m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Well-drained / full sun / not clay soil / sheltered
Situation: Good for wildlife / low maintenance / cottage garden (informal)
Salvia rosmarinus
Decorative merits: Linear, aromatic dark green leaves, recurved margins, pale felty undersides / Pale violet-blue and white 2-lipped flowers (spring) in whorls
Height and spread: 1.5-2.5m / 1.5-2.5m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun / any exposure
Situation: Can be used as a formal or informal low hedge / rock garden / containers / mediterranean
Mahonia aquifolium
Decorative methods: Glossy green, slightly prickly, leathery, pinnate leaves that become purplish in winter / Large, clustered racemes of yellow flowers (spring) / black berries (autumn)
Height and spread: 0.5-1m / 1-1.5m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full shade, partial shade / any exposure
Situations: Wildlife gardens / Banks and slopes / Low maintenance
Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’
Decorative Merits: Informal / Glossy, simple, elliptic leaves which are bright red when young and turn dark green later / sparse panicles of creamy-white flowers (spring) followed by red berries
Height and spread: 2.5-4m / 2.5-4m
Site requirements: Moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure / not clay
Situation: Low maintenance / hedging and screens
Buxus sempervirens
Decorative merits: Formal / Glossy, simple, leathery, small leaves which are opposite to each other / small yellow-ish, clusters of flowers (spring) produced in the leaf axils.
Height and spread: 4-8m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / partial shade, full sun / any exposure
Situation: Hedging in a formal garden / patio and container plants / city and courtyard gardens
Pyracantha ‘Saphyr Orange’
Decorative merits: Informal / Spiny / Narrow, simply, glossy leaves / Sprays of white flowers (late spring and early summer) / bright orange berries (autumn)
Height and spread: 1.5-2.5m /1.5-2.5m
Site requirements: Any soil / full sun, partial shade / moist but well-drained / any exposure
Situation: Security hedging (spiny) / low maintnenance / wall side borders
Camellia japonica
Decorative merits: Oval to ovate, deep, simply glossy green leaves / solitary white or pink flowers (spring) borne at the end of branchlets
Height and spread: 8-12m / 4-8m
Site requirements: not chalk / acid loving / moist but well-drained / full shade, partial shade /sheltered
Situation: Cottage and informal garden / mixed shrub border / containers
Fatsia japonica
Decorative merits: Large, leathery, palmately-lobed leaves to 45cm width / small white flowers (autumn) in globose clusters / fruits, small and black (autumn)
Height and spread: 2.5-4m / 2.5-4m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well drained / full shade to full sun / sheltered
Situation: Architectural / cottage and informal / low maintenance / jungle vibe
Hebe ‘Pink Elephant’
Decorative merits: Closely spaced grey-green leaves / new growth is shaded with pink and cream, esp. in winter / short spikes of white flowers in early summer
Height and spread: 0.1-0.5m / 0.1-0.5m
Site requirements: Any soil / not acid / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / sheltered
Situation: good for city and courtyard gardens as tolerant of some pollution / container / coastal / cottage
Pittisporum tenuifolium
Decorative merits: Simple, rounded, glossy light green leaves with wavy margins / clusters of small honey-scented deep purple 5-petalled flowers (spring and summer) / followed by spherical woody fruits, splitting to reveal seeds embedded in sticky pulp
Height and spread: 4-8m / 2.5-4m
Site requirements: Not sand / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / exposed
Situation: coastal / cottage / wall sider borders / city
Buddleja davidii
Decorative merits: Lance-shaped, simple, pointed, green or grey-green leaves / dense sprays 30cm or more long of small, tubular fragrant flowers (summer and autumn) in various shades of purple
Height and spread: 2.5-4m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: Great plant for pollinators esp. butterflies / wall side borders / city and courtyard garden
Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’
Decorative merits: Suckering / thicket of slender reed stems becoming bright crimson in winter / ovate leaves turn red in autumn / flat heads of small, cremas flowers (spring) bluish-white berries (autumn)
Height and spread: 1.5-2.5m / 1.5-2.5m
Site requirements: not chalk / not alkaline / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: good for winter interest / cottage / low maintenance / borders
Hamamelis mollis
Decorative merits: Broad, oval leaves turning yellow in winter / strongly fragrant, bright golden-yellow flowers (winter) with 4 narrow petals on leafless branches in later winter
Height and spread: 2.5-4m / 2.5-4m
Site requirements: not chalk / not alkaine / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / sheltered
Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’
Decorative merits: Simple, opposite leaves which are lanceolate and purplish when young, turning rosy-pink in autumn / small, lilac flowers (summer) in axillary clusters / compact clusters of 4mm violet-purple berries (autumn)
Height and spread: 2.5-4m / 1.5-2.5m
Site requirements: (Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: Cottage / low maintenance / autumn interest / cut flowers
Rhus typhina
Decorative merits: Red hairy stems have large pinnate leaves that turn red and orange in autumn / yellow-green flower clusters (summer) / followed by dense crimson fruiting heads (autumn)
Height and spread: 4-8m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun / any exposure
Situation: Good for autumn interest / low maintenace / cottage and informal
Amelanchier lamarckii
Decorative merits: Bronze-tinged young leaves turn orange and red in autumn / Short lax racemes of white flowers (spring) as the leaves unfurl / red-dark purple-black berries loved by birds.
Height and spread: 8-12m / 4-8m
Site requirements: not clay / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’
Decorative merits: Broadly heart-shaped leaves, deep red-purple turning shades of orange, bronze and red-purple in autumn / Clusters of small, bright-pink flowers (spring) appear on bare stems before the leaves in spring
Height and spread: 4-8m / 4-8m
Site requirements: Any soil / well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: city and courtyard / cottage / flower borders and beds
Hydrangea paniculata
Decorative merits: Toothed, mid to dark green leaves in opposite pairs or clusters of 3 / Large conical panicles of flowers (late summer and early autumn, made of showy pinkish-white sterile flowers scattered amongst the smaller creamy-white fertile flowers
Height and spread: 2.5-4m / 1.5-2.5m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: cottage / city / mixed shrub borders
Euonymus alatus
Decorative merits: Branchlets often develop conspicuous corky wings / oval leaves turn rosy-crimson in autumn / small green-ish flowers (spring) precede purplish-red fruits (autumn) that split to reveal orange seeds
Height and spread: 1.5-2.5m / 1.5-2.5m
Site requirements: Any soil / moist but well-drained / full sun, partial shade / any exposure
Situation: good for autumn interest / low interest
