Hi

Can anyone suggest a shrub that has a profile a bit like a tree... grows
to 5-6 feet tall, only spreads 2 to 3 feet, and is quite "leggy" or
"trunky" (most interest is found in the top foot or two) ?

Many thanks in advance

Kate xx

On 10/12/2012 22:10, Kate wrote:
Hi

Can anyone suggest a shrub that has a profile a bit like a tree... grows
to 5-6 feet tall, only spreads 2 to 3 feet, and is quite "leggy" or
"trunky" (most interest is found in the top foot or two) ?

Many thanks in advance

Kate xx


Can you tell us if you want deciduous (drops its leaves) or evergreen
growth .. do you want flowers? It's obviously got a specific job to do.
Why does it need to be narrow .. near a gate (with lots of foot
traffic), near an alley (is there a wind tunnel effect). The more you
can tell us, the easier it is to suggest something.

It would also help us to know roughly where you live and what your soil
is like.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"Spider" wrote in message
...
On 10/12/2012 22:10, Kate wrote:
Hi

Can anyone suggest a shrub that has a profile a bit like a tree... grows
to 5-6 feet tall, only spreads 2 to 3 feet, and is quite "leggy" or
"trunky" (most interest is found in the top foot or two) ?

Many thanks in advance

Kate xx


Can you tell us if you want deciduous (drops its leaves) or evergreen
growth .. do you want flowers? It's obviously got a specific job to do.
Why does it need to be narrow .. near a gate (with lots of foot traffic),
near an alley (is there a wind tunnel effect). The more you can tell us,
the easier it is to suggest something.

It would also help us to know roughly where you live and what your soil is
like.

Hardy throughout the Bitish Isles is Amelanchier. Thin growing, flowering,
edible fruit and autumn colour. What more could you want?

Phil
Northern Highlands of Scotland

Mine is exactly the shape she describes, but it is now about 12ft high after 20 years.

Another with vertical stems and therefore a narrow shape is the scented winter flowering Viburnum bodnantense. It will eventually get too tall but it will take a long time doing it.

My guelder rose (V opulus) also has much of the same habit (the few spreading stems can be chopped out) but grows much more quickly. And some mock oranges - although others are very spreading.

"Sacha" wrote in message ...


They're very beautiful, though ours doesn't have much of a trunk that I've
noticed. The other possible might be a eucalyptus which is kept to the
desired height. There seems to be such a plethora of shapes that there
might be one there to suit.
--
Sacha


Care with Eucalptus though - we have lost both ours to recent hard winter
frosts.

Probably OK in southern sheltered areas, but not safe in unsheltered areas
north of Birmingham could be the case.

Pete

In article , Sacha
writes
It's a beautiful tree but a bit too tall & spreading for what Kate describes?


Obelisk isn't Sacha it's quite fastigate and much smaller than the
normal A.
--
Janet Tweedy

How about a 'telegraph cherry' (Prunus amanagowa) It will need pruning to keep it really narrow but gives a nice display of flowers in early May over quite a long period !! Or, train a camellia into a tall narrow shape, something like Camellia 'Debbie' or 'Preston Rose'. Again, without knowing where you are ?? its not easy.
regards, Lannerman.

On 10/12/2012 22:10, Kate wrote:
Hi

Can anyone suggest a shrub that has a profile a bit like a tree... grows
to 5-6 feet tall, only spreads 2 to 3 feet, and is quite "leggy" or
"trunky" (most interest is found in the top foot or two) ?

Many thanks in advance

Kate xx

Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea "Helmond Pillar" any good?

--

Jeff

Spider:

On 10/12/2012 22:10, Kate wrote:
Hi

Can anyone suggest a shrub that has a profile a bit like a tree...
grows to 5-6 feet tall, only spreads 2 to 3 feet, and is quite "leggy"
or "trunky" (most interest is found in the top foot or two) ?

Many thanks in advance

Kate xx


Can you tell us if you want deciduous (drops its leaves) or evergreen
growth .. do you want flowers? It's obviously got a specific job to do.
Why does it need to be narrow .. near a gate (with lots of foot
traffic), near an alley (is there a wind tunnel effect). The more you
can tell us, the easier it is to suggest something.

It would also help us to know roughly where you live and what your soil
is like.

Hi

Thanks for all the suggestions so far

I'm in the Midlands, slightly acidic clay soil. It's a corner behind a
raised bed with an access path behind, that's why it can't spread too far
but also needs to be fairly tall to be seen. But not too tall or it will
be out of proportion with the bed.

Don't mind about deciduous or evergreen... flowers are always nice

Kate xx

In message , lannerman
writes

Kate;974718 Wrote:
Hi

Can anyone suggest a shrub that has a profile a bit like a tree... grows

to 5-6 feet tall, only spreads 2 to 3 feet, and is quite "leggy" or
"trunky" (most interest is found in the top foot or two) ?

Many thanks in advance

Kate xx

How about a 'telegraph cherry' (Prunus amanagowa) It will need pruning
to keep it really narrow but gives a nice display of flowers in early
May over quite a long period !! Or, train a camellia into a tall narrow
shape, something like Camellia 'Debbie' or 'Preston Rose'. Again,
without knowing where you are ?? its not easy.
regards, Lannerman.

Prunus 'Spire' is also fastigate. (But mine, after a score and more
years, it at about 12 feet.)
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

On 11/12/2012 21:37, Kate wrote:
Spider:

On 10/12/2012 22:10, Kate wrote:
Hi

Can anyone suggest a shrub that has a profile a bit like a tree...
grows to 5-6 feet tall, only spreads 2 to 3 feet, and is quite "leggy"
or "trunky" (most interest is found in the top foot or two) ?

Many thanks in advance

Kate xx


Can you tell us if you want deciduous (drops its leaves) or evergreen
growth .. do you want flowers? It's obviously got a specific job to do.
Why does it need to be narrow .. near a gate (with lots of foot
traffic), near an alley (is there a wind tunnel effect). The more you
can tell us, the easier it is to suggest something.

It would also help us to know roughly where you live and what your soil
is like.

Hi

Thanks for all the suggestions so far

I'm in the Midlands, slightly acidic clay soil. It's a corner behind a
raised bed with an access path behind, that's why it can't spread too far
but also needs to be fairly tall to be seen. But not too tall or it will
be out of proportion with the bed.

Don't mind about deciduous or evergreen... flowers are always nice

Kate xx



Hi Kate,

Thanks for the information. One idea might be one of the 'Ballerina' or
'Minarette' type apple trees. The height may be slightly more than you
suggested (6-8ft-ish), but could be controlled. You would get a
definite trunk, limited spread, blossom in spring and fruit in autumn.
It would make a great feature as well as giving you apples. It would
help if there was another local apple to help with pollination.

Someone else suggested Prunus Amanogawa, which is a lovely small
narrowly erect tree and it came to mind straight away. Again, it is
taller than you want, but you could limit the height (and even spread)
provided you do it sensitively. All Prunus plants need to be pruned in
warm, dry weather to prevent a fungal disease called Silver Leaf.

A tall narrow topiary column would look very smart, and could be
maintained at whatever height and width suits you. Yew would be a good
option for a 6ft column. It would still look very good in winter.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

In article , Sacha
writes
Sounds good and as if it might do the job then.


A picture
http://www.frankpmatthews.com/amelan...ia-obelisk.htm
--
Janet Tweedy

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
In article , Sacha
writes
Sounds good and as if it might do the job then.


A picture
http://www.frankpmatthews.com/amelan...ia-obelisk.htm
--
Janet Tweedy

It's not just the flowers but the edible fruits and the stunning autumn
colour.
It is quite hardy here in the far north of Scotland (Bonar Bridge).

Phil

On 10/12/2012 22:10, Kate wrote:
Hi

Can anyone suggest a shrub that has a profile a bit like a tree... grows
to 5-6 feet tall, only spreads 2 to 3 feet, and is quite "leggy" or
"trunky" (most interest is found in the top foot or two) ?

Many thanks in advance

How about a columnar yew (if you don't mind the toxicity). It will grow
taller eventually but it will take a (very) long time to do so. The
variagated cultivar is even slower (and so more expensive).

If you want flowers and can live with it getting a bit taller the
flowering cherry cv Amanogawa (lit Milky Way) isn't bad either but it
will eventually get to about 15-20' after a couple of decades. I expect
you could prune to keep the size down but I never had the heart to.

There are a few specimen columnar cypruses and other evergreens with
very columnar habits and slow growth that would be worth consideration.
There is even an oak cultivar that I have seen growing in the central
reservation of the A184 in Gateshead. Taller than 6' but nice.

Most trees will keep getting bigger but some grow very slowly. I have
some pretty large old apple trees on nominally dwarfing stock.

Regards,
Martin Brown

That says to 4m. But mine has remained less than 2m after 10 years, but it clearly isn't very happy. I think Amelanchiers don't like dry conditions. The flowering period is extremely short, blink and they've gone.