Native Trees and Shrubs for Urban Sites

Alder (Alnus glutinosa)This useful, easy, and fast growing neatly shaped tree supports over 90 species. It has colourful yellow catkins in spring and cones in the winter, which attract Goldfinches. It needs moist soil of any type other than acid peats, and is commonly found in wet woods, fens, and streamsides - so numbers have fallen due to drainage and reclamation schemes.

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Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)These fast growing vaulting domed trees will typically only live up to 200 years. They are distributed throughout Britain, but are shade intolerant and tend to grow on calcerous soils. Ash seeds encourage birds and small mammals.

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Downy Birch (Betula pubescens)Downy Birch is a valuable tree, although short lived. It looks similar to Silver Birch, but has a darker trunk and its shoots are covered in soft white hairs. It does well in the cold and wet, rather than the Silver Birch's prefernce for dry conditions. Like the other native Birch, however, it supports over a hundred insect species and its seeds attract birds, especially redpolls.

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Silver Birch (Betula pendula)Silver Birch is a pretty and valuable fast growing tree, although only living for up to 80 years. Like Downy Birch it supports over a hundred insect species and its massive numbers of seeds attract birds, especially redpolls. It also prefers full sun, typically of a pioneer species. Its graceful silver limbs hold small leaves, which give dappled shade and yellow in the autumn.

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Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)Blackthorn is a fine hedge plant, slow growing but suckering freely and having needle like spines. Its habit makes it a fabulous refuge for small birds and mammals, who feast on its sloes, and a raft of moth and butterfly caterpillars feed on it. It is tough as old boots, and as a hedging plant lays well and forms a good stockproof - and people proof - barrier. Its prolific white flowers are an important nectar source in spring.

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Alder Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)Alder Buckhorn is a large shrub with glossy green leaves that turn yellow, contrasting with red berries in the Autumn. It prefers damp, peaty sites, and unlike Purging or Common Buckthorn is thornless. Both Buckthorns are, however, the only foodplants of the Brimstone butterfly.

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Purging Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)Common or Purging Buckthorn is an upright, spiny shrub usually found in scrub and hedgerows on chalky soil. Its black berries serve as what Richard Mabey describes as a "fierce" purgative. Both Buckthorns are the only foodplants of the Brimstone butterfly.

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Bird Cherry (Prunus padus)Bird Cherry is a small tree found in the north, with pretty white flowers and bittersweet edible cherries which the birds crop. It's a very hardy tree that unlike the Wild Cherry does not sucker, so is often found on its own. Orchard ermine moth larvae feed on it and can strip it in the summer.

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Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)Wild Cherries are fast growing short lived trees with high biodiversity value and all year round interest. Prolific white blossom attacts bees and insects in the spring, and birds and small mammals feed on its bitter fruit in autumn, when its leaves turn orange-red. They prefer relatively sheltered positions.

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Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris)The Crab Apple is a small tree of woods and hedges throughout Britain. It's relatively scarce; mostly you will now find cultivated varieties or "wilding" apple trees. The Crab's extended flowering period (pretty pale pink blossom) is helpful for bees as much as it is for cross pollinating other apple trees, and its fruit makes delicious jelly for us and good winter eating for the birds.

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Common Elder (Sambucus nigra)Elder is a very fast growing, short lived, adaptable large shrub/small tree. Its many plates of fragrant white flowers are helpful for insects and cordial makers alike (try them lightly fried, too), and birds and winemakers can split the berries between them. The stems of a coppiced tree are very useful around the garden - hollow and light, but surprisingly strong.

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Common Gorse (Ulex europaeus)Gorse is a very spiny, fast growing evergreen shrub that bears masses of intense Broom-like yellow flowers from January to June . It is happiest on dry sandy soils with a southerly aspect. Its habit makes it a great refuge for small birds and mammals, and its flowers are a good source of nectar for bees and butterflies. It is also a food plant for several moth and butterfly larvae.

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Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus)In this case, a rose isn't a rose, but the Guelder Rose is, notwithstanding, a very beautiful shrub. It has large lobed leaves which turn well in the autumn, and globes of white flowers in early summer, followed by bright red fruit.

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Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)The Hawthorn or Quickthorn is a fast growing tree, beautiful in flower. Its habit makes it an ideal refuge for small birds, who feast on its red fruit. It is tolerant of most conditions, and as a hedging plant lays well and forms a good stockproof - and people proof - barrier.

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Common Hazel (Corylus avellana)Hazel is a tremendous wildlife resource; its yellow catkins ("Lamb's tails") are an invaluable source of early pollen for bees, and its nuts, an iron age human staple, are a boon for insects and small mammals. Not only is it an important hedging constituent because of its speed of growth and habit, but it is widely used for all manner of traditional coppice products.

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Common Holly (Ilex aquifolium)Holly is slow growing but tremendously useful, not only as an impenetrable evergreen screen, but also as it is very hardy; it grows in deep shade and on a wide range of well drained soil types. It is a good protective habitat for birds and small mammals, and of course they love the female plant's berries. Iti is the food plant of the Holly Blue. It transplants poorly, and we consequently sell it in containers rather than bare root.

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Juniper (Juniperus communis)Juniper is a small, slow growing, and short lived evergreen (up to 100 years), and is a pioneer species disliking the shade. Its habit can vary markedly; in exposed conidtions it is a low scraggy bush, but can grow to a neat column. Its dense spiky habit provides a winter roost for birds and cover for small mammals, which also feed on its berries.

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Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)The Rowan, or Mountain Ash, prefers cool conditions and any soil other than heavy clay and calcareous. Pretty white flowers in June and large bunches of red berries, which are eaten by birds and small mammals. Its foliage turns nicely in the autumn.

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Sea-Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)This spiny shrub isn't really a Buckthorn, but it is a native species, originally found on the east coast - it is extremely hardy and salt tolerant. Its bright orange berries are eaten by birds.

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Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)Slow growing and short lived (up to 80 years), but a beautiful medium sized tree, particularly in the spring when its white leaves emerge. Bears small red fruit in the autumn, which the birds like. Whitebeam are particularly hardy and tolerant, and will thrive in exposed, cold, and coastal sites.

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