Preston Bissett Nurseries and Country Shop: Deciduous Trees with Great Foliage Colour

Monday 18 April 2022

Deciduous Trees with Great Foliage Colour

Many trees have wonderful foliage, and this little collection represents those I felt were looking their best this May and is by no means everything.

I feel a tree or a shrub with wonderful vibrant contrasting foliage is so much more valuable to the long-term interest to your garden than something that flowers for only a few weeks and then remains fairly under whelming. It is the contrast of different foliage that creates a joyful effect. Something remarkable may stand alone making no comparison or contrast and not looks remarkable at all, lost with nothing to be compared against but a white sky.

One or two extraordinarily gorgeous trees are still to come into leaf and that includes one of my favourites a stunning acid yellow tree with fern like foliage that dominates my garden Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst.

Below are a few stars I found on the nursery.

Acer Drummundii

A Norway maple. Final height is about 15m tall. It grows in most soils.

Acer platanoides Crimson King

King Fabulous dark red maple leaves, again this grow in most soils.8-12 m tall'

Acer pseudoplatanus Simon-louis Freres

Grows slightly Higher than 12 metres also known as variegated sycamore.

Malus xmoerlandsii Profusion

8-12 metres tall. Vivid rich purple young leaves which later turn a rusty bronze-green. The blossom is a reddish-purple and the deep purple fruits follow in autumn. Both the cascading purple leaved malus these with upright habit are a joy an absolute celebration of colour when in contrast to other garden foliage.

Fagus sylvatica Dawyck gold

Fastigiate habit. This is a deciduous smallish tree with golden-yellow young foliage turning more lime green in summer before taking on rusty autumn tones. Height 12m plus.

Fagus sylvatica Rivers Purple

12m plus. Considered to be the best darkest foliage though I find it hard to distinguish from Dawyck Purple. Beech are hardy but like well drained soil.

Cercidiphyllum japonica

Fagus sylvatica Blackswan

These need full sun. Height and spread 6m x 3m. These have a magnificent cascading habit and will bring lots of character to your garden.

Salix integra Hakuro-nishiki

The Flamingo willow is grafted onto a stem which will determine its height and is therefore often found in sizes from dwarf to about 5-6ft. The long slender leaves mature to shades of pink, creamy-white and green.