Winter shrub/bush/tree for front garden.

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by miraflores, Nov 19, 2019.

  1. miraflores

    miraflores Total Gardener

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    What's everybody's favourite bush/small tree in winter, for a front garden?

    Can you suggest anything with soft fronds maybe red leaves, or an umbrella shape, a bit of a contorted trunk? (Not prickly or pointy or too rigid structure). Something decorative....?

    :thinking:
     
  2. Janet mahay

    Janet mahay Gardener

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    Hi miraflores i havent a favorite all flowers ,shrubs are beatiful in one way or another but
    Genus Sarcococca is pretty its compact, sometimes suckering evergreen shrub with simple, leathery leaves and tiny, fragrant creamy-white flowers in winter or spring, followed by red, purple or black berries which may persist into the following winter
     
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    • NigelJ

      NigelJ Total Gardener

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      @miraflores Have a look at the Daphne family, a number of species and hybrids, winter/spring flowering, scented, evergreen. As Janet said Sarcococcas are good plants, I have three species at the moment.
      Have a look at the Mahonia family, many are evergreen if not too exposed. Mahonia eubracteata "Soft Caress" has had good reviews.
       
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      • noisette47

        noisette47 Total Gardener

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        Arbutus undo 'Rubra'. Always interesting, evergreen, pink flowers, 'strawberry' fruit and pretty bark.
         
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        • miraflores

          miraflores Total Gardener

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          That arbutus rubra looks so pretty with those tiny pink flowers:wub2:...also the sarcococca and daphne are not bad. But I find the Mahonia too linear then the leaves seem pricky and the yellow flowers..not so keen for the moment.

          Do I get these plants through cuttings?
           
        • Janet mahay

          Janet mahay Gardener

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          You can propagare sarcococca by semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer or propagate by seed sown in containers outdoors in autumn or spring in factt i am going to buy some seed for next year
           
        • scillonian

          scillonian Gardener

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          @miraflores, reckon you are almost describing Acer palmatum Crimson Queen or Garnet.
           
        • Sian in Belgium

          Sian in Belgium Total Gardener

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            Last edited: Nov 25, 2019
          • Graham B

            Graham B Gardener

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            Wintersweet and witch hazel are both good options for scented flowers in winter and very early spring.

            If you want foliage though, I love the cryptomeria japonica elegans. Green through spring and summer, then red in winter. Foliage is soft and kind of rubbery, not hard like a pine or spruce. I had one in an earlier garden, but it was badly treated at the garden centre. I got it cheap, but I couldn't turn it around and it died in the end. I think they want more acidic and free-draining soil, like many conifers, and mine at the time was very alkaline clay, so the odds were against it anyway!

            Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans' Tree

            Oh, and there's the "elegans nana" variety which is a smaller shrub-sized version.
             
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            • miraflores

              miraflores Total Gardener

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              I have seen a small tree with beautiful round leaves (remind me of the nasturtium leaves they are about the same shape and size)..any idea what it could be?
               
              Last edited: Dec 4, 2019
            • Nikolaos

              Nikolaos Total Gardener

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              • CarolineL

                CarolineL Total Gardener

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                Cercis canadensis???
                 
              • Victoria

                Victoria Lover of Exotic Flora

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                Hi Mira ... I have Cercis silaquastrum, the Judas Tree ...

                Cercis framed.JPG

                It blooms here on bare wood then develops the roundish/heart shaped leaves. Certainly not an attractive winter shrub, even here!
                 
              • miraflores

                miraflores Total Gardener

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                1) The cercis looks good, but this small tree had literally round leaves, not the smallest spike in sight...

                Hi Vicky :) :)
                ____________________________

                2) Corylus avellana 'Red Majestic' (PBR) | hazel 'Red Majestic'/RHS Gardening

                I love it...dark purple leaves! :dbgrtmb:

                --------------------------------------------

                3) are the spikes/leaves soft, of the
                cryptomeria-japonica-elegans ? Ok sorry you say it in the description.
                 
                Last edited: Dec 4, 2019
              • Victoria

                Victoria Lover of Exotic Flora

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                Here is the Cercis leaf ...

                [​IMG]

                My tree is only about 4 meters tall and 15+ years old but it is deciduous.


                Hope you and the chilluns are well. xx
                 
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