Need suggestions for a small tree please

I've got a raised circular area in the front garden where I would like to plant a small tree, which reaches no more than about 5m in height.

Next door neighbour has a mature Sycamore in his front garden. The circular area is quite exposed to the elements, but in dappled shade for a lot of the day because of the Sycamore.

The area is well drained and soil slightly on the acidic side.

I'm not very au fait with trees so would appreciate some suggestions please

So far I've come up with Magnolia (in fact I did buy a very young Magnolia Susan from Morrisons but it's not shown any signs of life) or a Sorbus or some sort of crab apple, but that's the extent of my knowledge.

 

Clerodendrum trichotomum .... is very fragrant when in bloom

 

Thanks Dim - haven't seen that one before and if it's fragrant then that's a bonus

It would also give some summer interest to the front garden, which is full of Rhododendrons and Camellias and spring flowering Prunus Otto Luyken.

This is the Sycamore (to be fair it doesn't provide as much shade as it used to because some of the branches have been removed as they were diseased):



To give more of an idea, this is the raised area in question, which has been dug over and compost mixed in :



You can see the relationship to the Sycamore on this one. Sycamore trunk on left, raised area on right. The front garden the other side contains a massive horse chestnut but doesn't overshadow that area.

 

C.trichotomum is a fantastic plant (as are most Clerodendrums), but it has a reputation for suckering anything up to a metre or so away.
Not a good enough reason not to try it though!

 

Hi, Birches and Sorbus (Rowans) often fall in to the small tree catagory, but many people plant the 'common-or-garden' varieties, there are other more intereting cultivars out there;

The Purple Birch for example;
http://www.mailordertrees.co.uk/Bet...age=Betula_'Purpurea'_(Purple_Leaf_Birch_Tree)

or the Hakkoda Orange Birch;
http://www.mailordertrees.co.uk/Bet...nge+Birch+Tree)/0_caaa102_caaa114/PRAB394.htm

Have a look at this link, plenty to look at ;
http://www.mailordertrees.co.uk/Ornamental+Trees/0_CAAA102.htm

 

Thanks Bilbo - I have been looking at that site as well

 

Hi Merleworld, i bought a magnolia susan from morrisons too, only cost me a few pounds. The first year it did very little but the second year it flowered and has put lots of new growth on. Compared to alot of other magnolia i see when im on my travels it looks a lot healthier. So since you already have a magnolia, if it was me i would reserve the spot for the magnolia and save the cash

 

Thanks Hydrogen There is hope that it will start to grow then. It's only about 12 inches tall at the moment.

I've scratched the branches and they are green underneath, so will persevere (but may grow it in a pot and buy a another one for the garden).

 

Acer or Prunus. Both of these have red leafed varieties and they would offset all the green trees in the area.