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Small flowering tree

xamyvaloxxamyvalox Posts: 31
in Plants
Hello

Yesterday I was forced to face facts that my cherry tree had died and remove it. Much as I am sad, I'm also excited at the thought of getting something new to replace where it stood. 

The area is a bit of a problem one in that it is extremely boggy when it rains with clay type soil so I think my cherry tree's roots rotted away. The corner does get a lot of sun in the summer though and things like ferns and iris seem to do well here. Can anyone recommend something pretty, that either flowers or has beautiful foliage that I can pop here? I can't go too tall, I would say about 8/9ft max. 

Many thanks 
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Posts

  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 758
    Just checked what the RHS recommends for wet soils and here is the page that gives their suggestions. The one from their list I would choose is Leycesteria formosa which is also called pheasant berry and here is a clip of it growing in my own garden.
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • rickyburtonsmith86rickyburtonsmith86 Posts: 7
    Maybe a damsom, my cherry has gone I think a damson will be a nice replacement has white blossom in the spring.
    Think your choice would be broadened if you improve the clays drainage 
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,641
    edited April 2020
    rickyburtonsmith86 said:
    Maybe a damsom, my cherry has gone I think a damson will be a nice replacement has white blossom in the spring.
    Think your choice would be broadened if you improve the clays drainage 
    xamyvalox ......If your cherry.....Prunus  has died in that area cos it was so wet,
     then it is  not a good idea to plant damson...another Prunus.
    There may be disease in the soil which affects Prunus sp.
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • xamyvaloxxamyvalox Posts: 31
    How am I best to improve the drainage? Sorry if that is a daft question, I'm still relatively new to gardening and this is my first house! 

    Do I have to add grit to the soil? 
  • Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,390
    Crab apples are beautiful flowering trees. We’ve got Malus Butterball which has deep pink flower buds which open to pale pink flowers, fading to white. These then give way to green/red developing fruits which eventually start to turn a golden yellow colour with orangey red where they've been in the sun and these fruits last into winter.

    So looks bright a cheery through most of the year!


    East Yorkshire
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,913
    edited April 2020
    Don’t want @Hexagon to have to sit there too long so I’m going to say Amelanchier 😊 gorgeous blossom ... gorgeous small tree with autumn colour and berries for the birds (and for you if you can beat the birds to them). 
    This was ours one evening last week ... sorry it’s so dark ... it was evening ...


    and autumn colour from a few years ago 
    Whoops! that’s at the top of the page ...



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • xamyvaloxxamyvalox Posts: 31
    Dovefromabove said:
    Don’t want @Hexagon to have to sit there too long so I’m going to say Amelanchier 😊 gorgeous blossom ... gorgeous small tree with autumn colour and berries for the birds (and for you if you can beat the birds to them). 
    This was ours one evening last week ... sorry it’s so dark ... it was evening ...


    and autumn colour from a few years ago 
    Whoops! that’s at the top of the page ...


    Ooh beautiful! Love that it has autumn colour as my garden is lacking both spring and autumn colour at the moment 😔
  • xamyvaloxxamyvalox Posts: 31
    Dovefromabove said:
    Don’t want @Hexagon to have to sit there too long so I’m going to say Amelanchier 😊 gorgeous blossom ... gorgeous small tree with autumn colour and berries for the birds (and for you if you can beat the birds to them). 
    This was ours one evening last week ... sorry it’s so dark ... it was evening ...


    and autumn colour from a few years ago 
    Whoops! that’s at the top of the page ...


    How quickly do they grow? I can buy one at 3 or 4ft now, or wait until May for a 5ft one but with no guarantee they will get them back in stock. If they grow quickly I will go for the 4ft one now as I'm impatient! 

    Thanks
  • CopperdogCopperdog Posts: 617
    I vote Amelancier too! We have Amelancier robin hill. Perfect in clay soil. We chose it for the conditions we have and we wanted a small upright tree. We didn’t want too much width. It hasn’t disappointed us.  
  • xamyvaloxxamyvalox Posts: 31
    Hexagon said:
    Can we assume that the 3-4ft ones will become 5ft ones by May, which is therefore why they are not for sale yet...?
    Will they grow that quickly? When I phoned they just said they would receive the 5/6ft ones in May so I assumed they were going to be different, more mature trees?
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