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Native fruit trees

a1154a1154 Posts: 1,092
in Plants

I need to pick a group of trees which are native to uk for an area of land.  I think i can stretch a point of native...a bit...to naturalised. Its not big so i dont want big trees.  the soil is quite dry, its aspect fairly open. 

I thought i would limit myself to fruit trees, crab apple, plymouth pear, maybe cherry plum? Not cherry as they are bigger. Get some of each and plant them together? 

Am i missing something here that i would be better off with for looks and benefits to wildlife?? Any suggestions welcome but i dont really like rowan (i know...sharp intakes of breath).

Posts

  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 22,723

    HERE IS A HELPFUL WEBSITE FOR YOU TO BROWSE THROUGH.

    http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/native-trees/

    MY FAVOURITE IS GUELDER ROSE.

    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 29
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,957

    I would plant some bullace - a shrubby native cherry/plum - makes delicious pies and bullace wine is wonderful, but of course, the fruits are also much loved by birds.  

    https://www.readsnursery.co.uk/collections/damson-trees/products/bullace-shepherds?variant=20836944711 


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





  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,355

    if it's dry rowan won't be happy so that's OK.

    I'd go with hawthorn and bullace, there are various bullaces that ripen to different colours. Crab apple is good too but come are on the big side. Those that keep their fruit all winter, eg 'Golden Hornet',  I have doubts about. If the fruits stay all winter they can't be very attractive to the birds



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,843

    I have two crab apple John Downie and a wild bird cherry planted with wildlife in mind and the birds don't touch the fruit at all.

    They do love the hawthorn hedge and the red pyracantha but not so much the orange.

    Bullace sounds good.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,458

    Good suggestions already.  The tree species that is second in terms of numbers of fauna species that will utalise it is Silver Birch (oak is first but too big and too slow for you).  I would definitely plant one or two. They look and sound nice and don't cast too much shade.

    Crab apples are good, I prefer Red Sentinel as it holds on to it's fruit into the new year but Nut makes the point that maybe they don't taste good  to birds.  My experience is that they eat them when everything else is finished and in a long cold winter they do get eaten....even seen Waxwings eating them which has got to be a bonus.

    Hawthorn is excellent, guelder rose is good and the bullaces and damsons as have been mentioned.  Birds will eat ornamental cherries so you could make inquires as to which ornamental cherries produce a lot of fruit.

    Encourage ivy.  They flower late when there is not much about for the pollinating insects and the berries provide valuable fruit when there is little for the birds (tits and thrushes) to eat. 

    Good project a1154! I recommend this book:

    //www.amazon.co.uk/RSPB-Gardening-Wildlife-Complete-Nature-friendly/dp/1408122308/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1471456570&sr=8-5&keywords=Adrian+Thomas

    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • a1154a1154 Posts: 1,092

    Pansy i had seen that website but i was using the RHS list as it grouped them according to size which is quite useful for me. 

    I think i wasnt clear with the crab apple etc i mean the native malus sylvestris, not a variety. Its useful that people say they arent too interesting for birds though, as there are other things i can look at. 

    Bullace i hadn't heard of so will definitely have a look. Guelder rose, the pics the internet brings up, it doesnt look nice at all, are they related to hydrangea? I shall attempt to get to see a live one as thy are popular with you guys. 

  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 22,723

    IF YOU HAVE EVER SEEN A TWELVE FOOT HIGH HYDRANGEA MAYBE.

    THE BERRIES ARE A WONDERFUL, GLOWING, JUICY-LOOKING, TRANSLUCENT SCARLET RED.

    THE FLOWER HEADS ARE A BIT SIMILAR TO A SMALL ELDERFLOWER HEAD BUT SLIGHTLY CREAMIER IN COLOUR.

    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904

    ...and the leaves are the most glorious colours in Autumn which is why I bought mine. The flowers and berries are a bonus. image

  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 22,723

    I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR SOME ENTICING PHOTOS TO WHET YOUR APPETITE FOR THE GUELDER ROSE WHEN MY EYES FELL (MUST GET THEM FIXED) ON AN IRISH WEBSITE.

    HAVING SPENT HUNDREDS OF FRUITLESS HOURS TRYING TO LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF MY FOREFATHERS, I WAS INTRIGUED TO SEE THE IRISH NAME FOR VIBURNUM OPULUS. IT IS "AN CHAOR CHON". WHICH TRANSLATES IN GOOGLE (BEYOND MY CAPABILITIES TO TRANSLATE IT) AS THE GREYHOUND BERRY.

    I WONDER WHY IT IS CALLED THAT IN IRISH (IF INDEED AN CHAOR CHON REALLY DOES MEAN THE GREYHOUND BERRY). ONE MUST BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN USING THESE TRANSLATION SITES. MR. MUSCLE ONCE TRIED TO TRANSLATE, FOR A GERMAN FRIEND, THAT WE HAD AN OLD JELLY MOULD. NOT THAT KIND OF MOULD, NO, HEINRICH.

    INCIDENTALLY, THE SAME IRISH WEBSITE WAS ALSO OFFERING THE FOLLOWING ITEM FOR SALE.

    http://theeclipse.strikingly.com

    IF ANYONE CAN WORK THAT OUT THEY ARE STREETS AHEAD OF ME.

    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
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