LARGER SHRUBS LIST 2008
BARBERRY (Berberis ssp)
There are many members of the Barberry family, some well known for their ornamental qualities, quite a few producing a useful edible berry. All are easy to grow; tolerating any well-drained soil, even chalk and making a good informal if rather spiny hedge. The only pruning necessary is that to keep it tidy, perhaps taking out weak and old stems to encourage new ones. Bees love the early, profuse yellow flowers.
Our native Barberry, b. vulgaris, has been accused of harbouring a black rust disease of wheat, which means it has been grubbed out of much of the country side over the years, a great shame as it was once widely cultivated for its fruit centauries ago. If you live in a wheat producing area, you might be best advised to stick to other varieties.
We have three types of Barberries currently available, the Salmon barberry b. aggregata from China whose fruits are ready in the late autumn, the common native b. vulgaris, fruiting in the early autumn and Darwins Barberry from Chile, which is evergreen and fruits in mid summer. All three produce an abundance of acid berries that can be used in the same way as lemons, and were traditionally used to make a delicious jelly, in the past whole bunches of the berries were preserved in syrup. They are too acid to eat raw but are cooked in pies and tarts and used to make refreshing drinks.
On special offer while stocks last three for the price of two.
B. aggregata; grows to about 2.5m
£4.50
B. darwinii; grows to about 3m.
£5.00
B. vulgaris; grows to about 3 m.
£5.00
BLACKCAP (Rubus leucodermis)
This is an American black-fruited relative of the raspberry whom it resembles in habit and appearance. With handsome bluish white stems and big prickles it will get to be about 2m high. Requiring similar conditions to the Raspberry, it can be managed the same or left to fend for itself in the wildlife garden, the birds will be happy either way.
Although the fruit is a little smaller than its much-cultivated cousin, it is very nice and looks good mixed in with them for pud. Don’t forget you can make tea with the leaves as well.
£5.50
BLUE BEAN ( Decaisnea fargesii)
Definitely different and very ornamental is this small shrubby tree from China. Reaching about 3m in height with beautiful pale green pinnate foliage and strange long yellow-green racemes of flowers in spring and the whole plant seems to have a bluish tinge. It will grow in sun or semi shade preferring a moist but well drained soil. The fruit is quite something though being a long fleshy follicle resembling a broad bean and a fabulous metallic blue in colour. Quite unlike anything else... and yes, you can eat the sweet flesh though you have to remove the seeds.
£6.00
BUFFALO BERRY (Shepherdia argentia) SOLD OUT
Native of the USA, this unusual large and attractive shrub will eventually get to 6m high given the right conditions, anything in full sun, though it tolerates pruning well. It is one of the hardiest wild fruits, pretty though, with whitish stems, thin silvery leaves and a few sharp spines. It does, however, need a male and a female to get the berries, which are usually oval and red and hang in clusters much like Redcurrants. Would work well as a hedge, shelterbelt or in the wildlife garden as it fixes nitrogen in the soil.
As the name implies, it was once used by early settlers to make a jelly to eat with buffalo, possibly not too useful now, but tasty with other meats as well. Good for sweets too, keeping their flavour, (which is quite acid and said to be improved by a touch of frost) when dried.
£5.00
CHOKEBERRY (Aronia ssp)
Please do not be put off by the unfortunate name. The Chokeberries produce a fruit very like a small black currant but is a lot easier to grow. A large shrub, happy in any soil in sun or part shade, it has lovely white flowers in the spring, colourful leaves and berries in the autumn. Leave it to its own devices; just remember to pick the berries in the autumn.
Use them any way you would a currant if the birds will let you. We have both red and black fruiting plants currently on offer.
A. melanocarpa (black) grows to about 2.5m. £5.00
A. arbutifolia (red) grows to about 3m. £6.00 SOLD OUT
CHOKE CHERRY (Prunus virginiana)
Another native of the U.S.A is this decorative member of the prunus family. Although more of a shrub it can get to about 4m in height preferring a relatively moist soil in a sheltered sunny spot. The flowers in early spring are popular with the bees and the leaves vary in colour from dark red to pale green but all turn a vivid scarlet in the autumn. The fruit is small, dark red and usually cooked.
£5.00
CHINQUAPIN ROSE (Rosa roxburghii)
This is an unusual member of the rose family from China. Happiest in full sun, it is well armed with abundant prickles and can get up to 2.5m. It has twisted stems, flaky bark and shell pink flowers. Good in a hedge.
The hips are an unusual yellow, bristly and about 30-40mm in size, very decorative and said to be especially good for wine.
£5.00
EGLANTINE (Rosa eglanteria)
Very much at home in our native hedgerows is this vigorous, spiny, arching rose with apple-scented foliage growing up to 2m. It has bright pink, single flowers and good sized, smooth hips much loved by the birds (and people), it is a must for any wildlife garden.
£5.50
ELDERBERRY (Sambucus ssp)
Everybody is familiar with the Elderberry. A small tree reaching up to 6m it is easy to grow in any shady spot and always a picture with its frothy white flowers and dark purple berries, both of which are much used for wine making. Even if you can’t find a use for them, plant one by your apple trees and perhaps the birds will eat them in stead.
We currently have four species in stock; the common black-berried type, S. nigra, a more unusual species from Europe, S. racemosa which is one of the tastiest of the elders with masses of shiny red berries very like a red currant, and S. caerulea, a species from North America with bloomy dark blue berries of good flavour and S. canadensis, another American species with large dark red berries. This is a good species to grow if all you want is flowers as you need two of the same to obtain fruit and it will flower continuously through the summer if not pollinated. S. racemosa, S. canadensis and S. caerulea are more shrubby in form than our native species, only reaching about 3-4m.
They will do well in shade but fruit better with more sun.
S. nigra
£4.00
S. racemosa
£4.50
S. caerulea SOLD OUT
£5.00
S. canadensis
£5.00
GOLDEN CURRANT (Ribes aureum)
An easy to grow currant this, it will do well in any sunny place and reach about 2m in height. Just cut out some of the old stems now and then to encourage new ones. The flowers are bright yellow and also very tasty, but if you eat too many you will not get any of the glossy black currants come July/August. These are a quite large, black, and can be used like any other.
£5.50
GOUMI (Elaeagnus multiflora) SOLD OUT
A deciduous, large shrub from Japan, reaching about 3m, that will do well in any soil but preferring it to be on the dry sandy side. Another nitrogen fixer, it will benefit any hedge it is added to. It is handsome with clusters of tiny, fragrant, fuchsia like flowers in spring that are a silvery yellow are followed by fruit that is cherry like in appearance, but covered in small silver-white dots.
The fruit is pleasantly acid and juicy, though it is astringent until fully ripe in July. Better cooked, making excellent pies and tarts, jellies etc.
£5.50
HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY (Viburnum trilobum)
Not actually related to the true Cranberry it is much easier to grow, requiring nothing special in the soil line and putting up with a little shade, though it will do better in full sun. In America where it comes from it has many names like Pimbina or Summerberry. A fairly large shrub it will reach about 3m in height and has clusters of white flowers in early summer with a profusion of shiny, scarlet berries in the autumn. They will hang on the bushes into November and are improved by a little frost. Although the sweetness of the fruits can vary from bush to bush they have been widely used as a Cranberry substitute over the years as they share that same slight bitterness.
£5.50
JAPANESE WINEBERRY (Rubus phoenicolasius)
One of our favourites is this large, distinguished looking bramble. It has bushy red stems that can arch as much as 2m before rooting where they land, but if you support it like you would a blackberry all will be well, indeed it is very ornamental all year round. Pinkish white flowers are born in clusters in the summer and the juicy red fruits are ready from August onwards. They are enclosed for most of that time in a calyx covering which protects them from birds and grubs, opening finally just before they are ripe.
You will be lucky to get enough back to the kitchen to do anything with, as they are too delicious straight from the bush.
£5.50
JUNIPER (Juniperus communis)
The Juniper is an evergreen native sometimes found in hedges about the countryside. A pretty shrub it can reach up to 5m but often has a much lower habit. Very hardy, it prefers full sun but will put up with a little shade.
The berries are mostly used for flavouring, anything with game, pickles, or gin of course.
£5.50
MACQUI (Aristotelia chilensis)
A luscious and glossy evergreen shrub from South America, where it's small black berries are used to make wine and are said to resemble the Bilberry in look and flavour. The plants can get to 3-5m high in the milder areas where they can tolerate maritime exposure, but would benefit from some shelter or a south-west facing wall perhaps in the colder parts, where, if cut down by frost will produce a mass of new growth to compensate in the spring.
£5.50
OCEAN SPRAY (Holodiscus discolor)
A large and decorative shrub from Western North America, it is hardy and fast growing eventually reaching about 5m. Not too fussy but preferring a moist soil in sun or semi-shade and it will produce masses of small creamy white flowers in sprays in mid-summer. The small red berries are ready in the autumn and are eaten raw or cooked.
£4.00
Sacred Bamboo (nadinia domestica) Not a bamboo at all actually, but related to the berberis family of shrubs. Extremely decorative, it has long bamboo like unbranched stems tinged red in the spring and autumn. Large bunches of small white flowers in early summer are followed in hot seasons by bright red berries about 6mm in size. Although these berries are said by some to be not only edible but tasty too, there are some reports that say they’re toxic so unless you’re feeling brave, perhaps it’s one for the birds… £5.50
SASKATOON (Amelanchier alnifolia) You really get your moneys worth with this plant. Attractive all year round, it will eventually get to be some 5m tall. In the spring it is a mass of white blossom and the young leaves, which emerge later, are a copper colour at first. The fruit is ready in late June-July, dark purple and 10-15mm in size. To top it all, the leaves then turn scarlet in the autumn. Good for bees, windbreaks and hedges, it will grow in any soil, even chalk, dry or damp but will fruit better in full sun.The berries are sweet and juicy; some say with an apple like flavour, but the birds do love them too I’m afraid. They are popular in America with a long tradition of use, raw, cooked and preserved in any way you can an apple. £5.50
SEA-BUCKTHORN (Hippophae ssp.)
Strong growing, these plants make great hedges and shelter-belts, fixing nitrogen in the soil as well as producing a very nutritious fruit they make a useful addition to any wildlife garden. They have thin silvery leaves, rather insignificant flowers in the summer followed by bright orange berries in the autumn for which you will however; require a male and a female. These are fiddly to pick, and inspite of being a bit on the acid side, make a very refreshing and nutritious drink, are good cooked, with a hint of apricot. We have two types on offer, the Willow-Leaved Sea Buckthorn h. salicifolia which makes a large tree and the smaller h. rhamnoides which is more of a shrub.
H. salicifolia; grows to about 11m
£5.00
H. rhamnoides; grows to about 5m
£5.50
SILVER STEMMED BRAMBLE (Rubus biflorus)
We have been unable to find a more user-friendly name for this Himalayan native. In spite of that it is quite commonly grown as an ornamental, as it has wonderful thick white stems that really look good in the winter. In habit it is more like a raspberry than a bramble, the spiny stems can reach up to 2m or more and will either need supporting or can be cut shorter to encourage it to branch out.
Flowering about the same time as the summer raspberries, the fruit forms in a calyx protecting it from the birds and bugs, and when ripe is an amber/yellow colour, quite sharp but refreshing and tasty, good in a mixed bowl of summer fruit.
£5.50
THIMBLEBERRY (Rubus ssp.)
There are two members of the rubus family called Thimbleberries. Both are very similar; being decorative, prickle free with large flowers and downy leaves. They do well in sun or shade, any soil that will suit raspberries and seldom need much in the way of support, though the thick canes can get up to 2m in time.
The fruits are very tasty, fiddly to pick though as when fully ripe they tend to disintegrate, a bit on the seedy side too. If you manage to pick enough of them they can be used in any way a raspberry can, but you will have to beat the birds.
R. odoratus, pink flowering.
£5.50
R. parviflorus, white flowering.
£5.00
WORCESTERBERRY (Ribes divaricatum)
This is a spiny and vigorous relative of the gooseberry. Its origins are in North America so we do not know how it came by its name, but it is tough and disease resistant, content in sun or shade and will get to 3m given the chance.
The fruits are like small dark red gooseberries and are produced in large quantities. They make excellent eating either raw or cooked
£5.50