Trees Gallery - Branklyn Gardens. Page 3

Prunus serrula prunus - genus name for a group of trees including plums, cherries, peaches, and apricots; serrula, 'saw-like', referring to the serrated leaf margins; Branklyn - a cultivar developed at Branklyn Branklyn

Tibetan cherry

This Branklyn cultivar differs from the species with a crown shape, narrower and vase-shaped when young, slightly lighter, smoother bark and leaves that turn yellow in autumn instead of red. Small white flowers appear in April or May. The species is a.k.a. birch bark cherry, a native of China.

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Pseudopanax ferox pseudopanax - false ginseng (panax); ferox Latin for fierce or wild, referring to the long, narrow, sharp, tooth-like serrations on the leaves.

Toothed lancewood

A.k.a. horoeka, is a small tree native to New Zealand. It is similar to the more common lancewood, P. crassifolius, but with more prominently tooth-shaped leaves. In adulthood the tree's shape changes from one central stem and downward growing leaves to a more typical tree shape with branches spreading to build a round head. A mature toothed lancewood can reach 6 m height with a trunk of up to 25 cm in diameter. The mature trunk has distinctive longitudinal grooves which sometimes twist slightly. [Wikipedia]

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Pyrus - from Latin pirus, meaning pear tree

Pear

One of two pear trees in the garden, this is its oldest tree, pre-dating the Rentons, from when part of the garden was an orchard. Grafts have been taken in readiness for replacing this old tree when it finally succombs to the rigours of age.

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Rhododendron spp. rhodon - Greek name for rose; dendron - Greek for tree.

Rhododendrons

There are numerous rhododendron cultivars in the garden, most of them past flowering when we visited in July. Here are three - Albrechtii - Albrecht's azalea - native to Japan, a deciduous shrub growing up to 1 m. Leaves are in clusters of 5. Pink and magenta flowers bloom in early spring in clusters of 3 to 5. Blue Diamond - a slow-growing evergreen shrub to about 1.2m, with a compact, branching habit and small, glossy green leaves. Produces tight clusters of up to 5 pale violet coloured flowers in mid spring. St Merryn - A compact, spreading dwarf evergreen shrub with small, glossy dark green leaves. Widely funnel-shaped, deep violet-blue flowers, 2.5cm in width, appear in small clusters in late spring.

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Rhododendron Carmen rhodon - Greek name for rose; dendron - Greek for tree. carmen - cultivar name, Spanish meaning 'song' or 'piece of music'; possibly after a person; Williamsianum - after J C Williams of Caerhays, hybrid rhododendron cultivator.Williamsianum

Rhododendron

A dwarf evergreen shrub with vibrant red, waxy, bell-shaped flowers. It also has small dark green leaves which surround the small trusses. Spreading to 1.5 m, flowering in April or early May (so too early for our July visit).

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Rhododendron rhodon - Greek name for rose; dendron - Greek for tree. roxieanum - after Mrs. Roxie Hanna, a missionary friend of George Forrest; oreonastes - 'mountain dweller';Roxieanum oreonastes

Dwarf rhododendron

A small evergreen shrub or small tree growing 2 - 5 m, native to sub-alpine moorland or tree-lind coniferous forests in China and Tibet. 10 to 20 white flowers grow in a tight terminal truss, with or without crimson spots, opening in May.

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Rhododendron rhodon - Greek name for rose; dendron - Greek for tree. sutchuenense - the variety is from Sichuan province in China; sutchuenense

Sichuan rhododendron

A large evergreen shrub or small tree, eventually reaching up to 8m, with drooping leaves, up to 30cm long, and thick young shoots. Trusses, of up to ten bell-shaped flowers, are borne in late winter and early spring ranging in colour from pale pink to a rosy lilac with red or purple spots. [RHS]

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Rhododendron rhodon - Greek name for rose; dendron - Greek for tree. Thomsonii - after Dr. Thomas Thomson, a friend and travelling companion of the botanist Joseph Hooker;Thomsonii

Thomson's rhododendron

A native of the high mountains of N India, Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim and S Tibet. It is a shrub that grows to 2–4 m in height, with leathery Flowers are red. An evergreen shrub or small tree, usually up to about 3 m high in cultivation, though it can reach up to 6m in its native habitat. The flowers bloom in mid to late spring, bell-shaped, a rich crimson, in loose clusters of 3-10 flowers.

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Rhododendron rhodon - Greek name for rose; dendron - Greek for tree. Yunnanense - indicates the plant's origin in Yunnan province, China. Yunnanense

Yunnan rhododendron

A shrub native of China and Burma, growing to 1–2 m in height, with leaves that are oblong, lanceolate, up to 18 cm long. Flowers are white, pale red, or pale purple.

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Sorbus gonggashanica from Greek: sorbus - service tree; gonggashanica, referring to Mount Gongga in Sichuan province, China, from where the species was collected.

Gongga Shan mountain ash

A.k.a. snow balls, a small, deciduous multistemmed bush up to 4 m, with dark green leaves with a variable number of leaflets, turning red in autumn. The relatively large white flowers appear in clusters in spring, followed by white berries with a pink blush.

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Vaccinium parvifolium Vaccinium - possibly a corruption of Latin bacca, berry; parvi - small; folium - leaves.

Red huckleberry

A deciduous shrub growing to 4 m, native of W North America. It has bright green shoots with an angular cross-section. Nodding flowers appear singly in leaf axils. The flowers are yellow-white to pinkish, decumbent lying along the ground or along a surface, with the extremity curving upwards and bell-shaped. The fruit is an edible red to orange berry.

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