Cell Grown Plants
Every year our nursery in the Scottish Borders produces millions of cell grown broadleaves, conifers, shrubs, hedging plants and a range of other species for environmental planting. Our species range is extensive and we have species to suit all planting objectives.
Cell grown plants can be planted almost all year round and offer excellent survivability as they are supplied with a complete and intact fibrous root system.
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Abies fraserii - Fraser Fir
£1.73from £0.77Abies fraserii - Fraser Fir is a fast growing, large evergreen with dark green needles that have a silver grey underside.
Originally from the USA, this species is most frequently planted in the UK for Christmas tree crops as it has a dense, busy habit when young. Fraser Fir has a narrower and more compact shape than Nordmann Fir so is often suited to smaller rooms in houses if it is grown to then be supplied as a cut Christmas tree.
We grow several other species of cell grown conifers which are all suited for Christmas tree production.
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Cedrus atlantica - Atlas Cedar
£2.03from £0.98Cedrus atlantica - Atlas Cedar is a large evergreen conifer with silvery blue needles. The branches are horizontal and stiff.
Native to Morocco and Algeria in the Atlas Mountains where it is often grown as a pure stand. It is the only African tree that thrives in the UK, and most of the plants that we produce are used by our customers in the Southern and Eastern areas of the UK, as it is capable of withstanding periods of drought once established.
It produces strong and durable timber that is renowned for its strong and persistent fragrance.
Learn more about Atlas Cedar by reading our factsheet.
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Cryptomeria japonica - Japanese Red Cedar
£1.73Cryptomeria japonica - Japanese Red Cedar is a large evergreen tree with green, dense foliage that turns bronze in Winter.
Introduced into Britain in 1879, the Japanese Red Cedar has demonstrated its ability to produce a yield that is comparable to other commonly used conifers in the UK such as Douglas Fir & Western Red Cedar. It’s expansion into UK is likely to be in areas with a warm, moist maritime climate such as W. Scotland, Wales and SW England.
There is limited experience of processing the timber in the UK but in its native range it is highly regarded as a major construction timber and is also often used in exterior, ground contact applications as the timber has good natural durability.
Learn more on this Fact Sheet.
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Cuppressocyparis leylandii - Leylandii
£3.47from £1.65Leylandii is a large evergreen conifer that is most commonly utilised for hedging or screening purposes.
Tough, Fast growing and tolerant of most conditions.
The foliage is dense, dark green in colour and flat in shape. We also produce Golden Leylandii.
If you are planting for hedging/screening you may also wish to consider Western Red Cedar. This species is equally as fast growing but has a tighter shape and a richer shade of green.
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Cupressocyparis leylandii Castlewellan Gold -...
£3.47from £1.65Cupressocypairs leylandii Castlewellan Gold - Golden leylandii is a large evergreen conifer that is most commonly utilised for hedging or screening purposes.
Tough, Fast growing and tolerant of most conditions.
The new growth is strikingly golden yellow in colour. We also produce Green Leylandii.
If you are planting for hedging/screening you may also wish to consider Western Red Cedar. This species is equally as fast growing but has a tighter shape and a richer shade of green.
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Juniperus communis - Common Juniper
£3.03from £1.82Juniperus communis - Juniper is a small evergreen conifer that is native to the UK.
Small green needles with a prickly point. Juniper is dioecious so the male and female flowers grown on separate plants. Once pollinated by wind the female flowers develop into fleshy purple berries.
The berries are popular for flavouring gin but they are equally favoured birds who eat the berries. Juniper is also an important habitat for small mammals and nesting birds due the dense cover that it provides.
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Picea abies - Norway Spruce
£1.39from £0.56Picea abies - Norway Spruce is one of the most important and widely distributed tree species in Europe.
With the exception of coastal areas it has no climatic limitations throughout the UK so it as been widely planted for timber production plus it has a high ecological value.
Coniferous. Evergreen with sharp, pointed needles that have a rich sweet smell.
The traditional species for Christmas tree production due to its busy habit and attractive scent. It does not have the cut tree needle retention qualities of other Christmas trees species such as Nordmann Fir, however the fast rate of growth and relatively low cost of production still makes it a popular choice – especially for larger display trees.
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Picea pungens glauca - Blue Spruce
£1.89from £0.84We grow Picea pungens glauca - Blue spruce primarily for the purpose of Christmas tree production.
It is easy to see why this species is a popular choice. It has the traditional pyramid shape with stiff horizontal branches and a dense habit.
Slower growing then Norway spruce but worth waiting for!
The classic shape combined with attractive blue tinted needles makes it stand out when compared against other species – a premium choice.
We grow several other species of cell grown conifers which are all suited for Christmas tree production.
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Picea sitchensis - Sitka Spruce
£1.39from £0.56Picea sitchensis - Sitka Spruce is economically important and the backbone of the UK forestry industry. This single species accounts for half of the UK’s commercial plantations.
Introduced to the UK in around 1850 although its use expanded enormously in the 20th century to help increase the UK’s perilously low percentage of forest cover.
Coniferous. Evergreen with sharp, flattened needles.
The dense foliage of Sitka Spruce provides good shelter for large mammals.
We grow our Sitka Spruce from Improved seed source to maximise the future timber yield. The sawn timber is versatile and utilised for many purposes including construction and packaging.
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Pinus sylvestris - Scots Pine
£1.39from £0.56Pinus sylvestris - Scots Pine is one of only three conifers native to the UK and our only native Pine. It is the worlds 2nd most widespread conifer after Juniper.
An important species for the UK for economic and ecological reasons.
A large evergreen conifer Scots Pine has long blue green needles that grow in pairs. Male and female flowers grow on the same tree and once the female flowers have been pollinated by wind they turn green and develop into cones. The mature cones are grey-brown in colour.
The redwood timber of Scots Pine is relatively lightweight yet strong and can be easily treated with preservatives to prolong its service life for exterior uses.
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Pseudotsuga menziesii - Douglas Fir
£1.45from £0.61Pseudotsuga menziesii - Douglas Fir is an evergreen conifer that was named after David Douglas who sent the first seed back from North America to Britain in 1827.
It has soft green needles with two grey bands underneath. Oval shaped cones hang and the bark is an attractive reddish brown colour.
One of the most important timber species in the world and widely planted in the UK, Douglas Fir is fast growing and the timber is strong and durable with few knots.
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Taxodium distichum - Swamp Cypress
£3.47from £1.65Originally from South Eastern America, Taxodium distichum - Swamp cypress is a narrow, pyramidal conifer with soft green needles that turn attractive shades of orange and red in the Autumn.
On mature trees the bark peels which adds considerable winter interest.
Often confused with either Coast Redwood or Dawn redwood but Swamp Cypress needs a good supply of moisture.
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Taxus baccata - Yew
£1.84from £0.98Native to the UK, Taxus baccata - Yew is a dense evergreen conifer with small green needles.
Used for hundreds of years in the UK to create hedging, the bright green spring growth matures to a dark green for a classical look. It can be easily shaped and makes an excellent screen for privacy.
It is often perceived to be a slow growing species but it is actually quite fast growing in its juvenile stage.
The normal spacing for hedge planting is around 3 plants per linear metre.