Cell Grown Plants

Abies alba - Silver fir is a long-living conifer upright-growing evergreen conifer with dark green needles that are silver underneath. The yellow-green cones which appear in late spring are cylindrical in shape and ripen to brown.

The strong, lightweight timber is mainly used for construction, furniture, plywood and pulpwood. Young trees are also popular as Christmas trees. Ecologically, the tree is important for maintaining high biodiversity in forested areas. The tree’s deep taproots offering stability, alongside its easily biodegradable needle litter, are key in the establishment and management of silvicultural systems.

Silver fir is shade-tolerant and able to act as a “seedling bank” under the canopy of older dominant trees for decades.

Alnus cordata - Italian Alder is a fast growing, medium sized tree which grows in most soils except heavy clay. Tough and hardy with nitrogen fixing qualities. Often used on reclamation or hostile sites.

Bright green glistening foliage preceded by yellow catkins that appear in late winter. Ideal for forming a windbreak or for companion planting with species such as Douglas Fir and Sitka Spruce.

Eucalyptus dalrympleana - Mountain Gum is one of the most popular species of Eucalypts grown in the UK due to its cold tolerance properties. A fast growing species which is very productive and adaptable to many purposes including biomass production, firewood, screening and foliage production. 

Evergreen with ovate foliage which is copper tinged in colour when juvenile, turning blue/ green. Like most Eucalypts, the bark is often equally as impressive as the foliage and this species does not disappoint with shades of white and grey.

Fagus sylvatica atropurpurea - Copper Beech is a vibrant and stunning variety of Beech that forms a very large specimen tree in a parkland setting. Very eye catching and perfectly suited for hedge planting either on its own or mixed with Green Beech.

Smooth, silver grey bark. Deep purple leaves in the Spring and Summer turning yellow then copper in autumn. The leaves are retained on the plant during the winter if the plant is maintained as a hedge. If you are comparing Beech or Hornbeam for hedging and you have damp soil and or you are in a cold exposed area then we would suggest using Hornbeam.

Juglans nigra - Black Walnut is a large fast growing species.  We primarily grow this species for our forestry customers as the timber is highly valued, but it is also worth considering for its ornamental attributes.

Introduced to the UK from North America some 400 years ago, Black Walnut has a lot to offer.

The timber of Black Walnut is heavy, strong and durable with a value of 3-4 times that of Oak.

The foliage is pinnate with individual oval pointed leaflets which turn yellow in autumn.

Flowers appear in early Summer in the form of long catkins and in the Autumn the flowers turn to brownish green fruits that are around the size of a plum. The brown nut is held inside the husk.

We also produce Juglans regia - Common Walnut.

Ligustrum vulgare - Wild Privet is a bushy, native shrub that we often supply as part of a native hedge mixture but it is also useful on the edge of woodlands or as game cover due to its good tolerance of shade.

It is semi evergreen so provides useful cover and shelter for wildlife in the winter thanks to its relatively untidy and gnarly habit.

Semi evergreen with thin, green pointed leaves. Small white flowers are produced in the Summer with dark purple berries that follow in the Autumn.

You may also wish to consider Oval Leaf Privet which has larger oval leaves with better retention properties.

Platanus acerfolia - London Plane is extensively planted in Southern England as a street trees due to its tolerance for air pollution but it is considered to also be a useful forest tree for the UK as a result of climate warming.

A vigorous deciduous tree with distinctive flaky brown and grey bark.

London Plane has large bright green lobed leaves with interesting clusters of round fruits.

 The timber is strong and widely valued for joinery / cabinetry.

A dense and graceful conifer that is conical in habit but with a narrow crown, Tsuga heterophylla - Western Hemlock is fast growing and will ultimately reach a very large size.

Mainly grown for timber although it makes an impressive parkland or arboretum tree.

It is one of several north west American species discovered by the well known plant hunter, David Douglas who sent seeds back to the UK in 1831.

Evergreen with small green needles and pendulous cones that start green and turn to grey brown.