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Judas Tree Seed
Cercis siliquastrum£5.00 inc. VATThe Judas tree is a medium sized deciduous tree or large shrub which becomes wreathed in lilac flowers in late spring, sprouting even directly from the main trunk, before the heart- shaped leaves emerge. Purple tinted seed pods develop in autumn.
pic By Kousvet – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia
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Katsura Seed
Cercidiphyllum japonicumPrice range: £5.00 through £20.00 inc. VATKatsura is a small deciduous tree with attractive heart shaped leaves, pink when new, fresh green sometimes tinged purple in summer and then bright yellows, oranges, reds and pinks in autumn. Autumn leaves have a caramel/burnt sugar scent and male trees have a stronger scent than female trees. Rarely flowers. Often multi-stemmed.
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Kerria Seed
Kerria japonicaPrice range: £2.00 through £8.25 inc. VATKerria or Japanese Rose is a graceful suckering shrub that produces rich butter yellow flowers in mid spring. Although it is deciduous its green stems provide winter colour. The shrub mainly seen in gardens is the double-flowered variety, but there are also white flowered ones and varieties with variegated leaves. Kerria from seed will produce quite large single flowers early in the summer.
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Killarney Strawberry Tree
Arbutus unedoPrice range: £5.00 through £11.00 inc. VATThe Strawberry Tree is a small evergreen tree or bushy shrub, with deep brown bark which peels off in shreds. Its red fruits and white flowers are produced simultaneously in the autumn. Lime tolerant and hardy, this little tree can withstand gales and the most inhospitable coastal conditions.
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Laburnum Seed
Laburnum anagyroides£5.00 inc. VATThe Laburnum is a small deciduous, fast growing tree producing masses of drooping yellow flowers in May and June in a spectacular display. All parts of this plant are poisonous if eaten. Pruned and trained into the famous tunnel at Bodnant Gardens, North Wales
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Laurustinus Seed
Viburnum tinus£5.00 inc. VATAn extremely popular evergreen, medium sized shrub with masses of glossy green leaves. The white-pink budded flowers are borne from late autumn to early spring. The egg shaped fruits are initially metallic blue but ripen to black. It makes an attractive hedge.
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Lavender “Hidcote” Seed
Lavandula angustifolia "Hidcote"Price range: £6.00 through £30.00 inc. VATLavender ‘Hidcote’ is a compact lavender growing to just over 0.5m with grey green leaves and stems. It is the classic ‘Old English Lavender’ used in cottage gardens. The highly scented violet flowers are borne in dense spikes in mid summer. Great for bees. After flowering, a light trim over with shears keeps the shrubs neat.
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Lavender “Munstead” Seed
Lavandula angustifolia "Munstead"Price range: £6.00 through £30.00 inc. VATLavender ‘Munstead’ is a compact form of lavender with narrow grey green stems. The aromatic flowers are a deeper blue than in some other cultivars and appear in mid summer. Use as an informal, low hedge as a border for paths and lawns. It is an Old English Lavender similar to ‘Hidcote’ and is frequently used in cottage gardens. Lightly trim with shears after flowering to keep neat. Full of bees in the summer and a less acid scent than French Lavender.
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Leatherleaf Viburnum Seed
Viburnum rhytidophyllum£5.00 inc. VATViburnum rhytidophyllum is a large handsome evergreen shrub with large elliptic corrugated and wrinkled leaves which are dark green above and grey felted beneath. The cream or pink flowers are borne in clusters in spring. The fruits are red, turning black and shiny as they ripen. A superb foliage plant especially on chalk soils. Maintenance-free, but a little light trimming can be done after flowering has finished, if the shrub is getting too big.
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Lemon Scented Gum Seed
Corymbia/Eucalyptus citriodoraPrice range: £5.00 through £19.00 inc. VATLemon Scented gum or Eucalyptus is grown as a shrub for its lemon scented, evergreen leaves, but in northern climes it is not hardy out of doors and is best used as a conservatory plant. In warm climates it is often planted outdoors. Can be coppiced successfully.
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Lilac Seed
Syringa vulgarisPrice range: £5.00 through £10.00 inc. VATLilac makes a vigorous, deciduous, suckering shrub. Its scented light purple flowers are borne in dense panicles in late spring with the seeds ripening in August. It makes a pleasant informal hedge or a multi-stemmed tree. Moderately hard pruning after flowering can keep the plant in check.
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Lingonberry Seed
Vaccinium vitis-idaeaPrice range: £5.00 through £10.00 inc. VATLingonberry is a small evergreen shrub which flowers pink in May and June and the tiny berries ripen from August through to October. The plant is well known for attracting wildlife. When not in berry, it can be mistaken for Bilberry because of the similar foliage. It is the berry made popular by IKEA in their cafes – served with their famous meatballs.
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London Plane Seed
Platanus acerifolius£5.00 inc. VATThe London Plane is large tree with a patchwork flaking bark and large palmate leaves. The rounded fruit clusters hang like baubles from the branches from mid summer right through winter to spring. Famous for being extensively planted in London squares and streets, it’s tolerant of pollution and actually helps clean the city air.
Leaf pic courtesy of GPodkolzin, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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Magnolia Seed
Magnolia x soulangeanaPrice range: £5.00 through £14.00 inc. VATMagnolia soulangeana is probably one of the most popular Magnolias. Seen as a many stemmed shrub or small tree, it has chalice shaped, white, stained rose-purple flowers that appear before the foliage in spring. Underplanting with spring bulbs makes a perfect picture. Needs space to develop and no pruning is necessary. This is quite an ancient genus and is thought to be pollinated by beetles rather than bees but because it is a hybrid, the seedlings will be variable in flowering.
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Maidenhair Tree Seed
Ginkgo bilobaPrice range: £5.00 through £9.00 inc. VATThe Maidenhair is an ancient species of tree easily recognised by its unusual fan shaped leaves which develop a striking yellow colour in autumn. It was around when the dinosaurs roamed the earth and, although it doesn’t look like it, is classed as a conifer. The male and female flowers occur on different trees, so both are needed to produce fruit. When produced, the berries are edible but smell dreadful! When young, the growing tip can be damaged by cold winds, so plant in a sheltered spot, in sun or semi-shade. Reported to have an effect on cognitive function if taken as a supplement (Chinese medicine), but there is no scientific evidence for this at present.
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Medlar Seed
Mespilus germanicus£7.50 inc. VATMedlar is a highly ornamental tree, grown since Roman times for it’s odd fruits. These were often given extremely licentious names, censored on this site! Large hairy leaves and large, elegant white flowers in late spring. Good autumn colour. Fruit needs to be ‘bletted’ before eating, i.e. left to go rotten! A superb addition to an orchard, even if you don’t eat the fruit! Quite low growing and wide-spreading. Can be left without pruning, but on young trees, prune in winter to promote an open, uncrowded shape.
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Midland Hawthorn Seed
Crataegus laevigataPrice range: £5.00 through £8.00 inc. VATMidland Hawthorn is a small dense, thorny, deciduous tree, flowering in spring and berrying in autumn. The pink or white flowers are pollinated by midges.
Related to Common Hawthorn but with less deeply lobed leaves.
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Milkflower Cotoneaster Seed
Cotoneaster lacteus£7.00 inc. VATA medium sized evergreen shrub with large oval leathery leaves which are grey-woolly beneath. The flowers in spring and early summer are milky white and followed by large clusters of small red berries which last well into mid winter.
Makes a good informal hedge, and when grown as a single stem, makes a useful evergreen tree for a small garden.
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Mountain Ash / Rowan Seed
Sorbus aucupariaPrice range: £5.00 through £10.00 inc. VATThe Rowan or Mountain Ash is a small deciduous tree with 11 to 19 sharp toothed leaflets per leaf. Creamy coloured plates of small flowers in early summer are followed by colourful bright red berries which form dense bunches in late summer. They are often eaten by blackbirds and thrushes. Foliage often colours well in the autumn. It is highly tolerant of extreme acidity and easy to grow, being tough and resiliant. Rowan-berry jelly is excellent with pheasant and other game. There is much folklore attached to this tree, including the ability to ward off witches! Excellent tree for a small garden, with 3 seasons of interest and insect friendly.
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New Zealand Flax Seed
Phormium tenaxPrice range: £8.00 through £22.00 inc. VATNew Zealand Flax, Phormium, is a very striking evergreen shrub with foliage that forms clumps of rigid sword like leaves between 1 and 3m long. Bronze red flowers on panicles up to 4m long in summer. Highly resistant to sea winds and forms an excellent windbreak. The seed looks as if it is covered in black foil, very shiney but papery too.
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New Zealand Purple Flax Seed
Phormium tenax atropurpureumPrice range: £10.00 through £44.00 inc. VATPurple New Zealand Flax is a very striking evergreen shrub with purple – bronze foliage that forms clumps of rigid sword like leaves between 1 and 3m long. It has bronze red flowers on panicles up to 4m long in summer. It is highly resistant to sea winds and forms an excellent windbreak.
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Northern Japanese Magnolia Seed
Magnolia kobusPrice range: £7.00 through £23.00 inc. VATThe Northern Japanese Magnolia is a hardy deciduous shrub or small tree that produces its star like white flowers from about 12 years old. They are produced just before leaf break in the spring and are a welcome addition to the spring garden. Late frosts may damage the flowers, so it needs to be planted in a sheltered spot and given space to develop. No pruning should be required.
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Norway Maple Seed
Acer platanoides£5.00 inc. VATNorway Maple is a large fast growing tree with large 5 lobed leaves which turn bright yellow and occasionally red in autumn. Yellow flowers are borne on the bare stems in spring.
Not for forestry purposes.
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Oleaster or Russian Olive Seed
Elaeagnus angustifolia£6.50 inc. VATA large spiny deciduous shrub or small tree. It has silvery grey willow-like leaves with sweetly fragrant flowers in the summer which are attractive to bees. The fruits are silvery amber 12mm ovals. Attractive, useful and tough.
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