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Scottish Laburnum Seed
Laburnum alpinumScotch Laburnum is a small, deciduous, broad headed tree that produces a profusion of drooping yellow flowers in summer. They are scented and attract insects for the pollen and nectar. The leaves have 3 leaflets and are a lighter green on the underside. It produces pods of poisonous seed in autumn.
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Sea Buckthorn Seed
Hippophae rhamnoidesSea Buckthorn is a first rate deciduous shrub or small tree for coastal, salt laden areas. It has narrow silvery leaves and in winter has a show of orange berries which birds find inedible. The berries can be made into jams and jellies and oil from the leaves and berries may offer numerous health benefits. High in vitamin C. For berries to develop both male and female plants need to cultivated. Grow a few seedlings to guarantee this. Not planted enough in gardens!
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Sessile Oak Seed
Quercus petraeaThe Sessile Oak is one of two UK native oak species. It replaces Q.robur in damper and upland areas, but the two are very similar. A good tree in coastal areas. The large long stalked leaves of Q petraea are not auricled at the base and the stalkless fruits differentiate it from Q.robur. A good tree in coastal areas. Acorns tend to sprout earlier than Q robur too.
Not for forestry purposes.
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Shadbush or Snowy Mespilus Seed
Amelanchier canadensisShadbush or Snowy Mespilus makes a large suckering shrub or small tree. It has an impressive white blossom which creates purple fruits, favoured by blackbirds at the end of the season. Golden autumn colour. The tree can be compact and makes an excellent choice for a small garden, but also good in a mixed hedgerow.
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Shagbark Hickory Seed
Carya ovataShagbark Hickory when mature, forms a stately, open headed tree with plates of bark peeling away from the trunk. Leaves are made up of 5 leaflets similar to Walnut, to which it is related. Long yellow catkins in spring are followed in autumn by large walnut-like fruit. A thick husk hides an edible, sweet, 4 ribbed nut. First grown in UK in mid 17th century.
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Shining Gum Seed
Eucalyptus nitensShining Gum, Eucalyptus nitens makes a small tree in cooler climates with good young vigour. It has a jungly exotic appearance and the young growth stems are almost square. This tree makes a striking container plant and has some hardiness but requires a very sheltered position. Can be trimmed, but generally carefree. Doesn’t like being coppiced. Useful for floristry.
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Siberian Pea Tree Seed
Caragana arborescensSiberian Pea tree/Caragana arborescens can grow into a small tree but is more often a shrub. It thrives in any conditions especially in exposed dry situations. The small, pea-like, scented yellow flowers develop into long narrow seed pods. It is a legume and so fixes nitrogen into the soil and can be used to enrich poor soils. The small seeds can be eaten, when cooked, and were used by immigrants to the US whilst they travelled. It is now thought of as an invasive species in America!
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Sichuan Pepper Seed
Zanthoxylum simulansSichuan Pepper or Chinese Prickly Ash grows into a wide-spreading, deciduous shrub with pinnate leaves similar to Ash. Its branches are slightly hanging and are covered in large, flat spines. Bunches of tiny yellow green flowers appear in May and June, followed by warty reddish fruit. Autumn colour is red and yellow All parts are aromatic and the ground up fruit is a more pungent pepper than Black pepper and a constituent of Chinese ‘Five Spice’. Used against various maladies in oriental medicine.
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Silver Birch Seed
Betula pendulaSilver Birch is a pretty tree, often known as the “Lady of the Woods” It is planted in gardens for its graceful pendulous form. It has an attractive white bark with sharply cut diamond shaped leaves. If unavoidable, trimming has to be done when the tree is dormant; in the spring, the sap rises so fast that they can really suffer if cut. The sap can be tapped, in a similar way to Acer saccharum, to produce the precursor to Birch/Maple syrup. Beautiful winter tracery. A pioneer of difficult areas. Tough and hardy.
Not for forestry purposes.
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Silver dollar tree
Eucalyptus cinereaEucalyptus cinerea
A small to moderately sized tree with a compact, dense crown of silvery foliage. one of the most popular eucalypts in cultivation, especially in temperate regions and cooler areas. Good choice for screening.The leaves are aromatic, egg shaped, stalkless and glaucous giving it a silvery grey colour.it can be pollarded to produce sprays of young shoots.
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Silver Leafed Mountain Gum Seed
Eucalyptus pulverulentaEucalyptus pulverulenta. Silver Leafed Mountain Gum is a well branched, medium-sized tree easy to control by pruning. The evergreen, juvenile foliage is glaucous silvery grey white and has been described as looking like a kebab! It rarely develops adult foliage. Bark is mostly smooth. Cream flowers occur when the tree is still young. This tree can be grown as a multi-stemmed specimen, but needs a sheltered spot.
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Silver Lime Seed
Tilia tomentosaSilver Lime is a large handsome deciduous tree of stately habit. The leaves are short stalked heart-shaped and deeply toothed, dark green above and silver felted beneath. They give a lovely shimmering effect in a breeze and make a dense crown. The cream flowers in July are heavily scented and intoxicate bees. Autumn colour is yellow.
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Silver Maple Seed
Acer saccharinumA large fast growing tree that has deeply dissected 5 lobed leaves that are silvery white beneath. This produces a delightful effect in breezes. It has an attractive autumn colour.
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Silver Wattle Seed
Acacia dealbataSilver Wattle or Mimosa is a loose growing, small open evergreen tree or large shrub. It has ferny grey green leaves and scented yellow pompom flowers, in the winter and early spring. It is often used by florists for winter colour and scent. Mimosa is also a Champagne cocktail – champagne and chilled citrus juice, with or without Drambuie. Good for breakfast(so I’m told!) Mimosa can be grown outside in the southwest and on the south coast, but still really needs shelter.
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Small Leaved Lime Seed
Tilia cordataSmall Leaved Lime is a medium sized deciduous tree with heart shaped 5 to 8cm glossy dark green long leaves which are pale on the underside. The sweetly scented, ivory flower clusters appear in the latter half of the summer and are usually covered in bees. The trees can quite often be smelt and heard before being seen!
Not for forestry purposes.
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Smoke Bush / Venetian Sumach Seed
Cotinus coggygriaCotinus or Smoke bush is a deciduous multi branched shrub with rounded green leaves that colour well in the autumn. Pinky-fawn coloured plume like inflorescences are borne in early summer turning an attractive smokey grey colour by autumn.They give the effect of a haze of smoke, hence the name.
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Snow Gum
Eucalyptus paucifloraSimilar to Eucalyptus niphophila (which is often thought of as a subspecies) having a characteristic peeling green-grey and white bark. It has attractive white flowers, and aromatic evergreen foliage. Can be coppiced to form a multistem tree/shrub.
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Snowbell Tree Seed
Styrax japonicaSnowbell Tree or Styrax is a beautiful deciduous shrub or small tree with wide spreading almost horizontal fanning branches. The leaves are narrow and pointed and the white bell shaped flowers have yellow stamens. They hang along the undersides of branches in the early summer, so plant where you can walk underneath the branches.
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Snowberry Seed
Symphoricarpos albus / albaThe Snowberry is a strong growing deciduous shrub which can form dense thickets especially in hedgerows. The leaves are elliptical and up to 8cm long. Tiny pink flowers appear in the early summer followed by snowberries in the autumn that look like glistening white marbles on the branches. Is happy to be left alone or it can be trimmed/pruned heavily if necessary. Tough and tolerant. Poisonous if ingested
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Sourwood Seed
Oxydendrum arboreumSourwood is a decorative, hardy, small deciduous tree/shrub with glossy green leaves. It develops very brilliant autumn colour. Long panicles of white ericaceous-type bell-flowers appear in July to Sept. Fragrant and bee-friendly.
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Southern Beech/Raoul Seed
Nothofagus procera/alpinaThe Southern Beech is a fast growing deciduous tree with small beech-like leaves, a straight, grey trunk and broadly conic crown when mature. It is a native of Chile and although it is perfectly hardy, young trees can suffer in very harsh winters, especially in cold winds. Prefers moist soils and high rainfall. Autumn colour is red, yellow and orange. Work is ongoing to see whether Nothofagus is suitable for timber production in the UK as it is in Chile, but seed is not forthcoming every year so propagation is not easy or cheap.
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Southern Nettle Tree Seed
Celtis australisSouthern Nettle Tree or Celtis is a small to medium sized deciduous tree with lance shaped leaves. They are rough to the touch on their upper surfaces. Its bark is smooth and similar to that of Beech. Autumn colour is yellow.
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Spanish Broom Seed
Spartium junceumSpanish Broom is a strongly growing shrub with erect green rush like stems and small, scale-like leaves. It has large, perfumed, yellow, pea-like flowers in loose terminal clusters from late summer through to autumn. Spanish Broom likes a sunny position and is an excellent seaside shrub. Can be pruned after flowering, but can also be carefree. Sometimes confused with normal Broom (Cytisus)
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Spindle Tree Seed
Euonymus europaeusSpindle is a vigorous deciduous shrub or small multi-stemmed tree. It gives an outstandingly brilliant autumn display of red seed capsules. The capsules open to reveal spectacular bright orange seeds. It grows especially well on chalky soils and its wood was used for making spindles for spinning and tool handles. The berries are poisonous and incredibly bitter tasting.
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