-
White Cedar Seed
Thuja occidentalisPrice range: £5.00 through £10.00 inc. VATThis is an extremely hardy evergreen forming a medium sized columnar tree or hedge. It has spreading branches that curve upwards at the tip with dark green upper surface foliage; the lower surface being a light yellow. Foliage smells of cooked apples with spices. Brought over from America in about 1540.
pic courtesy of Dan Keck from Ohio, CC0, (public domain)via Wikimedia Commons
-
White Mulberry Seed
Morus alba£6.00 inc. VATWhite Mulberry is a medium to small tree with lance shaped leaves up to 15cm wide that are the traditional food of silkworms. It grows fast and is quite short-lived – 50 to 80yrs on average. Catkins turn into whitish fruits in the early autumn, changing to pale pink later and are edible. If necessary, prune in late autumn or early winter, other wise the stems bleed.
caterpillar pics courtesy of Srithern /CC BY-SA via Wikimedia
-
White or Downy Birch Seed
Betula pubescens£6.00 inc. VATDowny Birch thrives on a wider range of soils than Silver Birch, particularly damp soils. It is white barked and similar to Silver Birch but with a more upright growth habit. Younger specimens usually exhibit downy undersides to the leaves and on the stems. It is useful as a pioneer species for planting in difficult and exposed sites.
Not for forestry purposes.
-
White Spruce Seed
Picea glaucaPrice range: £5.00 through £20.00 inc. VATWhite Spruce is a very hardy species and quite variable. Stubby needles are densely packed and on some trees are green and some blueish grey and anything in between. It has a narrowly conical growth habit when mature, with branches that ascend at the tip. In Canada it is an important timber tree for building and pulp and in Japan the wood is used for making boards for the game ‘Go’
pic courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Herman, D.E. et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Admin., Bismarck, ND., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Whitebeam Seeds
Sorbus ariaPrice range: £5.00 through £10.00 inc. VATWhitebeam makes a neat, oval headed tree with grey hairy leaves. It is often planted in streets and gardens. Heads of white flowers in May develop into red berries for the autumn but they are usually eaten by birds before they ripen! Autumn colour is yellow then brown.
-
Wild Cherry Seed
Prunus aviumPrice range: £5.00 through £12.50 inc. VATWild Cherry is a medium sized deciduous tree, with bark that turns mahogany red and peels with age. The white cup shaped flowers give a magnificent display in mid to late spring and are visited by early insects. The fruits are small and red to purple, appearing in summer and eaten by birds. The leaves turn crimson-orange in autumn. It is generally found in hedges and on the edges of woods. It will grow in semi-shade but flowers better in full sun.
Not for forestry purposes.
-
Wild Service Tree Seed
Sorbus torminalisPrice range: £5.00 through £13.00 inc. VATWild Service Tree is an attractive medium sized deciduous tree with Maple like leaves. They turn from a glossy dark green to bronze yellow in the autumn. The fruits start spherical and when ripe become elongated and are russet brown with darker spots, hence the name ‘Chequer Tree’. They need to be ‘bletted’ (left to go almost bad and soft) to render them edible! Pubs called ‘The Chequers’ are named after the tree rather than the board game, possibly because they used to serve beer/wine made from the fruit. The timber is used as a reddish/orange decorative veneer. There is a great specimen in the environs of Lower Brockhampton Manor (National Trust), but generally the tree is quite rare
-
Willowleaf Cotoneaster Seed
Cotoneaster salicifolius£7.00 inc. VATWillowleaf Cotoneaster/Cotoneaster salicifolius makes a tall evergreen shrub or small tree, often multi-stemmed. It bears very heavy crops of spherical red shiny fruits in autumn, formed from white flowers in early summer. The glossy leaves are long and thin. This Cotoneaster is very useful as a screening plant and can be pruned into shape if necessary. It tolerates being planted in coastal areas, but can suffer leaf burn in very cold winds.
-
Wintersweet Seed
Chimonanthus praecox£6.00 inc. VATWintersweet produces welcome, heavily scented, pale yellow flowers in Feb. The flowers attract early insects. It is a deciduous shrub that thrives in a sheltered spot and is good planted near to where people are likely to walk.
-
Wych Elm Seed
Ulmus glabraPrice range: £5.00 through £12.00 inc. VATWych Elm is a large and impressive tree with spreading branches that may be pendulous at their tips. Large short stalked leaves are toothed and rough to the touch, turning yellow in autumn. The fruits crowd the branches in early spring and look a bit like hops. The bark of young trees is very smooth. An excellent deciduous tree for planting in exposed situations or on the coast. It is more usually seen as a small to medium, multi-stemmed tree in hedgerows rather than as a large tree. Leaves are the food source for caterpllars of the rare White Letter Hairstreak butterfly.
Sign up to receive great news and offers