GAWMLESS END
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The Trees of Gawmless End
While many common or native trees are grown at Gawmless End, arguably optimally suited to the conditions, we are committed to exploring the suitability of "alternative" types of fruit and of trees which have other interesting uses.
- Many trees will benefit surrounding grassland or other crops by drawing up minerals from deep in the ground where other plants' roots cannot reach, enriching the topsoil with these when their leaves fall in autumn ("green manure" trees).
- Some trees produce edible products not widely known or popular in times gone by but now little grown.
- Many trees combine several useful attributes, so that you could have a hedge or windbreak to protect your fruit trees, which itself consists of fruiting species which are not so fussy about growing conditions as the conventional fruit trees, and which also attract bees to help cross-pollinate your main plantings.
Acer species
A form of Maple syrup can be made from most acer species. We grow Field maples (acer campestre) and sycamore (acer pseudoplatanus) - the latter does not deserve its reputation as a "worthless" tree, being an excellent shelter-belt tree producing useful timber and not invasive under ordinary woodland conditions. Some unusual varieties are grown out of interest:Acer tataricum
| Tatarian Maple. A large shrub from S. E. Europe, growing to 33ft high. The sap is edible like other maples; also edible are the seeds, when cooked. (The tree fruits abundantly in Britain). Dyes are obtained from the bark and bees feed from the flowers. Hardy to -25°C. |
Acer ginnala (Syn A.tataricum ssp. ginnala)
| Amur Maple. A large shrub or small tree of vigorous, spreading habit, native to Japan and China, ... growing to 6m (20 ft) high. Very hardy (to -45°C), tolerates part shade and good in windbreaks; also used for snow fences in cold areas. The leaves can be made into a tea, whilst the dried leaves are valued for dyeing in China. Source of nectar and pollen for bees in spring. The bright green leaves turn to orange and vivid crimson in autumn. |
Miscellaneous
Aronia prunifolia
| Purple chokeberry. A large American shrub growing up to 3 m (10 ft) high. Not fussy about soil and grows well in sun or part shade. It bears masses of dark purple fruits in late autumn, 8-10 mm in diameter, which are edible either cooked or dried and processed. A good hedging plant, hardy to -25°C. |
Caragana arborescens
| Siberian pea shrub. A large leguminous shrub from Siberia, reaching 6 m (20 ft) high and growing some 40 cm per year. The seeds, produced in numerous pods following yellow flowers, are edible when cooked (having a pea flavour), as are the young pods. A fibre is obtained from the bark. Bees visit the flowers and the species is a good fixer of nitrogen. A very hardy hedging and windbreak tree, hardy to -40°C. |
Carya ovata
| Shagbark hickory. A large tree from the US., quite fast growing once established and reaching up to 30 m (100 ft). Needs a fertile soil and sunny position. Foliage turns a rich yellow in autumn. Fruits are produced in Britain in good summers: the nuts are large-walnut-sized, edible, with a very good sweet flavour, like a rich walnut; they are quite tough to crack. Also edible is the sap, tapped like maples. The timber is hard and used for fuel, handles, ladders, implements, and for smoking meats. A yellow dye is obtained from the bark. Hardy to -25°C. |
Crataegus azarolus
| Azarole, Mediterranean medlar. A small tree or large shrub to 10m (32 ft) high, bearing edible apple-flavoured yellow or orange fruits 1" (25 mm) across. Likes a sunny position. Hardy to -20°C. |
Hippophae rhamnoides
| Sea buckthorn. A large shrub or small tree native to Britain, growing 6m (20 ft) high or more; nitrogen-fixing. Produces abundant fruits which are edible (cooked and sweetened) - they are very high in Vitamins A & C. Used as a sand dune stabiliser; all parts yield a yellow dye; also a bee plant. Likes a well drained, sunny site and grows in any soil. Dioecious, so both sexes are needed for fruit. Growth 3.5m (12 ft) in 10 years; hardy to -35°C. |
Oak species
ALL oaks bear acorns which are edible. Most are high in tannins and need "leaching" before consumption. They provide a complete vegetable protein and are high in carbohydrates, with appreciable amounts of vitamins A and C and significant quantities of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur. This is a valuable food resource largely neglected in the present day.We grow many English (pedunculate) oaks (quercus robur) and Sessile oaks (quercus petrea - known as "the Pennine Oak" - the town of "Accrington" derives its name from oaks). There are also specimens of Scarlet oak (q. coccinea), Pin oak (q. palustris) and Red oak (q. rubra). We hope to establish specimens of other oaks which bear sweet acorns: so far only Quercus Ilex is in place.
Quercus ilex
| Holm oak, Holly oak. Usually a small or medium sized dense evergreen tree in Britain, originating from SW Europe but now naturalised along many parts of the coast of S.England. Grows about 7 m in 10 years. These seedlings are grown from seeds collected from local trees which bear sweet acorns with very little astringency. The seeds are edible after washing (raw or cooked) with a fine flavour. Roasted seeds can be used to make a coffee. Makes a good maritime hedging plant and the wood makes good fuel and charcoal. Tolerates quite deep shade; hardy to about -15°C. |
Pines
Very many pine nut trees are perfectly hardy in Britain, more so than the one the Romans successfully introduced (pinus pinea) which tends to do better in slightly warmer areas than the Pennines! They are very slow growing, but still worth planting. They will be of high wildlife value eventually even if no-one harvests the nuts.Most of our nut pines have come from Nutwoods Nurseries. We hope to establish the following, at present very small specimens (apart from the Pinus Jeffreyi which is doing well):
Pinus armandii
| Armand’s pine, Chinese white pine. Evergreen tree from Western China, growing to 20 m (70 ft) or more - 4 m (13 ft) in 10 years. Bears edible seeds, up to 13 mm (0.5”) long - fruits well in Britain. The timber is used for construction, joinery and furniture. Any light soil in sun; hardy to -15°C. |
Pinus cembra
| Arolla pine, Swiss stone pine. An evergreen tree up to 25m (80 ft) high but often less, with a conical habit; the seeds from cones are ½" (12 mm) long and edible. Turpentine is made from the needles. Hardy to -30°C. |
Pinus jeffreyi
| Jeffrey pine. A large evergreen tree from Western North America. Likes a well-drained soil on the acid side and full sun. The seeds are edible and quite large, 10-15 mm long. Grows well and bears cones in Britain. Hardy to -15 or -20°C. |
Pinus koraiensis
| Korean nut pine. An evergreen tree to 25m (80 ft) high but often half that, with a loose conical habit. The seeds from cones are ½" (12 mm) long and edible. Hardy to -30°C. |
Pinus sibirica
| Siberian nut pine. An evergreen medium-sized tree from Siberia, extremely hardy. The large cones bear many large edible seeds with shells which are easily cracked. Prefers the North and West of the U.K. Hardy to -35°C or below. |
Prunus species
The prunus section includes almonds, cherries and plums, several domesticated sorts of which are cultivated here. However, many less well-known prunus types also produce good edible fruits or kernels, often better suited to more taxing weather conditions.Doing well here are well-known "wild" fruits of the prunus family: myrobalan or cherry plums (prunus cerasifera), Blackthorn or sloe (prunus spinosa), wild cherry (prunus avium) and bird cherries (prunus padus).
The following are also grown (quoted descriptions courtesy of the Agroforestry Research Trust):
Prunus domestica insititia
| Bullace. A small tree to 6 m (20 ft) high, closely related to plums but hardier than cultivated varieties. Flowers in April are followed by edible round fruits, 3 cm across, in autumn. A bee plant, and the leaves & fruits can be used for dyeing. Use in shelterbelts. Most soils in full sun or light shade; hardy to -23°C. |
Prunus serotina
| Black cherry, Rum cherry. A large North American columnar tree, reaching up to 30 m (100 ft) high with white flowers. The fruits are edible when cooked and have long been used to flavour rum and brandy; they have also been used in cough mixtures. A bee plant, the roots furnishing a dye, whose timber is valued for cabinet making. Likes a moist soil and full sun; hardy to -30°C. |
Prunus tomentosa
| Nanking cherry. A dense spreading shrub from Asia, usually 1-1.5 m (3-5 ft) high with numerous branches and suckers. Bears small cherry-like fruits which are juicy and edible. The plant is used as a low windbreak in the USA. Hardy to -30°C. |
Pyrus species
Advice on growing pears is usually to give them the best position you have available. We are trying to establish several domesticated varieties, including a "twin" pear with two varieties on one rootstock. The latter is growing on a wild pear rootstock which we hope will increase its tolerance to local conditions as well as producing a larger tree overall than the usual dwarfing rootstock offered. A couple of "species" pears are grown out of interest (pyrus calleryana gives spectacular autumn colours). Some are listed below (descriptions courtesy of the Agroforestry Research Trust:Pyrus calleryana
| Callery pear. A medium sized tree from China. Most useful as a vigorous rootstock for cultivated pears: it is resistant to fireblight and produces large trees. Its own small fruits are edible, usually cooked. Likes full sun or part shade and a moist soil; hardy to -23°C. |
Pyrus communis
| Common pear, Wild pear. A columnar medium sized tree with dark glossy green leaves, white flowers in spring, followed by edible pear fruits in autumn. Can grow to 15 m (50 ft) high. A parent of cultivated pears, native to Europe and long naturalised in Britain, the fruits often need bletting (after ripening indoors) and are sometime best cooked. A dye can be obtained from the leaves and the tree can be used in shelterbelts. The timber is highly prized by cabinet makers. Likes sun or part shade and a reasonable soil; hardy to -25°C. |
Sorbus species
Sorbus aria (whitebeam) and the mountain ash (sorbus aucuparia) are grown here primarily for their wildlife merit, and in difficult areas or as a windbreak for other trees. The following are also grown (descriptions are from the Agroforestry Research Trust's catalogue):Sorbus domestica
| Service tree, Checker tree. A medium tree from Southern & Eastern Europe, growing to 15 m (50 ft) high. Bears large crops of large (25 mm, 1") fruits which are edible bletted or cooked, with a an excellent rich flavour when fully ripe; the fruits are commercially used as a source of fruit juice. The timber makes good fuel and the bark is used for tanning. Likes sun or part shade; hardy to -20°C. |
Sorbus torminalis
We got ours from Woodland Improvement Nurseries.| Wild service tree. A tree to 15m (50 ft) high with ascending branches and maple-like leaves. It bears edible sweet russety-brown fruits 12-18 mm across (best eaten bletted or after a frost, when they have pleasant baked-apple flavour). Good in hedges. Growth 5m (16 ft) in 10 years; hardy to -20°C. |
Willows
Willows are a very valuable species with many uses. They have high wildlife value - 450 phytophagous species are associated with them, more than with any other tree. They are valuable bee plants and bees also collect honeydew from them. The feathery seed covering, known as "willow down", was formerly collected for stuffing mattresses. Willow foliage was often used as a livestock fodder and even stored for the purpose.The willow was the first species to return to Britain after the ice age. They are a green manure species, benefiting surrounding crops through their nutrient-rich leaf-fall; willows particularly accumulate phosphorus and potassium in their leaves.
Ordinary Pussy Willow produces an edible manna (sap exudation) and can be used for erosion control and hedging. It has useful timber and branches (for basketry).
The White Willow has edible leaves, made into a tea, and also edible inner bark. A fibre can be extracted from the bark, which can also be used in tanning. It also has timber and basketry uses.
The "Scarlet Willow", often planted for its colourful winter stems, is a Salix Alba variety.
The native forms Salix Caprea (goat or pussy willow, sallow), Salix alba (White willow), Salix fragilis (crack willow) and salix viminalis (osier) are grown here. In addition several varieties of willows bred for basketry canes have been planted. Descriptions are from the Agroforestry Research Trust's catalogue unless otherwise stated.
Salix daphnoides ‘Meikle’
| Violet willow. A fast-growing small tree or large shrub to 10 m (32 ft) high from Northern Europe. The branches are used for basketry, especially when the plants are annually coppiced. A source of early pollen for bees; also useful for hedging and shelterbelts. Various parts are edible but not palatable. Tolerates drier conditions than many willows; likes full sun or part shade. Hardy to -23°C. 'Meikle' is vigorous, with dark brown canes. |
Salix purpurea: varieties 'Dicky Meadows', 'Goldstones', 'Green Dicks'
| Purple osier. A large shrub from Europe, growing 5 m (16 ft) high. Branches are used for basketry, especially when plants are annually coppiced. A bee and butterfly plant, good in hedges; the bark is medicinal. Likes a moist site and full sun or part shade; hardy to -23°C. 'Dicky Meadows' is vigorous, with reddish young canes; 'Goldstones' is vigorous, with golden-orange canes; 'Green Dicks' is vigorous, with reddish canes. |
Salix triandra: varieties 'Black Hollander', 'Black Maul', 'Whissander'
| Almond-leaved willow, French willow. A large shrub from Europe and Asia, growing 10 m (32 ft) high. Branches are used for basketry, especially when plants are annually coppiced. Good hedging and bee plant. Likes a moist site in sun or part shade; hardy to -23°C. 'Black Hollander' is vigorous, with dark reddish-brown canes; 'Black Maul' is vigorous, with dark brown canes; 'Whissander' is vigorous, with medium brown canes. |
Salix viminalis: varieties 'Brown Merrin', 'Readers Red', 'Yellow Osier'
| Osier, Basket willow. A large native shrub, growing 6 m (20 ft) high. Branches are used for basketry, especially when plants are annually coppiced. The wood is sometimes used in chair-making and some varieties as biomass crops. Also good in hedges. A butterfly and bee plant. Likes a moist/wet site and sun or part shade; hardy to -25°C. 'Brown Merrin' is very vigorous, with medium brown canes; 'Readers Red' is moderately vigorous, with red canes; 'Yellow Osier' is very vigorous, with yellowish-green canes. |