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merman
Forum newbie - be nice!

Posts: 3
Location:
Registered: June 2008

Tree for backyard (Sydney)

Posted 63 days ago

I have recently purchased a home and I have a blank canvas for a backyard. I would like to plant a tree in the backyard. The backyard measures 8 meters x 12 meters. Native or exotic. I would like it to become the main point of attraction in the yard.

Thanks

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Grey
Forum regular

Posts: 40
Location: Busselton WA.
Registered: June 2008

RE: Tree for backyard (Sydney)

Posted 63 days ago

G'day Merman,
I'd go for an exotic quite honestly. Most native small trees are rather short lived and evergreen. A small deciduous tree that's long lived gives you a changing feature through the year and lets light in during the winter but more gives more shade during summer and you can't really have too much shade in our summers. Furthermore as deciduous trees are not desperateluy trying to conserve water like natives they act as air coolers more effectively.

Best choices IMO and no particular order are

- Apricots, which give good autumn colour, flowers in spring, a nice trunk and overall shape. And, if not fruit, at least birds :-)

- Japanese maple, Great shape and Autumn colour which compensates for the lack of flower. Go for a standard form, the prettier leaf varieties are best suited for pot culture.

- Top grafted weeping mulberry. With good pruning technique this can be worked into a garden room that you can disappear into and have a twisted knarled ancient shape within 5 years. Gold in autumn and a beautiful sculpture in winter.

- Finally A weeping or standard flowering cherry for the gaspingly beautiful flower display. Requires a little more care and water but not difficult.

I don't think you'd be disapointed with any of those. good luck, Grey
_________

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merman
Forum newbie - be nice!

Posts: 3
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Registered: June 2008

RE: Tree for backyard (Sydney)

Posted 63 days ago

Much appreciated Grey

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merman
Forum newbie - be nice!

Posts: 3
Location:
Registered: June 2008

RE: Tree for backyard (Sydney)

Posted 60 days ago

I am leaning towards a Japanese Maple. How r they in Sydney, will they struggle in summer and is it best planted in full sun, partial sun/shade full shade? Thanks

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Grey
Forum regular

Posts: 40
Location: Busselton WA.
Registered: June 2008

RE: Tree for backyard (Sydney)

Posted 57 days ago

G'day Merman,

The species standard Acer palmatum can take full sun in Sydney, or at least it can in Perth and i don't think Sydney gets much hotter :-) It will also tolerate a fair bit of shade.Quite a lot of the smaller trees we grow in gardens are understories in nature and this is one of them. As i said earlier if you go for a beautiful and expensive cultivar be careful because some of them don't grow to any size at all and some burn very easily, but the ordinary is a beautiful tree with lovely autumn colour and a great structure. - Good luck with it:)
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