Some amazing trees - Part 1
- Written by Clive Goodacre
Ideally every garden should have young and old trees, but as well as the tried and tested it is worth trying something different as Clive Goodacre suggests in this first of a two part feature.
(Please click on the images to see in more detail.)
It is said if you sleep under an olive during the driest summer you will wake up covered in drops of water. This is only one aspect of the amazing olive (Olea europaea) which, apart from the ability to live for a thousand years or more in the most inhospitable conditions, condenses water from the atmosphere.
Moving an Olive tree could not be easier, just cut the branches back to the classic curved fingers configuration, dig it up and replant. Trucks loaded with bare rooted Olives lifted from ancient orchards are a common sight on the roads between the Algarve and Alentejo. They may take a year or two to form a good head of foliage, but olive trees normally survive the most brutal transplanting provided they are watered weekly during their first two summers. Olive trees can be stored – if for example a site is being cleared for development – by planting them temporarily in a spare piece of land and moving them into position later as the building takes shape.
Ancient trees like olives and Carobs (Ceratonia siliqua) have tremendous visual impact on new gardens and it is good that so many are being preserved in this way. But every new garden needs new trees as well and it is here that careful planning will pay dividends later on, although every garden should have at least one indulgence.
Fast growing screening
But firstly here are some fast growing evergreen trees that are good for screening and withstanding windy conditions. Most commonly used are Schinus molle (Pepper tree) and Grevillea robusta (Silky oak), which respond well to generous watering and feeding yet can survive on low water once established. 
The Pepper tree can be difficult to establish right on the coast where its foliage is battered by wind. Grevillea robusta sheds a lot of foliage in the early spring, but when mature produces magnificent clumps of yellow flowers in late spring to early summer. The pepper tree produces aromatic pink peppercorns that can be dried, roasted and ground to make a pepper substitute while spice oil is produced for a variety of uses. Pink peppercorns are also said to go especially well in fruit sauces, vinaigrettes, and desserts. For shade nothing beats a pepper tree as it gives ideal dappled moving shade rather than creating a gloomy area of garden.
It is not worth buying large specimens of either trees because well treated small ones will catch up within two years and ultimately overtake them by developing a better root structure rather than one crippled within the confines of a pot.
Remember small trees adapt better and are much easier to plant, slotting in where more mature root balls would have to be cut back or require extensive excavation and mechanical lifting. A tree’s ultimate shape and canopy depends on the size and spread of its roots so don’t expect to buy a pot grown tree with a large canopy unless of course it is in a massive container. Also remember to factor in the cost of transport, mechanical lifting and digging when opting for large trees. Access and potential damage to paving should also be considered.
Flowering trees
We are very fortunate here in the Algarve in being able to grow a wide range of trees producing outstanding flowers. Top of most people’s list must be the Jacaranda even though in many locations it has weak open foliage. There is an avenue of Jacaranda trees leading into Lagos from the West which is nondescript for most of the year, yet towards the end of May glows for two weeks in a magical intense shade of lavender blue.
The downside is that Jacaranda saplings take a long time to flower and certainly do not do well in pots making large specimens hard to come by. Jacaranda does not like windy or cold conditions and its spindly foliage hardly creates a centrepiece for your garden. One way of reviving a young damaged jacarandas or one that stubbornly refuses to develop top growth, is to let the basal suckers grow and even cut off the top, which encourages it to grow into a large bush that still flowers like a tree.
A better all round choice for flowers and foliage is the evergreen then Metrosideros excelsus which has found favour in Algarvean gardens during the past few years. Known as the New Zealand Christmas tree or Pohutukawa, it can be grown in a pot as a large shrub, where it does not seem to mind being root bound, or can be developed into a multi-stemmed tree more than 10m high in open ground.
Extremely wind resistant and salt tolerant, it has leaves that are green on top and grey underneath while branches develop fibrous aerial roots that in mature specimens can hang down for several metres. Early May sees intense bottlebrush flowers in the deepest crimson colour imaginable. In order to thrive it should really be given humus rich soil and regular watering at first, then much less water once it is established.
Primrose tree
If you are looking for an evergreen small tree that has a tropical feel then Lagunaria patersonni is one to consider. Originating from the South Pacific it has open pink flowers and felted green/grey leaves. It can cope with strong salt-laden winds, full sun, needs little water and has a marvellous compact shape. One of its common names is the cow itch tree because hairs on its seed pods can cause irritation, but more attractive common names are Norfolk Island hibiscus (where it originates) and Primrose tree.
Another evergreen flowering tree – albeit grown more for its foliage and attractive shaped trunk is Brachychiton populneus, originating from Australia and otherwise known as the Kurrajong or bottle tree. It is easy to ignore these trees because of their passing resemblance to poplars, however while their three-lobed shiny leaves may be similar, that’s about as far as it goes. 
Brachychitons develop into large single stemmed trees with an attractive smooth green/grey fattish trunk that flare out at the base in a bottle shape. Their small bell-shaped flowers are cream with spotted pink insides and are followed by large, boat-shaped seed capsules which contain many large seeds, similar to corn kernels.
Brachychitons are not too fussy about growing conditions tolerating wind, temperatures just below freezing, average soil and moderate water. What makes them attractive to landscapers are their availability as large pot grown specimens for a relatively modest price. The Illawarra flame tree Brachychiton acerifolius, with spectacular crimson flowers, is seldom found here unfortunately.
Deciduous trees for impact
If you are looking for something unusual or producing outstanding flowers then deciduous trees win hands down. For example Parkinsonia aculata is definitely one for the connoisseur starting out as a long thorny stick with a few tufts of serrated greenery on top. However within a couple of years it changes into a feathery tree with bright green branches and from late June to August develops masses of small scented yellow flowers with red centres. Otherwise known as Jerusalem thorn, it grows in the driest most inhospitable places.
Two deciduous trees flowering in early spring are Melia azedarach (bead or rosary tree), and Cercis siliquastrum (the Judas tree). Melia azedarach produces multi-lobed foliage followed by scented lilac flowers and clumps of orange berries. It is an easy tree to grow needing little water and tolerating poor soil and windy conditions. The Judas tree is an amazing survivor growing wild all over the Algarve in wild spots with little or no summer water. Deep pink pea-like flowers grow straight out its trunk and branches giving the appearance of being stuck on. Heart- shaped leaves follow and a little careful pruning produces a handsome tree with a rounded canopy. It makes a good no-fuss garden specimen tree, but resents root disturbance so do not try and move mature specimens.
Finally when it comes to amazing trees then Chorisia speciosa (Silk floss tree) has it all. Notable are its rounded hibiscus-shaped rose pink flowers and heavily studded spiked trunk looking like a bulldog’s collar that changes from green to grey with age. Flowers appear in early autumn just after its leaves start to drop, finally come pear shaped pods full of seeds surrounded by silky white floss to complete the performance. As it gets older the trunk swells out into an elongated barrel shape while the huge spikes change into rounded buttons. This bizarre beauty hails from Brazil and is easy to grow here, just give it moist soil and full sun – two fine specimens can be found growing in the entrance to the Alcazar in Seville.
Read 'Some amazing trees - Part 2
Please Support Madrugada
Help us to help people and their families in the Algarve living with a life threatening illness.
Visit our charity shops in Praia da Luz (926322280) and Portimão (925664235).
More details and other ways of helping at www.madrugada-portugal.com
