Identifying an unknown tree
By Spritzhenry
West Somerset, England
This photo was taken today.
On plant
Unknown tree
- 21 Jan, 2008
Answers
It's about 10 feet tall by 10 feet spread. Flowers are clusters, a bit like a Viburnum tinus, only no pink in them, and it flowers as far as I recall in the summer. The bees love the flowers.
21 Jan, 2008
I've seen a photinia in shade and starved conditions do this - red leaves now but no new red growth in the growing season
21 Jan, 2008
I agree with Andrew, it looks like a sick photinia, where is it planted, position, etc
21 Jan, 2008
It is facing west (in maximum sunshine) in a large mixed bed. The soil in the garden is good, it's neutral, but I have not fed the soil in this particular bed apart from last summer when I planted a whole batch of Convallaria under this tree, and added compost as I did so. I have now looked at my Hillier and found a Photinia called 'Redstart' which sounds very like it. What steps do you think I should take now? Compost/ bonemeal/ manure? I've got all these to hand.
21 Jan, 2008
Go for it, give it a good feed and maybe a trim in the spring to keep it in check, I have downloaded a picture of a photinia flower on my homepage if that jogs your memory
Andrea
21 Jan, 2008
I did trim it last year - partly to keep its shape and also because the vine on the pergola had grown into it and I was perched on top of a stepladder cutting the vine out - dear me, what a job! So I think its haircut should wait. What shall I feed it on?
21 Jan, 2008
Lightly dig the soil with a trowel, give it some bonemeal and top dress with a layer of compost and some good mulch of small bark chippings or leaf mould. That is what I would do then give it some liquid feed in the Spring when the new shoots start to appear, seaweed or something similar, all the best and I hope he recovers
21 Jan, 2008
Not 100% sure but it looks like magnolia acuminata.
How large is this tree?
Fred
21 Jan, 2008