Evergreen Trees

Acacia dealbata

Mimosa Tree

Acacia dealbata provides a vibrant burst of sunshine during the winter months as its highly distinctive flowers appear in January. The flowers resemble small, fluffy spheres and they are golden yellow in colour; they are highly fragrant and their sweet scent can be a real treat for the senses over the winter months. In fact, the essence of the flowers, called ‘cassie’, is used in perfumes and fragrances around the world. Aside from human uses, bees and insects love the Mimosa flowers too, and it’s a valuable source of late winter fuel for the bees in particular. Aside from the floral interest, the foliage offers a healthy dose of year-round colour. The pinnate leaves are large with feathery leaflets: the foliage colour is a glaucous blue-green, but can sometimes be silvery green. The leaves make the perfect foil for the vibrant winter flowers. In terms of its habit, the Acacia dealbata will grow to have widely spaced branches and it will become a small-medium sized tree. This Australian native is half-hardy, so it will need some protection in exposed sites. An ideal situation would be to plant it in a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall for optimum protection. If you want a planting partner, we would recommend the Eucalyptus Gunnii as it also has glaucous blue foliage. Equally, the Cytisus Battandieri works really well due to its vivid floral summer display, as you get bright yellow flowers in winter from the Acacia and vibrant yellow flowers in summer from the Cytisus. Common Name: Mimosa or Silver WattleLatin Name: Acacia dealbataSoil: Any free draining soil.Position: Full sunHardiness: Half hardy. May need protection in very cold winters.Flowering Period: Late winter into springFlowering Colour: Small, yellow , fluffy ballsEventual Height/Spread: 8m (26ft) / 4m (14ft)Special features: An interesting small evergreen tree with small, yellow , fluffy balls

Magnolia grandiflora

Evergreen Magnolia Tree

The Magnolia grandiflora boasts the most beautiful, very large white flowers and glossy green foliage which holds all year round. A bold and bright tree that is perfect for adding interest in all seasons. You would be hard-pressed to find a flower as large and beautiful as this one in your average garden. The Magnolia grandiflora, also known as the 'Evergeen Magnolia', features colossal flowers, with some up to 25cm wide, which appear in late August- early September. The cup-shaped flowers have thick, creamy-white petals and really stand out. The flowers have an intense citrusy scent, with hints of lemon, which makes this the perfect choice for sensory planting. Another great feature of this tree is its very large leaves: the evergreen leaves are oblong-elliptic shaped and dark, glossy green in colour. The thick and waxy leaves often have reddish-brown hairs underneath and they offer a healthy dose of colour all year round. This tree grows to have a broad, conical shape and it’s fairly bushy, making a great screen. It looks simply stunning when paired with the Magnolia Exmouth, but if you want contrasting interest then we would recommend planting the 'Grandiflora' alongside the Photinia ‘Red Robin’ as the blushed foliage of this evergreen makes the perfect foil to the ‘Grandiflora’. Magnolia grandiflora can be trained against a wall or grown as freestanding rounded or conical large shrub or tree. Common Name: Evergreen Magnolia, Southern Magnolia, BullbayLatin Name: Magnolia grandifloraSoil: Moist, well-drained, tolerates chalkPosition: Full sun or partial shadeFlowering period/colour: August-September/WhiteHardiness: Fully hardyHeight and spread in 10 years: 3m/3m (Ultimately up to 15m but can be kept pruned.)Special features: Evergreen tree with intensely scented white flowers from mid summer to

Acacia bailyana Purpurea

Cootamundra Wattle Tree

Common Name: Cootamundra WattleLatin Name: Acacia bailyana 'Purpurea'Soil: Any free draining soil.Position: Full sunHardiness: Half hardy. May need protection in very cold winters.Flowering Period: Late winter into springFlowering Colour: Small, yellow, fluffy ballsEventual Height/Spread: 7m / 4mSpecial features: A striking evergreen with feathery purple foliage.The Acacia bailyana 'Purpurea' is an eye-catching Acacia which boasts purple-tinged foliage; the stems are also purple, sometimes with a red flush, and the feathery leaves later turn to a grey-green colour once they have further developed. The contrast of the old and new foliage makes this a highly attractive ornamental tree. The 'Cootamundra Wattle', as it is commonly called, also offers winter interest with buttery-yellow flowers that appear in late winter and last into spring; the fluffy flowers are spherical in shape and they sit nestled amongst the winter foliage. This is the perfect tree for a sunny spot in the garden and it looks beautiful next to its more verdant relative, the Acacia dealbata, particularly when planted alternately. This Australian native is half-hardy, so it will need some protection in exposed sites; an ideal situation would be to plant it in a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall for optimum protection.

Magnolia grandiflora Goliath

Bullbay Goliath

Common Name: Bullbay Goliath Latin Name: Magnolia grandiflora 'Goliath' Soil: Moist, well-drained, tolerates chalkPosition: Full sun or partial shadeFlowering period/colour: August-September/ Creamy whiteHardiness: Fully hardyEventual height/spread: 12m/12mSpecial features: Very large goblet-shaped creamy white flowers in late summer. As the name suggests, the 'Goliath' grows to be a tall, large and mighty tree that will become a real focal point of your garden. The glossy dark green leaves are extremely large and can be up to 25cm long on a mature specimen. With this being an evergreen variety, the leaves hold on the tree all year round which adds interest to your garden during the winter months. The flowers are arguably the finest feature of this tree as these are up to 30cm wide and are goblet-shaped, sweetly scented and creamy white in colour.

Eucalyptus pauciflora

Cabbage Gum Tree

Common Name: Cabbage Gum TreeLatin Name: Eucalyptus paucifloraSoil: Tolerant to a wide range of soilsPosition: Full sunHardiness: Very hardyEventual height/spread: 6m/6mSpecial features: Slow growing, small tree with leathery blue/green leaves. The trunk forms into a beautiful patchwork display of cream, grey and green.Eucalyptus pauciflora is a stunning tree with blended tones of green, blues and grey throughout the trunk and foliage. It provides a small, attractive tree to the garden with a broad headed growth habit. This is a very hardy evergreen tree.