Alnus cremastogyne
Upright evergreen alder Ht 25-30m
Narrow crown, shading is minimal with good grass growth. Deep roots fix nitrogen and hold the soil. Grows well on dry Gisborne and Nelson hillsides, deciduous for 6 weeks. Cold hardiness not tested further south.
Group trees and shrubs:
Yes
Categories:
- Medium tree
- Deciduous
- Tolerates wet sites
- Tolerates dry sites
Alnus cordata
Italian alder Ht 25-30m
Corsica, central and S. Italy. Broadly conical, deciduous, fast growing, roots penetrate deeply. Popular for horticultural shelterbelts, trims well into a narrow tall hedge. Sheds some leaves in drought conditions. Used as a nurse crop with oak and redwood providing mycorrhiza, nitrogen and side shade to reduce epicormic regrowth on pruned final crop trees.
Group trees and shrubs:
Yes
Categories:
- Medium tree
- Deciduous
- Tolerates wet sites
- Tolerates exposed sites
- Attractive flowers or catkins
- Firewood
- Erosion control
- Shelter
- Tolerates pumice soils
Aesculus indica
Indian horse chestnut Ht 20-30m
Northwest Himalayas. Broadly columnar, deciduous. Creates heavy shade. Creamy white flowers much later than A. hippocastanum. Conkers are almost black and produced in smooth skinned fruits. Drought and heat tolerant.
Group trees and shrubs:
Yes
Categories:
- Medium tree
- Deciduous
- Tolerates dry sites
- Attractive autumn colours - yellow
- Attractive autumn colours - orange
- Attractive flowers or catkins
- Attractive berries fruits or cone
- Attracts bees
- Tolerates limestone soils
Aesculus hippocastanum
Horse chestnut Ht 20-30m
Albania and Nth Greece. Broadly conical, deciduous. Large palmate compound leaves produce a dense shade. Large creamy white flowers, then prickly oval fruits, enclosing polished conkers prized by schoolboys in the UK. Best in fertile soils.
Group trees and shrubs:
Yes
Categories:
- Large tree
- Deciduous
- Intolerant to clay soils
- Attractive autumn colours - yellow
- Attractive flowers or catkins
- Attractive berries fruits or cone
- Attracts bees
- Tolerates limestone soils
Aesculus carnea
Pink horse chestnut Ht 15-20m
A true breeding hybrid between A. hippocastanum and A. pavia. Broadly spreading, deciduous. Pink flowers followed by smooth skinned oval fruits which enclose highly polished intricately patterned conkers.
Group trees and shrubs:
Yes
Categories:
- Small Tree
- Deciduous
- Attractive autumn colours - brown
- Attractive flowers or catkins
- Attractive berries fruits or cone
- Attracts bees
Acer saccharinum
Silver maple Ht 25-30m
East North America. Broadly columnar, deciduous. Grows in moist soils and riverbanks in its native habitat. Vigorous grower. Attractive autumn tints. Maple timber is highly prized in the USA for flooring.
Group trees and shrubs:
Yes
Categories:
- Medium tree
- Deciduous
- Tolerates wet sites
- Attractive autumn colours - yellow
- Attractive autumn colours - orange
- Attractive autumn colours - red
- Attractive berries fruits or cone
- Attracts bees
- Timber
Acer saccharum
Sugar maple Ht 20-30m
Broadly columnar, deciduous. Appears to need fertile soils for good growth. Also known as rock maple. Spring sap is processed into maple syrup in USA and now in NZ. Orange is the predominant autumn colour, quite spectacular. Cold hardy.
Group trees and shrubs:
Yes
Categories:
- Medium tree
- Deciduous
- Attractive autumn colours - yellow
- Attractive autumn colours - orange
- Attractive autumn colours - red
- Attractive berries fruits or cone
- Attracts bees
- Timber
Acer rubescens
Taiwan mountain maple Ht 5-10m
Broadly spreading, deciduous holding leaves late, turning yellow. Suited to milder areas. Seeds hang in long bunches, many infertile. Rare in N.Z.
Group trees and shrubs:
Yes
Categories:
- Small Tree
- Deciduous
- Attractive autumn colours - yellow
Acer rufinerve
Grey-budded snake bark Ht 5-10m
Japanese mountain forests. Broadly columnar, deciduous. Blueish bloom on green branches, white stripes on older stems. Reddish to orange to yellow autumn colour. Cold hardy.
Group trees and shrubs:
Yes
Categories:
- Small Tree
- Deciduous
- Attractive autumn colours - yellow
- Attractive autumn colours - orange
Acer rubrum 'Red Sunset'
Red maple clone 'Red Sunset'
Selected clone with brilliant orange and red autumn colour lasting several weeks, beginning before October Glory. Red Sunset judged the best clone for warmer Southern USA, may be best for milder parts of NZ.
Group trees and shrubs:
Yes
Categories:
- Medium tree
- Deciduous
- Tolerates wet sites
- Attractive autumn colours - orange
- Attractive autumn colours - red
- Attractive flowers or catkins
- Attracts bees
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