Top 3 Trees to Beautify Your Landscape This Summer!
In our last article, we wrote about why trees are such a great gift to us, their incredible benefits and how they enhance any landscaped area. If you missed it, you can catch it here. Now, as a follow-up, as promised, we would like to get a little more detailed about a few of these trees.
At Windy Willows Wholesale Nursery, we are having a mature tree sale at the moment, with a special offer on three of our most beloved Indigenous trees - Searsia (Rhus) lancea, Combretum erythrophyllum, and Celtis africana.
In this article, we would like to introduce you to these top 3 trees to adorn your landscaped area this summer and tell you about their characteristics and the benefits of buying and planting them. So, without further ado, for those not already acquainted with them, let us introduce you to them.
Searsea (Rhus) Lancea
Better known as the Karee tree, this beauty likes lots of sun and grows to a height of 8m with a spread of 5 to 7 m, so it is a good shade tree and often used in parking lots. It is a semi-hardy evergreen that is drought resistant once established; a good choice to withstand the effects of climate change.
Usually a single-stemmed, low-branching tree, the Karee tree has a thick, soft, round canopy and a rough bark. Once they age, they become dark grey or brown, but young trees are reddish-brown. These trees provide natural soil stabilisation and increase rainwater infiltration into the soil, thus reducing erosion and raising the groundwater table.
It’s interesting to know that the leaves of the karee provide much-favoured fodder for livestock but, according to the experts, ‘’can taint the flavour of milk if eaten in large quantities by dairy cattle due to the resin contained in them. The tree is also an important source of shade for livestock in certain regions.’’
Combretum Erythrophyllum
Another indigenous tree that likes a lot of sun, the River Bushwillow, as it is more commonly known, grows to a magnificent 12m with a 13m spread, so it is one of the kings of shade trees and is often grown along pavements.
This medium-to-large deciduous tree has reddish autumn colours and a mottled appearance. Its flowers smell as beautiful as they look, with their cream to pale yellow colour in spring. The bark is pale brown and smooth but flakes with age to expose grey patches, which give it that mottled appearance.
Their fruits are 4-winged, greenish-brown in colour, ripening to yellowish brown and drying to a honey-brown. They are said to be poisonous and cause hiccups if eaten, so should be avoided. This magnificent tree has the added benefit of being fast-growing and drought-resistant, too!
Celtis Africana
With the common name White Stinkwood, the Celtis Africana is also a sun lover and grows to an impressive height of 10 to 12m with a good spread of 9m, so it is also known to be an excellent shade tree.
It is hardy and is a favourite indigenous tree with attractive bark and two-toned deciduous green leaves. There is no doubt that this is an excellent tree to use in any landscape and is also a rewarding garden tree. It is fast and easy to grow, even under various conditions.
White stinkwood, as with many of our hardy indigenous trees, is fairly drought-resistant and can withstand frost. It does best in good, rich, deep soil with plenty of water in summer. This tree has proven to be ideal for large gardens and parks and has been successful as a street and pavement tree.
Windy Willows has them all
So, now that you have been introduced to our three superstars, why not pay us a visit to be introduced to them in person? Take advantage of our great deal on these right now and take them to a good home.
We at Windy Willows Wholesale Nursery have a wide range of trees and all manner of plants, and we are landscapers, too. We can offer great advice, regardless of what landscaping or gardening project you are undertaking, so just contact us or pop in and see us.
We hope your year is going well so far – and we can’t wait to see you make it your best gardening year yet!