Columnar tropical looking tree ideas!

[Trudytropics]

Hi, Thought as I had so much fun on here i'd better get sensible. My garden is spacially challenged (other words tiny),
so far all my tropicals are in raised beds and a few pots (will get pictures up this weekend, cos sun is going to shine ), anyhow I would love another tree for a pot but it would have to be quite slim and column like. I have looked for a while and can't really find anything that fits the bill, any suggestions from you clever people. Also garden is a complete suntrap, so tree would have to tolerate this and be fully hardy! Thankyou in anticipation of your ideas .

Regards Trudy

[grub]

One word...Pseudopanax

[Simba]

I now have an Albizzia Julibrissin in a pot, should be OK for a few years at least...

[Markby]

Hi trudy,
Pseudopanax is a good suggestion. Also, if you have the budget for it, a Wollemi Pine would fit the bill perfectly (assuming you even like them). I enjoy the fern-like look of the folage and they grow in interesting ways. Consensus has it that they are surprisingly hardy too.

[Trudytropics]

Hi Grub, Thanks for your suggestion, I have never heard of it, so just googled it and there are many varieties, is it the crassifolius you suggest, this is probably one of the weirdest trees I have seen, something quite pre-historic looking, I am going to add it to my list of maybe's .
Trudy

[Trudytropics]

Hi Markby, I love the Wollemi pines and have thought of them before, beautiful looking trees and so old, unfortunately I read some reports recently of people losing them in the bad winter.
I think a North East winter would see it off, they are quite pricy so not worth the risk. Excellent suggestion though .
Trudy

[Trudytropics]

Thanks Simba another lovely suggestion, Silk tree I think. I did see a standardised one of these and it looked great, are these hardy enough, if so will add to list as a very nice looking tree. .
Trudy

[HarryandNess]

Hi Markby, I love the Wollemi pines and have thought of them before, beautiful looking trees and so old, unfortunately I read some reports recently of people losing them in the bad winter.
I think a North East winter would see it off, they are quite pricy so not worth the risk. Excellent suggestion though .
Trudy

Gorgeous trees indeed but I've seen dead ones around here after last winter. You're even further north, so you're very wise to be cautious.

Ness

[Nigel Fear]

Trudy, how much width would you tolerate for your tree?
Also, would you need it looking green in the winter, or just the warmer months [whenever they are]?

[Trudytropics]

Nigel the narrower the better, I would prefer something evergreen, however a deciduous tree would be ok, it will be in a pot so came be moved out of view if not too attractive in the winter months. This is a tough one I know, has to be hardy, slim, sun tolerant and happy in a pot not a lot to ask then .
Trudy

[Mo]

I wouldn't go for a woolemi pine. I lost mine in a pot after three years of struggling to get it to do anything other than look sad! It was a special present bought for my 50th and I haven't plucked up the courage to tell them that it's now dead! It never really looked happy and I tried very hard to give it the right conditions.

[Trudytropics]

Mo thats too bad about your wollemi pine, they are the most beautiful conifer with so much history, but they are very expensive and people seem to be losing them in the bad winters. I think the cryptomerias are rather nice might make a better replacement .
Trudy

[Nigel Fear]

Well, just as a few suggestions, how about a matching pair of some of those columnar cypress tree's for a mediterranean look?
Or maybe a standard Laurel or Bay tree, perhaps?

Cordyline australis don't take up a lot of width, plus when it eventually outgrows the pot you could plant it out, or maybe go for Cordyline Kaspar, which is more suited to a pot longer-term.
Or if you don't mind tucking something behind a shed during the winter months, you could go for something like Arundo donax, which is really a very tall woody stemmed grass relative, which can be cut down in the spring when it will re-grow from soil level.

[Trudytropics]

Thanks very much Nigel, some nice suggestions, the bay trees would survive well here, I have 2 at the front of house, they amaze me every year, this winter gone they were buried under snowdrifts for weeks, look a little sorry for a while but plenty of plantfood and they come back better every year. I have looked at portugese laurel and this looks nice, one for the list. Large cordylines are a non starter, I lost a £99 one last winter, only had it for 5 months . I don't mind the little one for pots as they are cheap as chips Arundo looks interesting never thought of putting it in a pot, I think they grow quite tall, again another on my list of possibles. Thanks Nigel .
Trudy

[Chad]

Have a look through these.

I quite like the idea of a Ginko in an upright form. Even without leaves they have a 'prescence'.

Chad.