Harcourt Arboretum

[AndyC]

We had a day out last week and spent the morning at the Harcourt Arboretum in Oxfordshire. The core of the arboretum has been established for about 180 years and has some fine old trees in the collection. It was purchased by Oxford University after the war and is now run as part of the Oxford Botanical Gardens.
Starting with the big boys we found Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar), Sequoidendron gigantean (Giant Redwood), Pseudosuga menziesii (Douglas Fir), Larix x euolepis (a hubid Larch), Cedrus libani (Cedar of Lebanon) and lovely copse of Tilia europaea (Lime)

Tilia europaea by atropica1, on Flickr
The Limes were planted quite close together so have produced wonderfully tall straight trunks.
This Douglas fir must have branched while quite young and now looks like a huge candelabra, magnifent

Pseudotsuga menziesii by atropica1, on Flickr

Not quite in the same size league but still impessive was this Taxodium distichum (Bald Cypress)

Taxodium distichum by atropica1, on Flickr
and this flowering Paulownia fargesii

Paulownia fargesii by atropica1, on Flickr

[AndyC]

There are some unusual fruiting trees in the collection. Stuartia pseudocamellia


Stuartia pseudocamellia by atropica1, on Flickr
Cydonia oblonga 'Vranja' (Quince)

Cydonia oblonga 'Vranja' by atropica1, on Flickr
The flowers had gone from this Halesia Carolina but was laden with these odd shaped fruit.

Halesia carolina by atropica1, on Flickr

[AndyC]

Not many trees in flower at this time of year but this Cornus controversa was just about hanging on for us

Cornus controversa by atropica1, on Flickr
The Rhododendron walk would look spectacular earlier in the year but these two took my eye, a hybrid called 'Cowslip'


Rhododendron 'Cowslip' by atropica1, on Flickr
and R. macabeanum

Rhododenron macabeanum by atropica1, on Flickr
The arboretum demonstrates small scale coppicing for charcoal production

IMG_1360 by atropica1, on Flickr
and p
IMG_1361 by atropica1, on Flickr
and produces some beautiful timber. Here they are putting up a building which will be used as an education centre

[AndyC]

Some more familiar subjects for the exotic garden

IMG_1343 by atropica1, on Flickr
I think this is Phyllostachys bissettii, whatever it is it has gone rampant

IMG_1344 by atropica1, on Flickr
This newly planted tree is a bit of a puzzle. It is labelled as Morus nigra (Black Mulberry) but pictures I've seen of this tree always show it with simple cordate leaves. Any ideas?

Morus nigra by atropica1, on Flickr

We had lunch in the car before moving on for a 'historic dawdle' around Dorchester-on-Thames (as the internet guide described it).
There are beggars everywhere you go these days

IMG_1370 by atropica1, on Flickr

[LONGK]

Thanks for giving me a nudge as despite having a season ticket I've never been. Must make the effort next year...................

[Chad]

This newly planted tree is a bit of a puzzle. It is labelled as Morus nigra (Black Mulberry) but pictures I've seen of this tree always show it with simple cordate leaves. Any ideas?

I think it is OK. Mulberies have different seedling leaves [small and simple] to adolescent leaves [as shown in your picture] and then larger simple leaves again when mature; with odd ones out of place as well.

See the variations here.

The related Broussonetia does it too. And not always predictably - a pain if you want the more interesting leaf shape!

[AndyC]

Thanks Chad. It would be a disappointment to buy a young plant expecting the mature foliage to be the same as when juvenile.

I initially became a 'Friend' of the Oxford Botanical Gardens because membership gave me free entry into Kew and was much less expensive than paying the annual subscription for Kew. Now I visit the OBG much more often that I make the trip to Kew Gardens and I find their newsletter very interesting.

I failed to mention that the arboretum have acquired and are developing several acres of wild flower meadows. They weren't anything to write home about when we went but earlier in the year I guess they would be spectacular. With the blue bell woods, Rhododendron walk and autumn leaf colour it has a lot to offer at many times of the year.