Birch, Prunus avium : botanical card

Botanical card dedicated to the wild cherry tree, Prunus avium

The wild cherry tree is found everywhere in France, but it is rare to find it in the Landes and in the Mediterranean region. On the other hand, the departments with the highest population of wild cherry are located in the northeast and north of the country.

Description of the cherry tree

The cherry tree is a tree that can live 120 years or more. Its maximum height is 20 to 25 meters, its foliage is medium dense, deciduous, and takes on a bright red hue in the fall.

The flowers of the cherry tree are both male and female. Their pollination is done by insects, while the seeds are dispersed by animals, especially birds.

Note: the cherry is a species of full light, fast growing.

Yellow birch enemies

Yellow birch is susceptible to a number of enemies, including a microscopic fungus, cylindrosporium, which causes premature leaf drop in early summer following a cool, rainy spring.

Another enemy of the cherry tree: the black aphid. It dries out the young shoots and shrivels the leaves.

The deer, fond of its shoots, is responsible for wounds on the trunk and branches, due to its repeated rubbing.

A disease can also be observed: the 'green vein'. It is an anomaly linked to the internal tensions of the wood. It is characterized by a particular coloration which gives its name to this defect.

The qualities of cherry wood

Cherry is a fine-grained wood of medium hardness, whose color varies naturally from light honey to reddish brown.

It can be worked well at all levels of processing: sawing, slicing, planing.

Nevertheless, its wood is not very durable and sensitive to insects and fungi, which confines it to inferior uses.

Cherry is mainly sought after for furniture manufacturing: industrial veneer or solid furniture.

It is also a good firewood.

Advice on growing birch

Yellow birch is a species that does not fear the cold in plains and hills. However, it is sensitive to spring frosts which destroy its flowers.

It appreciates full light and develops well on deep, aerated soils, regularly supplied with water, but not excessively.

Field elm and diffuse elm : botanical card

Botanical sheet of the field elm and the diffuse elm

The field elm (Ulmus minor), quite common, and the diffuse elm (Ulmus laevis), not very widespread, are also called elm. They are among the typical species of alluvial valleys and, more locally, of hedgerows and the coastal edge.

Description of the elm

The elm is a 20 to 25 meters high tree, with a fan-shaped top and powerful ascending branches. Its longevity is exceptional, about 3 centuries.

The oval leaves are small and asymmetrical at the base. They are arranged on the same plane, on the branches, forming a dense cover of green color, then golden yellow in the fall.

The flowers of the elm are hermaphroditic, of dark pink color and appear early, before the foliage. They are agglomerated in bunches, at the end of the branches. Once hatched, they quickly evolve into clusters of winged seeds.

The great enemy of the elm

Graphiosis (Dutch elm disease): this is a lower pathogenic fungus carried by small insects, the elm bark beetle, which lay eggs under the bark. Once established, the fungus clogs the sap-carrying vessels and the infested tree dies by wilting.

This disease, which has been rampant since 1976, poses a real threat to the survival of the species. It particularly affects the tallest trees.

The qualities of elm wood

Elm is an excellent wood, hard, heavy, dense and durable, with a reddish brown heartwood.

It has a wide range of uses because of its aesthetic aspect, very figured (it is sought after for furniture, stairs, frames and floors) and its strength appreciated in carpentry and for the construction of piles.

Planting advice

If you wish to have an elm in your garden as an ornamental tree, plant it in the fall to encourage its rooting before winter. Mulching is recommended to preserve soil moisture in summer and protect the roots from the cold in winter.

Also, give it a full sun exposure.

Note: there are horticultural varieties, very elegant and limited in development.

Planting a tree in the garden

Planting a tree reintroduces us to the rhythm of nature: that of the seasons with the blossoming, the fall colors, the fall of its leaves; that of the years because it takes its time to establish itself, its roots growing underground almost as much as its branches in the air: that's how much energy it needs!

Not all trees grow at the same speed. But be aware that the slowest-growing ones usually last the longest. Trees give you a bonus for patience!

Many tree species have more to offer than just shade. Some bloom spectacularly, such as cherry blossoms, evergreen magnolias, the silk tree. The flowers are even more spectacular when they appear before the leaves, as in the case of the paulownia, the purple plum tree or the Judas tree. Others bloom very early for the willows and their catkins, the Byzantine hazelnut tree or the Persian parrotia. They produce fruit in the fall like the clerodendrons with their small light blue pears with purple collars or the honey locust with its contorted mahogany pods. Some of these fruits remain on the branches well into the winter, such as the tiny apples of the ornamental apple trees or the orange or yellow berries of the mountain ash. On the other hand, some fruits are not desired, such as the horse chestnuts that must be picked up when they fall to the ground. The red chestnut tree has the advantage of producing very few fruits, and that's not bad!

But it's in the autumn finery that the trees put the package to surprise us: the yellow, the red, the shades of fire ... Nothing is too intense to make the beautiful before the fall of leaves. The list of the most beautiful fall colors is hard to determine. However, liquidambar, ginkgo, maple and American red oak are among the most spectacular!

Some species or varieties, smaller than others, allow you to enjoy this country shade regardless of the size of your garden. Some, such as the Judas tree, the Bohemian olive tree or the soap tree, hardly exceed 5 to 6 m in height and 3 to 4 m in width.

Our tip for choosing your tree

Prefer deciduous trees whose shade disappears when the leaves fall, in autumn, when they are no longer needed... Especially near the house, do not darken the interior in winter.

Wild pear tree, Pyrus pyraster : botanical card

Botanical sheet about wild pear tree, Pyrus pyraster

Location of the wild pear tree

The wild pear tree is a fruit tree present throughout France, but it is rare to find it in the north and in the Mediterranean region.

Attention: it can be confused with the heart-leaved pear tree, Pyrus cordata, a shrub from 3 to 8 meters high, whose frugality allows it to colonize the most ungrateful environments.

Description of the wild pear tree

The Pyrus pyraster is a tree with slow and limited growth. Indeed its cyme, in the shape of pyramid, rarely exceeds a height of 11 to 15 meters.

It is known for its exceptional longevity, commonly exceeding 300 years.

The foliage of the wild pear tree is rather dense. Its branches carry numerous small oval and elongated leaves and its white and very early (April) flowers are hermaphroditic. The small, almost round pears they produce are acrid and astringent.

Note: the wild pear tree is the origin of most of the fruit varieties of pears currently cultivated. It is still used as a rootstock by nurserymen.

The diseases of the wild pear tree

Be careful, the wild pear tree is sensitive to various diseases:

• rots which settle in the wounds which can be caused to its foot;
• to fire blight ;
• torso fiber (uniform inclination of the vessels and fibers of the wood in relation to the axis of the tree), a genetic defect resulting in a "screwed" wood, unsuitable for sawing and thus for noble uses (carpentry, joinery, slicing...).

The uses of wild pear wood

The wild pear tree has a homogeneous wood, very hard, of a generally reddish brown color. Its grain, of a great fineness and an exceptional polish, directs its use towards quality products such as violin making, slicing for top-of-the-range veneers, marquetry, turning, sculpture or engraving.

In rural crafts, many objects from the past still testify to its use due to its remarkable resistance: pulleys, stretchers, levers, grooved wheels, pulleys...

Do you want to plant a wild pear tree?

The wild pear tree appreciates acid to neutral, compact, light and drained soils. It is a heliophilic species; it therefore needs a sunny or, failing that, a semi-shady exposure.

Frequently asked questions about the Japanese maple

Admired by all for their elegant habit and their flamboyant colors, Japanese maples require very specific growing conditions. From substrate to watering, from the best planting period to the ideal exposure, you will know everything about these fascinating trees!

How to properly water a Japanese maple?

An Acer should be watered very often but moderately. The humidity level of the air determines the frequency of watering. If it is planted in the undergrowth or under the cover of large trees among dense vegetation, it will better withstand heat episodes thanks to the evapo-transpiration of other plants. The watering will be less sustained in this case, but it is important to keep in mind that this tree feeds itself first of all by its superficial roots. The soil must be kept fresh at this level by regular watering and mulching.

Be careful not to over-water as soggy soil can cause root disease.

How to water a newly planted Japanese maple?

A very abundant watering is done at planting to eliminate any air pockets around the roots. If it rains and the soil is wet on the surface, avoid watering for 15 days because the new roots form better if the soil is not soaked. After that, one watering per week is sufficient until May, when temperatures rise and growth really starts. The frequency of watering increases to every 5 days.

In winter, let nature take its course, except in regions where it does not rain. Watering once a week or even every 10 days will be sufficient.

How to prune a Japanese maple?

It all depends on the species and variety! Some maples do not need pruning, such as true dwarf varieties like 'Hupps Dwarf' or ground cover varieties. The green and red Acer dissectum cultivars have a drooping habit, which widens and then forms real waterfalls; their juvenile branches cover the older ones. For all these varieties, a simple pruning at the end of winter will be necessary to remove the dead wood.

For the other species and varieties of Japanese maples, pruning must be done in a very clean way on branches of 3 to 5 cm in diameter maximum so that the wounds can close as soon as possible.

close as quickly as possible.

On a typical young Acer palmatum, training pruning consists in increasing the number of low branches. Growth will be slowed down but the roots will develop better. In late February, prune to 3 or 4 pairs of buds. The last pair should face the outside of the tree. In subsequent years, prune the previous year's growth to 3 buds still facing outward.

For other species and cultivars, it is necessary to observe the size of the buds and their distribution on the branches. If these buds are smaller and smaller as they rise, the training pruning can be short. On the contrary, if the terminal bud is the biggest, it will be necessary to avoid short pruning.

Once the tree is formed, a transparent pruning is sufficient; it consists in thinning out all the branches to favor the penetration of light and wind while taking care to preserve a beautiful silhouette of the tree and to respect its port.

Growing conditions of the Japanese maple

To properly grow a Japanese maple, it is necessary to get as close as possible to the growing conditions of its natural environment. These maples grow in the undergrowth bathed by a humid climate in summer and less frequent rains in winter.

In these regions, the porous volcanic soil with a neutral or acidic tendency suits them perfectly. The cover of the undergrowth provides them with a subdued light, they are never exposed for long hours to the burning sun but benefit from a few rays of light at the right time of the day. An exposure sheltered from the wind, to the North-West or North-East to receive only a few sunrays in the morning or evening seems ideal.

The Japanese maple fears above all the heat wave and the drought, a balanced watering and frequent misting in case of very dry air will always be beneficial. However, the soil must not retain excess water or be impermeable, compact and asphyxiating. A well drained, fertile, fresh soil with a neutral to acid pH is necessary for its culture.

Is it necessary to prune the shoots on grafted Japanese maples?

If a branch comes out under the grafting point on a Japanese maple, it is necessary to remove it flush with the trunk because the rootstock could then become stronger than the graft and you would lose the characteristics of the tree you have chosen.

Can I water a Japanese maple with tap water?

If the pH of your water is neutral or acid, tap water can be used. If the water is hard, you should store rainwater in water harvesters or tanks to water your maples. If you have a shortage of rainwater, it is possible to compensate by using "pH -" (available in swimming pool stores and sometimes even in supermarkets). These tablets are added to tap water to lower its pH if it is basic.

Can I grow a Japanese maple in a pot?

It is possible to grow the Japanese maple in a pot, for example, if the soil at home is chalky or if you want to decorate your terrace. A plastic pot is preferable because the roots of the maple tend to stick to the walls of clay pots. Knowing that frequent repotting is necessary, it will be easier.

• Choose a pot with a diameter 10 cm larger than the original one.
• Place a layer of pozzolan or clay balls at the bottom of the pot to ensure drainage. Plant your maple tree in a rich mixture of one part good potting soil, one part heather soil and one part compost.
• Water once or twice a week without leaving any water in the saucer.
• Scratch a mixture of ground horn and dried blood at the foot in March, taking care not to hurt the superficial roots.
• In winter protect the pot from rain and wind.

Can you make maple syrup with a Japanese maple?

No. The most used species are large maple trees such as Acer saccharum and Acer nigrum which must be more than 30 years old and whose trunk must exceed 30 cm in diameter so that the collection of the sap does not generate too many risks for the health of the tree.

Harvesting takes place from mid-February to mid-March when night temperatures are negative and day temperatures are below 5°C. Do not expect to harvest maple syrup in the Mediterranean area!

Why do the leaves of my Japanese maple seem 'toasted'?

At the beginning of cultivation, it is not rare that this phenomenon appears for various reasons. The main one is an insufficient root system to ensure the cooling of the leaves. With the years, the maple will be less sensitive to climatic variations. Another cause: an exposure to too much sun or too much wind.

If, in addition to frying, the leaves fall, it is necessary to reduce watering without suspending it.

Why doesn't my maple tree develop new leaves in spring?

This is the obvious symptom of a cultivation problem and a problem with the roots. A substrate that is too heavy, retaining excess water, can be responsible for root asphyxia. It will then be necessary to review its planting in a much more draining environment if the plant can still be saved.

It is also possible that your maple tree does not have enough roots to feed all the branches and ensure the formation of buds. Adding mycorrhizae to the soil can help, as can adding compost. Reducing the aerial surface by light pruning will be welcome.

Also watch out for root aphids which can easily weaken a young tree!

What is a Japanese maple?

"Japanese maple" is a generic term for several species of small trees that are very popular in Japanese gardens and landscape art. Among these species: Acer palmatum and Acer japonicum are the most common, they are divided into many cultivars according to the characteristics of their foliage, their size and their port.

When and how to repot a Japanese maple?

About every two years, repot by gradually increasing the volume of the pot, at the end of February/beginning of March, when the buds start to swell.

A pot with a diameter of 10 cm or more will be sufficient. A mixture composed of 1/3 potting soil, 1/3 compost and 1/3 heather soil will be perfect. Don't forget the drainage with pozzolan!

When to harvest the seeds of Japanese maple?

The seeds or 'samaras' are harvested at maturity around October.

When to sow the seeds of Japanese maple?

Seeds can be sown as soon as they are mature after soaking for 24 hours in warm water. Place them in boxes or in small individual pots filled with potting soil and sand; in a sheltered corner of the garden, stratification will occur naturally.

In regions with very mild winters, a two-month stay in the refrigerator may be necessary before sowing to lift the dormancy.

What to do during a heat wave for potted maples?

Water at least two to three times a week in the early morning or evening after sunset and mist every evening long enough for the foliage to benefit.

Mulch the plant to keep the shallow root hairs cool.

What is the name of the maple fruit?

The fruit of the maple tree is a samara. The seed is attached to a supporting surface that looks like a membranous wing. With the action of the wind, the seed is thus moved to a good distance.  This membrane also has the property of floating, so it can be carried away by heavy rains.

Small-leafed lime tree, Tilia cordata : botanical card

Small-leafed lime: a species that is not very widespread

The small-leaf lime tree is not very widespread in Brittany. It would seem, however, that it was much more present during the Neolithic period.  However, it has only been maintained naturally on good soils, which are mainly located in the Rennes basin and the south-east of the Ile et Vilaine. Rare, it is thus necessary to work for its preservation.

Description of the small-leaf lime tree

The small-leaf linden is characterized by an exceptional longevity, up to five centuries.

It climbs very high (about 20 meters). The oldest lime trees exceptionally reach 30 meters.

The leaf is heart-shaped. The underside has reddish-blond hairs at the intersections of the veins.

The buds have two visible scales, green or reddish.

The hermaphrodite flowers appear late (July). Odorous, they are grouped in bouquets.

The fruits, globular winged seeds with protruding ribs, are grouped by 3 or 5.

Note: the linden appreciates a semi-shaded exposure to grow. Its growth is moderate but continuous.

Diseases and pests of the small-leaf basswood

The lime tree's enemies are mainly aphids and mealy bugs, attracted by the sap, but we can also meet :

• mites, which cause galls on the foliage ;
• caterpillars of the bucephale responsible for some defoliations, without great consequence;
• lower fungi, not very damaging.

The qualities of the wood of small-leafed lime

The wood of small-leaf lime is clear, yellowish, soft and homogeneous: it is easy to work.

It is not recommended for outdoor use. It is therefore mainly used for the manufacture of toys, brush handles, mouldings, pencils, matches or spools. It is also very popular in the field of violin making and carving.

It provides an excellent charcoal and its fibrous bark was once used to make ropes, bags and sandals.

Its melliferous and fragrant flowers are used in perfumery and in herbal tea for their anti-spasmodic and diuretic properties.

Planting advice for the small-leaf linden

The small-leaf linden can withstand very cold weather, but it can't stand dry air and high temperatures.

It likes fresh or even humid, deep, well-drained soils, preferably neutral to calcareous.