We celebrated the official onset of Summer with our first visit to Clyne Gardens, close to the sea and between Swansea and The Mumbles. 12 members along with two guests from the Friends of Dyffryn Gardens enjoyed the company of Tony Titchen as we skirmished with some of the magnificent trees in this scenic park.
Clyne Gardens was purchased in 1860 by William Graham Vivian with much of the work in the gardens continued by his nephew Algernon, 'The Admiral', who had a major influence on it between 1921 and 1952.
We hardly scratched the surface, as in four hours we probably covered just a quarter of the site. Scope for another visit in the future? The estate is famous internationally for its collection of Pieris, Enkianthus and Rhododendrons (they were blooming and there's a photo of one below), yet we did not get round to looking at many of these - nor the bog garden, bluebell wood, Japanese Bridge, heather beds, Italian bridge, Joy Cottage and the wildflower meadows!
So what did we see? First stop was a Persian Ironwood, Parrotia persica, originating in the forests south of the Caspian Sea and related to the Witch Hazels (photo below). There are two forms, one arborescent, the other shaped like a tree. The wood is very hard, hence the name, and a number of us proved the point by banging our heads on the low-lying branches as we weaved our way around the trunk.
Next a cedar and a less common variety than the Atlas, Deodar or Cedar of Lebanon normally encountered in parks. This was the Cyprus Cedar, Cedrus brevifolia, with its Latin name indicating its short needles (below). There are three geographical sub-species and Tony commented that this was the best specimen he had come across.
Next a substantial oak, a Red Oak, Quercus rubra. If you examined the big leaves it was noticeable how the veins continued to a point on the leaf, a 'bristlepoint'. Tony indicated that the wood of Red Oak is tougher than English Oak and in the American War of Independence this provided American warships with an advantage as they were clad in Red Oak which was more successful in repelling cannon-balls than the English ships with their covering of Quercus robur.
This
is a good time of year to catch the dogwoods in flower. Our first encounter was
with Bentham's Cornel, Cornus capitata.
The extended stems on the flowers (bracts) were eye-catching. Tony then
demonstrated how to distinguish Dogwoods from Viburnums - with the former it
was possible to gently tear a leaf in half and although separated they would be
held together by thin strands.
Next a Macedonian Fir, Abies borisii-regis although Owen Johnson refers to it as King
Boris' Fir. Those members who could smell anything agreed that the crushed
leaves gave off an odour of grapefruit. A few erect cones at the top of the
tree were evident but were really only visible with binoculars.
Now
one of the more common cedars - an Atlas Cedar, Cedrus atlantica, and this a glaucous version. This also sported
short needles and the Atlas is characterised by ascending upper branches. A
short distance away was a clump of Scots Pine, Pinus sylvestris with their reddish bark colouring, particularly in
the top half of the tree. Tony suggested that this along with Juniper and Birch
were the only three tree species to survive the last Ice Age.
This
is also a good time of year for the Paper Handkerchief or Ghost Tree or more
correctly the Dove Tree, Davidia
involucrata. An 'involucre' (one of our new words for the day) is a
covering and the white 'petal' is actually an involucral bract covering the
flower or inflorescence with the styles and ovaries clearly visible. Next a
spruce and this one the Serbian Spruce, Picea
omorika. We were asked to check if the needles were flat or round, the
technique being to attempt to roll one in your fingers - if it rolled it was
round. Ours wouldn't, confirming that the Serbian Spruce has flattish needles.
Spruces also tend to drop their cones.
A Katsura, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, gave us an opportunity to compare and
contrast its opposite leaves with those of the Judas Tree, Cercis siliquastrum, which
has them alternate. A Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, did not appear
to be bearing any flowers, Tony noting that it can take 25 years before
flowering. The Chinese Tulip Tree, Liriodendron
chinense, tends to have much more narrowly waisted leaves.
Next
a tree with few clues as to what it was although a visit later in the year
should reveal the metallic blue berries which are a bit of a giveaway. A native
of Asia it has various local names such as Glory Tree, Peanut Butter Tree or
Harlequin Bower Tree but Clerodendron
trichotomum usually works in the UK (photo of Tony Titchen with the Clerodendron below). The crushed leaves are supposed to
smell of peanuts but we found it just unpleasant and Tony commented that its original
name of foetidum was appropriate. A
hazel with large and very soft leaves turned out to be the Turkish Hazel, the
only hazel that will grow into a tree.
Our
attention was caught by a Magnolia and this had a bit of history to it. A
small. multi-stemmed tree, suitable for small gardens this was Magnolia liliiflora X stellata. The
story goes that eight hybrids, known as the Eight Little Girls (one pictured below), were developed at
the National Arboretum in Washington D.C. and were named after the secretaries
who worked at the arboretum or wives and daughters of staff. They are Ann,
Betty, Judy, Randy, Ricki, Susan, Jane and Pinkie. As I have a wife, Judy and a
sister, Ricki, that is the next two birthday presents sorted! We never
convinced ourselves which this particular specimen was, but Ann was a strong
possibility.
We
sailed past a Chusan Palm, Trachycarpus
fortunei, which Tony confirmed was female as it was carrying berries and
then had a look at some trees which exhibited twisting of the trunk - sinistral
if it goes to the left and dextral to the right. A Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens, gathered us under
its wings as we prodded the spongy bark. A fire climax tree resistant to fire but which it needs to
release the seeds from the resin-packed cones at the top. From the Oregon to
Monterey area this is now probably the world's tallest tree as the Douglas Firs
and eucalypts have been felled for their timber.
Glossy
green leaves and floral spires on a medium-sized tree had us puzzled although
Tony felt that Prunus azorica might
have been a candidate with hints of Bird Cherry and Portugal Laurel. A specimen
was detached so that experts could be consulted. Owen Johnson subsequently confirmed this was Prunus lusitanica! A
holly provided Tony with an opportunity to mention that lightning is less
likely to strike a smooth-barked tree like holly than one with rough bark
although if you are caught in a thunderstorm avoid trees altogether! A
beautifully elegant lime also refused to reveal its identity so had to offer up
a specimen for further analysis. Owen
confirmed this was Tilia platyphyllos.
And
next was a Stuartia, in this case pseudocamellia, which was not only
covered in blossom but had carpeted the ground underneath with its flowers:
A
Brewer's Spruce, Picea breweriana, was
the next favourite, its elegant weeping form described as 'lugubrious'. There
are two white lines on the needles. And a weeping beech also cascaded downwards
although the orientation of the branches was to the left. Time for one last
encounter and this was with a multi-stemmed Himalayan Chestnut, Aesculus indica, also known as the
Indian Horse Chestnut. Whilst the number of leaves varies the predominant
number was seven (or more) in contrast to the Horse Chestnut's seven (or less)
- if that helps! Indica is
later-flowering than hippocastanum
and the floral candles on ours were only just beginning to open.
The top pond:
Our
thanks to Tony for another interesting, informative and entertaining day. A
list of the more interesting trees noted at Clyne Gardens by Tree Guide author Owen Johnson
follows.
Bruce
McDonald
Photos
by Bruce McDonald and Margaret Samuel
weeping spruce:
OWEN
JOHNSON'S TREE LIST
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