anyone know what tree this is please?

[1234]

i found a seedling growing in one of my bonsai pots
took it out and put it in a bit of earth i had just dug over, its very rich in clay so i mixed in some compost around 2:1 ratio of clay to compost

anyway 18-20 months later its turned into a 11 foot tree :yikes:

i cut the bottom branches off because its so close to the fence and they were getting destroyed buy the foxes going around the tree
the leaves smell of pair, so im thinking it might be a pear tree,
some pics

 

[bayleaf]

It looks a lot like a goat willow.Salix caprea,if i recall.If it was a pear,it would have had flowers in the spring,and by now would have pears on.Hope this helps....It will grow quickly.

 

[1234]

i forgot to put that its never flowered
and when it was a seedling it had a bright red stem

 

[bayleaf]

It's a willow.If it's near a building or drainage,best to move it while you can.Being a native, it is good for wildlife.

 

[1234]

thanks
i just had a little google now i know what it is and i think your right, i had no idea, just plucked the pear out of thin air because of the smell
have no idea why it smells like pear, must just be me
anyway, its getting moved further up the garden early october
or its being donated to a local country park

thanks bayleaf

 

[Harnser]

my first thoughts were it looks like goat willow, pear trees of that size would have a harder rougher knarly bark.

 

[Peter_t]

here is a tip for transplanting trees. befor you dig it up cut the roots close to the tree several months befor. use a spade and cut through two sides (like opersite sides of a square). do this say 8 inches to a foot away from the trunk for that sized tree.
doing this will encorage root growth close to the stem so when you dig it you will take more roots with it to its new spot. try to take as much soil as posable around the roots when you do move it later on. this increces the chance of the trees survival by not shocking the tree so much by cutting off neerly all its roots (roots usually spread beond the trees hight in the ground).

also when you plant it make sure you plant it in a place where it has room to grow! not up against a fence or wall and make sure it is not planted under phone lines etc.

im sure you not really this daft but it always suprises me how short sighted people can be when planting trees. 'i thought it would stop growing after 20 feet!' we where once told by a customer who had a 60 foot laylandii.


as you have seen goat willow grows fast so one day it will get too big for your garden but willows are well suited to pollards. basicly cut the stem at the hight you want (in winter) then this will sprout loads of long shoots which you cut off completely every few years to control its size and you will have a small supply of willow wands!




pete

 

[bayleaf]

Fair point about the pollarding Pete.Pollards are also good for wildlife.The trimming is usually done at the spring of the crown.Glad to have been useful Tenderfoot.

 

[Callum]

Hi All

I could be wrong but it looks more like a Bird Cherry (Prunus padus) to me.