Most useful trees

[Native Nathan]

If i were fortunate enough to be able to plants 3 trees in my back garden it would be
A Pine
A Willow
A Hazel

The have Medicinal uses, Provide Nuts to eat and have utilitarian uses as well

If i could have a fourth it would be Maple or Silver Birch, mainly so I could tap them every March

 

[Laurentius]

A May tree is Hawthorn. Also known as the Beltane tree and the death tree. The scent does contain a chemical released in the decay of flesh (trimethylamine)

Hawthorns have there uses too, for keeping folk and animals out.

 

[Tony]

We've got a fair bit of hawthorne on our boundaries, I like it, although I'm keeping it in check...

I think we're leaning to nut trees at the moment, thanks for all the input everyone

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I think we're leaning to nut trees at the moment, thanks for all the input everyone

Sounds like a plan. Go Nuts!

J

 

[santaman2000]

We've got a fair bit of hawthorne on our boundaries, I like it, although I'm keeping it in check...

I think we're leaning to nut trees at the moment, thanks for all the input everyone

I imagine you're thinking of nut trees native to the UK rather than the pecan tree I suggested. Either way I wonder if your trees share a trait with the pecan; namely that you have to have at least two of them in reasonably close proximity in order for them to bear fruit (nuts) In any case it's worth researching any particular species you're thinking of.

 

[Robson Valley]

Some trees will self-pollinate, others are self-sterile so you really must have a second one close by, as santaman points out.
The same is true, even within some varieties of apple = another variety must be planted with the one of greatest commercial interest.

Me? Other than fruit-bearing bushes (Lonicera, Amelamchier, Vitis riparia grapes, Cherry and a couple of poor apple trees), I would be listing the
characteristics of the trees which make them "multipurpose plants."

 

[British Red]

Its even more complicated than that with apples. You need to understand self fertile vs self sterile, diploid, triploid, tip bearer, spur bearer etc.

 

[Robson Valley]

I think that enough's been written elsewhere for the apple enthusiast to find.
Other than the fruit, multipurposes requires destruction.
I worked on the microscopic anatomy of apple grafts = success or failure? Why?
Got into the sub-tropics, should have stayed there, citrus apomyxis fascinated me.