Trees gallery - Isles of Scilly - page 1
A visit to the Isles of Scilly in May 2023 saw us stay on St Mary's and visit three of the "off islands". Obviously the tree variety count in Tresco's Abbey Gardens was very large, but there were many unusual trees around the islands, reflecting the need for salt tolerant plants that can provide windbreaks for more tender plants to enjoy the mild climate, and escapes from cultivation over the years. The tall evergreen hedges so prevalent are covered on a separate Hedges page, as are the mighty Monterey pines and cypress that form the backbone of shelter belts. Tresco Abbey Gardens inevitably has its own page, as does the Carreg Dhu community garden on St Mary's.
This page concentrates on trees spotted travelling around St Mary's, Bryher and St Martin's, sometimes in gardens but often by roadsides and paths, or along the coast or moorland. Many of the trees were introduced in the 19th century, but some have now escaped and naturalised.
Brugmansia Sanguinea
Angel's trumpet
A striking tree in flower, in a roadside garden at the top of Holy Vale, St Mary's. A semi-evergreen from the mountains of South America, with trumpet flowers up to 25cm long. All parts are poisonous, to animals as well as humans. Not yet classed as a neophyte a plant not native to a region, introduced and escaped into the wild in recent history (after 1500) .
Cordyline australis
Cordyline
A native of Australia, quite common around the islands, but this one in the church yard at Old Town, St Mary's, is the girth country champion of England (Tree Register 2016), and the girth and height champion of Cornwall. An impressive specimen.
Ilex aquifolium aurea marginata
Variegated Holly
The Girth and Height County Champion (Tree Register 2016) for Cornwall , described as having a fine gold margin, and possibly being a clone. In the small garden of "Chy Kelyn" in Holy Vale, St Mary's.
Phoenix canariensis
Canary Island date palm
Noted as a "Remarkable tree of Cornwall, with a clean bole to 2m", (Tree Register) though in 2023 this was obscured by other shrubs growing around it. This is in a group of shrubs on a small road-island created by the intersection of three roads, at the centre of Holy Vale, St Mary's.
Araucaria heterophylla
Norfolk Island Pine
Noted as a "Remarkable tree of Cornwall, (Tree Register 2016) growing in Benham's in The Garrison, overlooking Porthcressa beach. An ornamental tree introduced from Norfolk Island, a Pacific Ocean island which is an external territory of Australia.
Leucadendron argenteum
Silver tree
A South African Cape import, growing to a height of 6m and a spread of 3m. Golden cones are formed on the maturing stems in late summer. Still in gardens and cultivated areas, it doesn't as yet seem to have escaped to the wild (not yet classed as a neophyte a plant not native to a region, introduced and escaped into the wild in recent history (after 1500) ).
Luma apiculata
Chilean myrtle
I spotted this growing in a garden at "Chy Kelyn" in Holy Vale. With distinctive orange bark and small glossy myrtle leaves, introduced to the UK from South America in 1844, now a (invasive) neophyte a plant not native to a region, introduced and escaped into the wild in recent history (after 1500) . This one is much smaller than its tall relatives in the Abbey Gardens on Tresco
Metrosideros excelsa
Pohutukawa
A tree most commonly grown for its showy, tufty, predominantly red bottle brush-like flowers, which were sadly not in evidence when I visited in May. Sometimes called the New Zealand Christmas tree as it flowers at Christmas there. Described as a "remarkable tree" by the Tree Register. Being frost tender, they are planted mainly in the Scillies and Cornwall, or under glass in other parts of the country.
