Standout Tree in June

After the rainbow of flowering trees and shrubs fades at the end of May, our eyes rove the gardens for more striking beauty. And find it.

Picea orientalis ‘Aureospicata’

During a garden tour in May, one coniferous tree drew guests around it. They were pointing ‘plant identifier’ apps on their cameras to it and comparing their results. They appreciated the dramatic, stately, pyramidical form, and the full skirt of lower branches that arched gracefully out and down, and the plentiful, prominent cones that hung from the limbs.

They were admiring the Picea orientalis ‘Aureospicata’ even before it began to reveal its most notable feature, its new growth.

This photo reveals four of its attractive features: softly draping limbs, rounded lengths of mature needles, bright “aura” new growth, and long hanging mature cones

Young cones are brilliantly purple in colour before they mature. New needles are bright yellow before changing to dark green as they age.