MY MONKEY TREEToday I have had to cut down my beloved diseased Monkey tree
By Ianplant
Warwickshire,
United Kingdom
MY MONKEY TREE
Today I have had to cut down my beloved diseased Monkey tree. Had it as a gift from my mates 16 yrs ago for my 65th birthday. With it being in a focal point in the garden I want to replace it with an equally eye catching evergreen bush or tree. I thought of Pampas grass , having great trouble finding an established one, this is where I would like your professional opinions, so what can you suggest to replace my Monkey Tree?

20 Oct, 2020
Answers
It is a beautiful tree Ian ,but I can see how close it is to your driveway and house. Any bigger tree will be a problem. If you want evergreen, I would suggest some of the DWARF weeping conifers . They look interesting all year around. Golden dwarf Hinoki cypress would look lovely there .
Anything dwarf and conical but I would stay with the dwarf varieties.
Smaller rhododendrons or Camellia trees are evergreen too and not excessively big an will give you beautiful blooms in early spring.
Choisya ‘Sundance’ is an excellent evergreen shrub that blooms in early spring and is showy all year round.
There are few choices, all depends on your preferences.
I would stay away from pampas. It can get huge and messy and being so close to your driveway even dangerous.
20 Oct, 2020
That was my thought Choisya sundance it will always brighten the area up as lovely flowers and will how as big as you like which leaving it to gain a good rounded shape would look lovely and it is one of those shrubs that responds really well to hard pruning, renovated choisya will re shoot after three weeks, if I plant choisya for clients then I like to plant ophiophogum at the base it’s a good companion, the pampas I would be careful of as the leaves are razor sharpe, any kids pulling on them would slice their hands so be aware, other plants ilex silver queen or golden king, arbutus ? Does not always produce the strawberry fruits, but another good shrub with jaw dropping qualities would be a ceanothus nice foliage and knockout flowering, you could plant both choisya and ceanothus together they are great companions.
21 Oct, 2020
I would also suggest Choisya but Aztec Pearl variety. This would be more compact than Sundance and not suffer from the damage of frost and cold winds which tend to spoil the golden leaves.
21 Oct, 2020
Acer Osakuzuki is very dramatic and changes its leaf colour through the seasons.
20 Oct, 2020