Hebbe spp.

Hebe spp.

Location: Longford Park, Manchester. Hebe is a genus of dense evergreen shrubs with simple paired leaves that grow opposite each other and create remarkable geometric patterns this way. They are commonly used as boundary defining plants and are generally disease and pest free which is another reason why it's often used in urban areas such as roads, car parks and public walkways.

This species is called Hebe rakaiensis commonly known as 'Rakai hebe'. It's dense growth give it a bushy characteristic.

The leaf bud is shown at the top of the main shoot ready to split into two leaves, a lateral shoot can be seen growing out of the main one to helping create the dense bush.

The stems narrow, dark brown and bumpy.

Pittosporum tenuifolium - Kohuhu

Pittosporum tenuifolium - Kohuhu

Location: South Norwood/London. P. tenuifolium is an evergreen shrub native to New Zealand. It can grow up to heights of 4-8 meters. It is growing in sandy soils that isn't moist enough for it's preferences also it needs a much more sunny location to excel in. Despite these negatives it is growing healthily for now.

The only way to recognise the plant species all year round is by its shiny evergreen leaves, they are rounded with distinctive wavy margins.

In the spring it will produce clusters of small dark purple flowers.

Flower buds that are ready to bloom in Spring.

Helleborus orientalis - Hellebore

Helleborus orientalis - Hellebore

Hellebore, otherwise know as Christmas rose is a herbaceous perennial that blooms in late winter. This specimen is located in Longford Park, Manchester growing in drained soil next to a dryopteris filix-mas. It suffers from cold harsh winds in the winter and protection is what the fagus sylvatica hedge gave that can be seen in the background. Helleborus prefers to grow in full shade or partial shade however this specimen is exposed to sunlight.

H. orientalis is an evergreen herbaceous perennial. It's leaves come in many shapes and sizes here we can see a few growing in a cluster of serrated ovulate leaves.

Lower down the stent the leaves are palmate and lobed.

At the base of the plant the leaves are palmate dark green and at their largest.



The flower is usually cup shaped and downward pointing, it is made up of five petals that are often found with inside spotting. At the centre is a crown of yellow stamens.

Helleborus can be found in a variety of colours from white to pink to purple.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii - Leyland cypress

x Cupressocyparis leylandii - Leyland cypress

Location: Longford Park - Manchester. The leyland cypress is in fact a hybrid between two genera, Cupressus and Chamaecyparis. Its a rapidly growing tree that can reach heights of 35 meters. When left to grow naturally, it's overall shape looks like that of a giant flame.
It is a common hedgerow tree species used mainly as a shelter belt to buffer sound, sunlight, wind etc.

Upright columnar growth. The group of specimens are in good health and are growing fine where they are.

Scale-like foliage. Leyland cypress trees are hermaphrodite and produce both male and female flowers that appear on the tips of the shoots.

Because of the tree's naturally thick bushy form it makes for a good specimen for topiary, only the bottom of these cypress' have been shaped to allow access in between the trees.

A shot showing the trees internal structure, it looks similar to a Populus nigra var. italica's structure. It has lost its foliage on this side because it isn't getting enough sunlight so it had no need to grow there anymore.

Quercus ilex - Holm oak

Quercus ilex - Holm oak

Location: Kew Gardens, London. Quercus ilex is a European native oak and can be seen in the cold of Northern Europe and in the heat of the Mediterranean. It can grow to heights of 25 meters. These specimens have nothing growing underneath them, it's thick bushy characteristics enable it to defeat competition for sunlight.



A shot of the internal structure.

The bark is dark grey/brown and has fine cracks in it.

What distinguishes Quercus ilex amongst other oaks is its holly shaped leaves. (hence ilex)
They are long and narrow with short hairs underneath, unlike other oaks it has no lobes.

When mature the leaves turn shiny and waxy.

Cedrus libani - Cedar of Lebanon

Cedrus libani - Cedar of Lebanon

Location: Kew Gardens, London. C. libani is a statement of wealth, in 1638 the tree was introduced to Britain for its ornamental features, only the rich could afford it and the space for it to grow in.
The evergreen conifer can grow up to heights of 40m.

An easy way to distinguish it amongst other look a like cedars is buy it's fanning branches that appear in a horizontal fashion.

Long sinuous grey/brown ridged bark.

Male cones are round, greyish and up to 5 cm long, we know that this specimen is female because the cones are pinkish/brown when mature.

It's been quite dry for the past few days, we can tell this by observing how the ridges of the cones are slightly flared. Otherwise they would naturally close in wet conditions.

Needle like foliage is 3cm long and normally blue/green.

Lagarosiphon major - Curly waterweed

Lagarosiphon major - Curly waterweed

Location: Dunham Massey National Trust/ Manchester. It can grow in a depth of 6.5m but can only manage 1m in gloomy water, this means that it prefers to grow in full sunny conditions. It grows as a single rhizome anchored to the ground. The semi evergreen aquatic perennial is an excellent water oxygenator that can be used for the sole purpose of phytoremediation.

L. major grows best in clear still/slow moving water.
Here we can see that the canal has been poorly maintained and L. major has colonised most of the space in the water, unless it has been deliberately planted to decontaminate the water.

Why is it called 'Curly' Waterweed? It gets its name from the inward curling foliage as seen above.