The PLANTS project: three tree highlights

This tree has to be mentioned for its very attractive appearance; in fact, you could not walk past it without noticing it. The Chinese dogwood is a variety of Cornus kousa native to East Asia, and belongs to the Cornaceae family. The genus name Cornus derives from the Latin word cornu, which means ‘horn’, and references the hardness of the wood; the species name kousa is the Japanese name for this plant.

The Chinese dogwood is a medium-size, deciduous tree that typically grows 4–8 metres tall. It has a spreading habit, with horizontal branches that create an attractive layered look, and it usually develops a broad, rounded crown with age, like the one that can be admired at Arduaine. One of the distinctive features of this plant is its showy flowers: in late spring to early summer, it produces clusters of small, creamy-white/yellowish flowers surrounded by four large, pointed bracts that resemble petals. The bracts provide an eye-catching display and change in colour as they mature, going from creamy-white to pink – a transition we were lucky enough to witness.

Apart from its beautiful flowers, Cornus kousa var. chinensis is popular for its elegant bark that exfoliates with age, revealing a smooth, cream-coloured bark underneath. Its foliage turns beautiful shades of reddish-purple and orange in autumn, thus making this tree a year-round beauty.

Lomatia ferruginea (fuinque)

This plant, commonly known as fuinque, is a species of evergreen tree native to the temperate rainforests of Chile and Argentina. It belongs to the Proteaceae family. The genus name Lomatia derives from the Greek word loma, which means ‘margin’. This likely refers to the serrated or toothed edges of the leaves or other plant structures in the genus. The specific epithet ferruginea is derived from the Latin word ferrugo, which means ‘rust’, and refers to the colour of the undersides of the leaves in this species. The botanical name Lomatia ferruginea could therefore be interpreted as ‘serrated leaves with a rust-coloured underside’, a description that accurately reflects one of the distinctive characteristics of this plant.

Aside from its beautiful foliage, Lomatia ferruginea produces very attractive and showy flowers that can be admired in late spring or early summer. Like other Proteaceae species, Lomatia ferruginea exhibits adaptations to fire-prone environments. Its seeds have thick, hard coats that are stimulated to germinate by the heat of a fire. While doing the inventory work at Arduaine, we have come across this plant in various areas within the garden, indicating that it is doing particularly well in this part of Scotland due to the climatic conditions that resemble those of its native range. Indeed, Lomatia ferruginea is recognised as a symbol of the region’s biodiversity and ecological value, as it plays a pivotal role in the forest ecosystem by providing habitat and food for various species, including birds, insects and mammals.

Cupressus cashmeriana (Kashmir cypress)

This evergreen conifer, commonly known as the Kashmir or Bhutan cypress, is native to the Himalayan region and belongs to the Cupressaceae family. The botanical name in this case is more straightforward and means ‘cypress tree from Kashmir’.

Cupressus cashmeriana can reach a height of up to 30 metres in its natural habitat. Its columnar shape and dense, feathery foliage, consisting of flattened scale-like leaves that are bluish-green in colour, give the tree an overall soft and elegant appearance. When crushed, the foliage has a distinct aromatic fragrance, which can aid the identification of this plant. The tree produces small, spherical cones, which are typically 1.5–2cm in diameter and contain several seeds. The graceful form and attractive foliage of this plant make it a popular choice as an ornamental tree in gardens and landscapes, as it adds an elegant touch to a variety of settings.

Unfortunately, like the Lomatia, Cupressus cashmeriana is struggling in the wild and is listed as ‘near threatened’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. At Arduaine, this tree can still be admired in the woodland area thank to the meticulous work carried out during the felling of the larches to save as many of the surrounding trees as possible.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Arduaine and to be able to inventory such a diverse and unique plant collection. The plants that I have described are only a few of the number that would deserve to be mentioned in a blog. Indeed, Arduaine is brimming not only with unique plant species that are rarely seen elsewhere in Scotland, but also with various champion trees that are considered to be among the finest specimens in cultivation in the UK. This makes Arduaine a real treasure, and highlights the importance of knowing our plant collections to ensure their preservation in the years ahead.

Plant Listing at the National Trust for Scotland (PLANTS) is the biggest horticultural audit project undertaken by the Trust and aims to celebrate, protect and better understand the flora and vegetation across our gardens and designed landscapes.

Read more about the PLANTS project