I've 'rescued' a tree but I think it's too big for our garden.

[Psipsina]

Can I plant it anywhere else?

Poor thing is a fast-ish growing davinia involucrate otherwise known as a handkerchief tree.

Very beautiful but also fairly large (states on label 15m height, 10m spread but elsewhere indicates up to 25m height - we have a 60ft garden)

It was the last one at a huge nursery and has clearly been there for many years and was trying to root itself through the bottom of the pot.

I cannot leave it there to be potbound for ever, it's like bonsai, I just can't do it

They are bringing it this week - I was going to cancel it but I can't be that cruel - trouble is, I don't know anyone with a bigger garden that would take it. We did have till we moved a few months ago, an enormous garden, but we haven't now.

Can I go and dig a hole somewhere public and plant it there?! (half serious question) or else somehow keep it smaller than it ought to be so we can have it? obvs without actual bonsai involved

involucrata

Depending where you live, and what Council arrangements are for tree conservation, it might be possible to plant it in a municipal park, or similar, or maybe if a local hotel or pub has a garden they might like it. Also you local school, primary or secondary, as schools are always 'into' environmental conservation!

I guess it won't be in very healthy condition at the moment, but if you were to prune the roots, as in bonsai, that might slow it down for a while.

Look on 'bonsai web sites' and see what you can find, and have a read of this:

www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/trees/trees-for-small-gardens/davidia-involucrata

Oh my gosh you are a genius. Thank you SO much for finding that! I had read so many things saying it got huge - this is the only site that says it only reaches 12 metres in the UK, and is slow growing!

Very very grateful - and I will stop worrying

Gardening labels give the size of the tree and shrubs after a X number of years. That size is not always/rarely the actual mature size. If you baught it because you wanted to save it, imagine how you will feel when you know it needs to be cut down because it is too big?

Suggestion: cancel your oder but offer the nursery to buy the tree, let it there and they sell it with a cazy discount 90% off anonymus friend of tree's wants you to adopt this fellow. Someone gets a cheap tree, they get a bit of extra cash on the tree, and you saved it with out being stuck. win-win-win.

you're a kind heart.

I have seen some very, very large handkerchief trees in the north of England! I would treat a 12m estimate with some caution!

I am sure you will be able to find a home for it, however - are there community gardens/city farms in your area? Maybe put a freecycle ad up offering it to community projects for free? Then you can go and plant it with them and have the joy of knowing you provided a tree for the whole area to enjoy.

Thank you for the suggestions, I appreciate it - I went back this morning and exchanged it for some small plants instead, not being able to decide on a suitable tree. I'm glad I did reading the latest post

I feel happier - tbh there are a lot of plants and trees there that are trying to escape through the bottom of the pot, as it were, and to rescue all of them would be impossible and I need to learn to live with having a smaller garden which is a difficult mental adjustment.

I did rescue a lonicera nitida though which was rooting itself. Felt good about that