Perfect tree?

[Clawdy]

Can anyone recommend a not-too-big tree which has flowers through the summer and possibly berries in winter? We need to brighten up a dull bit of our new garden. It will get a fair bit of sun.

Hmmmm... most trees I am thinking of (and before anyone else gets there: AMELANCHIER!!!) are spring-flowering.

You could get a shrub instead?

Ooops, posted too soon - was going to suggest something viburnum-ish. The guelder rose - viburnum opulus - has red berries in the autumn and white flowers in spring/summer. There is a compact form that has an Award of Garden Merit, or a yellow-berried variety ('xanthocarpum') that has good autumn colour.

Reliable good-doers would be Cotoneaster Cornubia', Sorbus (rowan) - some are quite small trees and you can have white, yellow or pink berries as well as the usual red - or a crab apple. Or a proper' apple? Whitebeam is good too - blackbirds going mad for the berries at the moment.

I'm wary of viburnum as all the ones in my garden including evergreens have been devastated by viburnum beetle - one of those new' pests that's spreading. However, I saw a beautiful xanthocarpum' (as suggested by shove) at Hidcote last weekend which was untouched - grrrrr!

aircooled - oh no! Your poor viburnums! It sounds absolutely devastating to lose things like that. I'm hoping my area is too cold for the little blighters - I have five in my small garden and there would very definitely be holes if they were to die on me.

can I second shove's vote for the amelanchier - I planted one in the spring and I am so happy with it. In spring with blossom is was so pretty and gorgeous leaf colour now as it's turning.

Some great ideas here - many thanks

We should have a game - first one to AMELANCHIER! a thread asking for tree/shrub recommendations gets a . Points to be totalled at the end of the year.

Haha, Amelanchier is certainly winning so far! And I'd never heard of it......

I like this www.findmeplants.co.uk/plant-clerodendrum-trichotomum-2996.aspx

not to be confused with www.plantify.co.uk/Clerodendrum-bungei/plant-8780

I have the latter and I do like it ,but the leaves are a little too coarse and big for my taste .It's very vigorous and is banned in some USA states . I just pull up the suckers and plan to give away .It also seeds .More shrub than tree like but I'm pulling off the lower stems .

We have a Purple Smoke Bush which is lovely and the foliage is really striking in autumn.

I have a standard Purple smoke bush, so it looks like a tree but won't get too big.

I'd get an amelanchior if I had room though - our neighbours have one, and I love it - but at least we get half of it, sort of. Only disadvantage is the pigeons eating the berries make a bit of a noise.