Espalier-trained trees
We offer espalier trees with the first tier trained and a shoot to allow further tiers to be grown.
Only apples and pears are suitable for being trained as espaliers. Espaliers look impressive when planted singly or several together, but we recommend you do not mix apples and pears together as their sizes may differ.
Sizes refer to how big the trees will get in the longer term. NB. The size as supplied is not a good indicator of the mature size.
E1Starter large espalier apple tree
A versatile tree which can be trained on as a large espalier or large palmette apple tree with the first tier of arms already formed, and a leading shoot which you can train-on to give a mature tree with 3-5 tiers, with a tier-spacing of your choice.
Mature size: Up to 3m wide and 2.5m high. 3-5 tiers.
E21-tier large espalier pear tree
A versatile tree which can be trained on as a large espalier or large palmette pear tree with the first tier of arms already formed, and a leading shoot which you can train-on to give a mature tree with 3-5 tiers, with a tier-spacing of your choice.
Mature size: Up to 3m wide and 2.5m high. 3-5 tiers.
Fan-trained trees
All our fan-trained trees are based on a simple 'Y' form, with 2 strong primary arms.
Sizes refer to how big the trees will get in the longer term, not the size now. We aim to offer both 'Medium' and 'Large' sizes.
F1Large starter fan-trained plum tree
A basic Y-shaped plum / damson / mirabelle fan, with the initial formative training. Secondary shoots should appear the spring after planting.
Mature size: 3m-4m wide and up to 2.5m high.
F2Large starter fan-trained cherry tree
A basic Y-shaped cherry fan, with the initial formative training. Secondary shoots should appear the spring after planting.
Mature size: 3m-4m wide and up to 2.5m high.
Mature size vs Supplied size
The model is 172cm tall / 5ft 8".
As is apparent from these photos, the size of the tree can vary considerably, dependent on the variety, the age of the tree, and the growth rate of the tree in the nursery. The mature size of the tree often has no relation to the supplied size, but instead is mainly determined by the vigour of the rootstock. It is quite common for a "small" espalier apple tree to be larger than a "large" espalier apple tree at this point, because dwarf rootstocks generally grow more quickly at first.
When choosing a trained tree it is the mature size that matters, not the size as supplied. You should always select the correct mature size to fit your planting location.
Things to consider
- When choosing be sure to select the correct mature size - young trees tend to look quite similar in size since the dwarfing effect of the rootstock is not yet apparent.
- Stone fruit species (plums, damsons, peaches, apricots etc.) tend to be much larger than pome fruit species (apples and pears) when they are young, but the apples and pears will catch up.
- It is generally not a good idea to mix species in your planting, because even within our 'Small' or 'Large' size categories there is a considerable variation between species.
- These are representative images. The size and level of development will vary considerably from variety to variety.
- Different varieties can also look very different, even when trained the same way. For example a fan-trained Cox apple tree will have far more shoots than a fan-trained Bramley.