Small tree species with big impact

Bees, it is a topic that has attracted particular interest from a lot of garden owners, businesses and municipalities in recent years. We desperately need the bees if we want to continue to enjoy all the beauty of our gardens. When we want a garden that is attractive to bees, we often immediately think of creating large flower borders, but these are often labor intensive and not applicable in every project.

However, trees can provide a large amount of pollen per square meter and are often chosen by honey bees, bumblebees and solitary bees as their main food. So a small bee tree can certainly add value to a design. Not only for the client, but also for nature. We hereby introduce you to some small species loved by these and other beneficial insects. 

First up is the Albizia julibrissin or Persian sleeping tree. It is a tree that we used to see mostly on the Mediterranean coast, but in recent years it is increasingly seen in our gardens. It can bloom for up to three months and its bright pink and fragrant flowers are noticeable from afar. It has double equally pinnate leaves, which close in the evening. Hence its Dutch name. The shape of the Albizia is very typical, with broadly spreading branches that grow almost horizontally. Although it used to be considered moderately hardy, it does fine in sheltered areas and no covering is necessary. There are also increasingly hardy cultivars on the market, such as Albizia jul. 'Tropical dream' . A cultivar that flowers profusely at a very young age and is hardy to about -20°C.  

Unjustly forgotten

Heptacodium miconiodides or seven-sun tree is one that definitely deserves a little more attention. It is usually grown as a multi-stemmed shrub, but can also be planted as a tree. All the characteristics of a top tree are present, yet it is often overlooked. First, it has a beautiful peeling bark, which brings a decorative added value all year round. Furthermore, it blooms with brilliant white and sweetly fragrant flowers, from late August to October. After flowering, bright red fruits appear, which remain on the plant for a long time. In autumn, the leaves turn purple hues. It is a very hardy and disease-resistant plant, which originated in China. Without a doubt, therefore, an added value. 

Exuberant blooms

Lagerstroemia indica, also called Indian lilac or pixie tree, is a broad vase-shaped tree or shrub that is especially very widely used in the Mediterranean region, but is also gaining popularity here. Its blooms are very profuse and mainly in shades of pink-red, but there are also white or yellow cultivars. It is originally a tropical tree, but through a good selection program, cultivars are now on the market that are hardy to -18°C, such as the Lagerstroemia indica 'Eveline'. 

Selected by Belgian growers Geert Devriese and Ingrid Luyssen, this plant has all the qualities of a small tree or multi-stemmed shrub. A beautiful exuberant pink bloom in the summer months of July to September and beautifully peeling bark on older specimens. They like a spot in full sun on a not too dry permeable soil. 

Their favorite

We conclude with THE bee tree, Tetradium danielii. This tree, which can reach a mature height of 5 to 7 meters, blooms from August with white loose panicles. The flowers provide lots of pollen and nectar and are therefore especially frequented by bees. After the flowers, striking red box fruits appear. It has a compound leaf, with a glossy top whose underside is gray-green. The bark is also gray and smooth. In autumn, the leaves turn a beautiful yellow. It likes a sunny position and a nutritious soil.  

Tetradium daniellii var. hupehensis is larger than the species and can reach 10 to 15 meters in height. 

Hay fever

Because the above trees rely primarily on insects for their pollination, they are also less of a burden for people with hay fever. This is because the pollen is not as fine and small as in birches and hazels, which rely on the wind for their pollination. 

Want to know more about bees in the garden? Then feel free to take a look at the Pocketbook for the Bee Garden by Marc Verachtert , Bruno Remaut and Bart Vandepoele. Bart is the inspirer of the 'week of the bee' . They organize the competition 'Bee-Friendliest Municipality' and hand out info boards for municipalities that want to inform their inhabitants about the bee-friendly actions of their city or village.