Trees for a woodland

[gote]

ah you see you lot are gardeners first

I'll agree with any of the Japanese Acers - I love em but then I'd plant Birch, Holly and either Rowan or an Apple or two and sit back with my camera and wit for the wildlife to come in 

To plant pines is to invite wind. (Chinese proverb). To plant Corylus is to invite squirrels.
Göte

[Robert G]

All the above suggestions are great. One thing about Cercidiphyllum japonicum that I love is the autumn scent. At work we have a small grove of them and it is amazing. Also two North American natives worthy of consideration would be Halesia spp. or Cladrastis kentukea/lutea.

[Houseslippers]

Adding my pennyworth - snake bark maples - Acer capillipes, Acer grosseri var. hersii, Acer pennsylvanicum, Acer davidii etc. They are not too big, are very graceful and open in growth, have beautiful leaves, great autumn colour and wonderful year-round bark, stripy trunks and sometimes coloured young bark.

If it were me, I'd be tempted not to plant too many varieties in a small space (unless you're a collector), but go for one type of tree - all crab apples, all snakebarks, all Sorbus, all Monkey Puzzles (joking - but imagine that).

[Lesley Cox]

And the quince is a beautiful tree. I mean the proper quince that is made into jellies and pastes. The tree has a lovely wide Japanese drawing shape and the flowers are large and fragrant, like those of apple but better. Good autumn colour too (gold).

[Paul T]

What about Cercis species?  They have glorious spring flowers, lovely round leaves and excellent autumn colour.  Then you've got varieties like 'Forest Pansy' with their beautiful dark purple leaves as well?

I'd even think about some of the purple leaf Birch, although they are more water using and therefore might compete?  Then again, they'll keep the bulbs etc nice and dry through summer by taking up all the extra water while they're in growth?  The summer shade is lighter as well, so allows for more possibilities for underplanting for summer colour etc?

[manicbotanic]

tetracentron is a great tree.some of the aralia's make great strange trees aswell..

[johnw]

Wim - If wind is an issue in the early stages of your new woodland garden Nothofagus antarctica is our first line of defence.  Splendid bark and tiny fragrant leaves that create virtually no litter atop your perennial woodlanders.  It can take sopping wet as well.

johnw

[Paddy Tobin]

Shaun,

We find that aralias are terrible for suckering here and become a terrible nuisance; removing the suckers disturbs small bulbs, plants etc.

Paddy

[Lesley Cox]

Wim - If wind is an issue in the early stages of your new woodland garden Nothofagus antarctica is our first line of defence.  Splendid bark and tiny fragrant leaves that create virtually no litter atop your perennial woodlanders.  It can take sopping wet as well.

johnw

And is a really pretty tree in the autumn. Mine goes yellow/orange, with a little scarlet thrown in, before the leaves drop.