2020 tree following 12: A winter surprise

Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) on December 8, 2020

This has been a very satisfying month for the Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) in my garden.

The big success has been calling in our tree surgeon to cut back the big branches of the sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) growing through the ironwood and obscuring its loveliness.

As I have said before, I have no idea where the ironwood tree came from. It seems to be self-seeded, as is the sycamore. We have lived here for 40 years, since the house was built, and only now have I bothered to identify the Persica.

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2020 tree following 11: Autumn colour at last

Red, gold and green leaves of Parrotia persica on November 3

Much has been said about the lovely autumn foliage colour of the Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) and at last the moment has arrived for the small tree in my garden.

I have been following it ever since the Covid-19 pandemic began in March, when I started working from home and could no longer visit the Turkish hazel (Corylus colurna) near my office in Cardiff Bay, with which I started the tree-following year.

Now I can see the golden leaves of the Parrotia from my study window as I look up from my desk…

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2020 tree following 10: New fence, new camera

Autumn sunlight on Parrotia persica leaves, late September

Not a lot has altered in the appearance of my Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) this month – again. When will I see the promised autumn colour?

But around it something has changed as we have had the long wooden fence up the slope rebuilt. It’s hard to see it from this side – our neighbour gets more benefit – but it was rotting and needed doing.

Thanks to Steffan Wilkins and his team, including carpenter Dylan (or possibly Dillon), who did a grand job on difficult terrain.

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2020 tree following 9: Parrotia in September

‘Blood-dipped’ Parrotia leaves in September

There is not much new in my monthly tree-following bulletin this time.

The Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) in my garden still has a mixture of healthy green leaves in the shade and red-edged leaves on the branches reached by the sun.

We have had a great deal of rain in the last month in South Wales but also plenty of sun, so the tree seems to be thriving.

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2020 tree following 8: Parrotia in August

Red-dipped Parrotia persica leaves in the garden in August

As I write this we are in the middle of a spell of thunderstorms and heavy rain in South Wales, but on the day I took these pictures of the Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) we were well into an intense heatwave and I thought I was going to have to water the garden.

There was not much new to see this month but the pretty red-dipped leaves are still attractive, peeping out from the sycamore tree that, as I have said before, heavily overshadows the ironwood. Despite that, the hardy little tree is surviving well.

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2020 tree following 7: Parrotia in July

Leaves of Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) in early July

Well, it’s week 17 of my Covid-19 lockdown here in Cardiff and I’m still happily working from home and not going out much – although I have managed to arrange a much-overdue haircut for next week!

I was concerned that the Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) I have discovered in my back garden would struggle as it is so overshadowed by a big sycamore, but on the latest inspection it seems to be doing fine.

Here are some pictures of my discoveries in the last few days.

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2020 tree following 6: Mystery tree has a name

Developing seed-head of the mystery tree in my garden on the last day of May

Well, here we are in June and for me it’s the end of the 12th week of working from home in the Covid-19 lockdown here in South Wales.

You may recall I began the year following some lovely Turkish hazel trees in Cardiff Bay, but they are now a long way away so I am observing a tree in my own back garden, visible from my study window.

Actually it is becoming less and less visible as it is overhung by a rapidly growing self-seeded sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) and as it is on a difficult slippery slope I have not yet been able to cut back the sycamore branches.

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