Semi-Mature Trees

Award Winning British Stock

Hillier Nurseries has a great tradition of growing a large range of top quality trees in sizes from 10-12cm girth up to 80cm plus girth.

All trees are regularly transplanted and can be supplied either bare-root or root-balled, depending on the size/species of the tree and the clients requirements. Regular formative pruning of the trees ensure a balanced crown and even clear stem.

Hillier Semi-mature Trees
Hillier Nurseries is the largest grower of semi-mature trees in the United Kingdom. In 2005 the quantity and success of our semi-mature production was recognised by the Horticulture Week "Grower of the Year" Award. Over the last 10 years we have been proud to supply a broad range of prestigious projects in conjunction with major Landscape Practices.

In these times of heightened environmental consciousness, the issue of "Tree Miles" has become a real factor for Landscape Architects and clients alike who want to source their trees from the UK. It is, therefore, with great excitement that we are able to promote our super-sized semi-mature trees:-

Hillier "Super" Semi-mature Trees
Our super-semi's have been many years in planning and production. Following the success of our semimature trees, we were increasingly asked for everbigger trees. Each year for the last few years, a selection of our semi-mature trees were kept on the nursery, root pruned, transplanted on larger spacing and regularly head pruned. The super-semi's range consists of the most frequently used landscape trees at sizes ranging from 40cm-80cm girth. Why use Semi and "Super" Semimature Trees?

  • Greater impact and physical presence
  • Gives shade and maturity from day one
  • Trees are already well established
  • Greater resistance to vandalism
  • Greater resistance to wind damage
  • Value for money
  • Gives texture to a design/instant screening
    or structure
  • More realistic replacement for 'lost' existing
    mature trees

N.B. Care is required to ensure correct planting and maintenance - particularly adequate irrigation for 3 years.

Quality and Attention to Detail
The semi-mature trees are grown at our specialist tree nursery (over 500 acres) in Hampshire. All trees are four or five times transplanted to ensure fibrous root growth and successful establishment when planted.

Regular head pruning is carried out to promote the correct formation of the crown. The central leader will be encouraged by using bamboo canes in the tree head. Trees are grown on at three metre spacings to allow room for the development of a full balanced head. The nursery also pays great attention to achieving an even clear stem throughout a batch of trees to assist the designer when selecting stock.

Regular transplanting and formative pruning produces a well branched canopy and the nursery is proud to send their trees out to sites with a strong shape and structure which will ensure the trees' future development. Specialist machinery lift these semimature trees and the experienced Hillier trained staff root-ball and prepare the tree for despatch by carefully tying up the head and wrapping every stem with hessian. Every care is taken to ensure the tree reaches your site in perfect condition.

Selecting your Semi and "Super"
Semi-mature Tree

At Hillier Nurseries we are always delighted to welcome our Landscape Architects, Specifiers and Contractors to the nursery to look at the trees and select and mark the individual stock. We are always pleased to discuss your requirements and offer advice on species selection, plant handling etc.

Many of our customers will visit the nursery for "inspiration" prior to designing and once again we are always pleased to help, as we like to work closely with our customers. To arrange a visit or inspection please call the Sales Office on (01794) 368733.

Digital Images
Over the last year many clients have been requesting digital images of our stock to help with the design process or assist with presentations. Hillier Nurseries has now built up a reasonably comprehensive library of images (it does, however, expand almost daily). If you require an image of a certain tree species please contact us either by phone (01794) 368733, fax (01794) 368813 or email trees@hillier.co.uk and we will email the images you require. We look forward to hearing from you.

Contract Potting
Hillier Nurseries offer a service to containerise stock for specific projects in accordance with our customers requirements. This is often carried out for projects which are planned to be planted out of season (i.e.April-October) or simply when the client wishes to ensure stock has the best possible chance of successful establishment. Trees up to 80cm girth can be containerised in custom-made pots to suit the constraints of the site. Below is a selection of major commercial projects which Hillier Nurseries has supplied with contract-potted containerised trees. For further information please contact Caroline Swann, email: carolineswann@hillier.co.uk or telephone the Sales Office on (01794) 368733.

Selection of Major Commercial Projects
Commonwealth Games Stadium, Manchester
Rose Bowl - Hampshire Cricket Club
Ministry of Defence Procurement HQ, Bristol
Mile End Park, London
Bullring Shopping Centre, Birmingham
Sprucefield Retail Park, Belfast
Law Hospital, Glasgow
 

Hillier Nurseries has, over the past decade, been involved in a very large number of major commercial projects which have involved contract potting. We would be pleased to offer this service to you for your project and would be happy to visit your offices to discuss your requirements.

Discussion and feedback from our customers has led to some exciting developments, not only in the range of species, but also in influencing the shape or form of trees, thus adding more to the designers palette.

Cube-headed trees
Used across Europe to create wonderful avenues and enclose special spaces. Hillier Nurseries produce Tilia and Carpinus as cubes in a range of sizes 20-25cm girth upwards.These trees are proving popular on urban projects due to the strong architectural form.

Cubed-trees are produced on a 2.2m clear stem and have been shaped and grown on in the nursery to provide a good shaped cube to give real instant impact.

Pleached Trees
Demand has grown for these flat-trained pleached trees, again they are produced with a 2.2m clear stem and then trained out onto 5 lines.Trees are grown on a bamboo framework which can be kept on the trees when planted. Depending on the desired effect the usual planting distance would be 3.0m centres.

The species currently produced as pleached are the traditional Tilia, Carpinus betulus and Platanus. However, new species are being trialled for the future.