November's plants of the month are trees

November's plants of the month are trees, in all their bewildering variety. There's one to suit every gardener among the comprehensive range at our garden centre here in Co. Limerick - so to help you choose, here's a selection for every situation, from containers to rolling acres.

Container gardens:

• Japanese maples like 'Dissectum Atropurpureum' for graceful shapes and colourful foliage

Small gardens:

• Betula utilis var jacquemontii for multiple stems of gleaming white bark and delicate foliage
• Magnolia stellata with a compact shape and huge, spidery white spring flowers
• Sambucus nigra (black elder) has purple foliage and clear pink flower sprays in June

Medium-sized gardens:

• Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst' has ferny foliage which gleams golden in spring
• Arbutus unedo is aptly named the strawberry tree for its bright red fruits in late autumn
• Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer' is an ornamental pear with a neat shape and white spring blossom

Big gardens:

• Liquidambar styraciflua 'Worplesdon' has handsome foliage and spectacular autumn colour
• Liriodendron tulipifera is called the tulip tree for its flowers - but the foliage is just as gorgeous
• Quercus rubra has huge architectural leaves flushed brilliant scarlet in autumn