Apple trees are often managed to maximise fruit production, so they usually remain relatively small. Their pink-tinged white blossom in spring can rival that of cherry, and the fruit ripens through the summer, often ripening in late September.

There are dozens of different varieties that might offer whiter blossom, earlier fruit, and apples to suit every palate.

Bramley is the most popular cooking apple. It produces large green apples that retain their body when cooked. It is the classic fruit for making apple pie.

The domestic pear tree has the potential to become a large tree which can produce mountains of fruit.

Their white spring blossom rivals that of apples and cherries, and when they are not in flower, look out for small glossy leaves and deeply fissured bark on older trees.

An all-time classic dessert pear, one of the most popular on European farms. Very sweet, with perfectly juicy, melting flesh. Pale yellow when ripe, sometimes they develop a bit of russeting or a bit of a rosy flush. They are vigorous, upright, and heavy cropping. They flower late, so they are suitable for frosty places. It grows to 4m in height with a 3m spread.

One of our native Cherry trees, this one is also known as Wild Cherry or Gean. It can become a relatively large tree (for a Cherry). It has lovely white blossom in April followed by small cherries, much in demand by birds, which ripen in July.

A cultivar of our native Wild Cherry, Plena has double white flowers, can become a large tree, and is one of the later Cherries to flower in April.

Our only truly native Maple, this is a long-lived small to medium sized tree with a compact, rounded crown. Look out for the small, lobed leaves.

Discrete yellow-green flowers emerge with new leaves in spring. Leaves turn a fine yellow colour in the autumn..

Hornbeams are fine attractive trees that eventually become quite large, but not quite as big as beech trees.

Look out for fluted, muscular trunks and serrated oval leaves, similar to beech. Drooping clusters of winged nuts become quite conspicuous in the autumn.

A member of the Cherry family, this tree produces blossom very early, often in February. There are two common purple leaved cultivars to be found too.

There are two cultivars you are likely to come across, both with deep purple leaves. Except when they are in flower, they are very difficult to tell apart. 'Pissardii' has pale pink, almost white flowers, and 'Nigra' is graced with pinker blooms. The flowers of these trees are perhaps their loveliest attribute, those very deep purple leaves can look a little foreboding, especially when they are planted in groups or avenues.

You may also see a non-cultivar form, with green leaves and white flowers. Look out for small, and sweet, plums in early autumn.

'Nigra' is a newer cultivar with an overall neater appearance than its sibling 'Pissardii'. Having said that, it is very difficult to tell the cultivars apart except when they are in flower.

A widely planted native tree, with Ash-like pinnate leaves, creamy flowers in spring and bright red berries in the autumn popular with birds. There are many cultivars with berry colour ranging from yellow, orange to pink.

Rowan trees tend to be short-lived and will often need replacing within 20 years in urban situations.

A widely planted native tree, with Ash-like pinnate leaves, creamy flowers in spring and bright red/orange berries in the autumn popular with birds.