Two larger trees worth a mention, particularly at this time of year with their spectacular display of golden leaves as they change colour, are Liriodendron tulipifera and Ginkgo biloba.
The tulip tree or yellow poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera, is one of the last of the deciduous trees to change colour and lose its leaves in Dunedin Botanic Garden.
A long-lived and fast-growing tree to well over 35m, it is not one you would plant in a small home garden. It has tulip-shaped greenish-yellow flowers in spring.
The ginkgo tree, Ginkgo biloba, has been called a living fossil.
It is one of the oldest living seed plants and is therefore seen as one of the wonders of the world.
The tree reaches adult age at around 30 years then can live to well over 1000 years.
It can reach up to 40m in height with a 9m spread, which makes it a great landscape tree for large parks and gardens.
The leaf resembles the shape of a maidenhair fern, hence one of its common names, maidenhair tree.
Both of these trees can be seen in the lower botanic garden grass areas surrounding the rose garden.
• Linda Hellyer is curator of the rose garden at Dunedin Botanic Garden.
