Please help ID these plants and this "disease"

[Skyedriver]

These two plants we have inherited with our new house, the shrub in the pot has been there so long the root has grown into the ground and will be planted out next spring.







The "disease" is on all of the trees in the garden, some of which are apple. None seem to be doing well.




Location West Coast of Scotland, ground very hard and stony, but apparently there's sand a few feet down
Thanks

[RichB]

The top plant is a New zealand Flax/Phormium. Cut out the old flowering spikes and you can pretty well ignore them.

[RichB]

That's not disease, it's lichen and does not materially affect the tree. If it's not fruiting then it may need judicious pruning and feeding.

[STO]

The second one`s quite possibly a Pyracantha should just need trimming back a bit each winter.

[Skyedriver]

RichB said:

The top plant is a New zealand Flax/Phormium. Cut out the old flowering spikes and you can pretty well ignore them.

Thanks for that

[Skyedriver]

RichB said:

That's not disease, it's lichen and does not materially affect the tree. If it's not fruiting then it may need judicious pruning and feeding.

Thanks, is there a way/need of cleaning the trees of it?

All the trees are "suffering" the same, none of the apple trees are fruiting much apparently and all stand about 2 metres tall looking very sorry for themselves.

[Skyedriver]

STO said:

The second one`s quite possibly a Pyracantha should just need trimming back a bit each winter.

Don't think its a Pyracanthas, not the usual thorny stems

[IanA2]

Skyedriver said:

RichB said:

That's not disease, it's lichen and does not materially affect the tree. If it's not fruiting then it may need judicious pruning and feeding.

Thanks, is there a way/need of cleaning the trees of it?

All the trees are "suffering" the same, none of the apple trees are fruiting much apparently and all stand about 2 metres tall looking very sorry for themselves.

We have many apple trees, this year they cropped well, last year and two years before that, zip. No rhyme nor reason.

As said before, a bit of pruning might help, check RHS guidance. It's an easy job.

That you have such a profusion of lichen means you have really excellent air quality, deffo no need to be scraping it off.

[Skyedriver]

IanA2 said:

That you have such a profusion of lichen means you have a lot of rain more likely.

[TooMany2cvs]

IanA2 said:

We have many apple trees, this year they cropped well, last year and two years before that, zip. No rhyme nor reason.

<nods>
They have good years and bad. We've got a Discovery apple tree, which is normally groaning - this year? Nowt. Not one.

I'd also not be worrying about the lichen.

[Johnnytheboy]

Top one is Phormium Tenax - yes, cut back the flower stems, cut out any dead leaves, if it gets too big, cut the lower/outer leaves off.

2nd one - think it's a deciduous Cotoneaster but I could be mistaken.

The disease is Lichen. It's nothing to worry about but it indicates you live somewhere wet.

Sorry if I'm repeating what others said, but I want to appear clever.

[Boosted LS1]

Skyedriver said:

STO said:

The second one`s quite possibly a Pyracantha should just need trimming back a bit each winter.

Don't think its a Pyracanthas, not the usual thorny stems

Is it a Spindle plant? Or are those definetely berries on it?

[IanA2]

Skyedriver said:

IanA2 said:

That you have such a profusion of lichen means you have a lot of rain more likely.

Here you go:

[Skyedriver]

Boosted LS1 said:

Is it a Spindle plant? Or are those definetely berries on it?

Definitely berries

Not heard of a deciduous cotoneaster before, just the more common small leaved evergreen varieties ie horizontalis etc.
But having googled images yes that's what it is

Thanks everyone, I won't concern myself about the lichen, living near Oban, it's wet and good air quality blowing in off the Atlantic

[Bill]

IanA2 said:

We have many apple trees, this year they cropped well, last year and two years before that, zip. No rhyme nor reason.

We had the same, iirc there were storms that knocked the blossom off too early.

[Johnnytheboy]

Skyedriver said:

Boosted LS1 said:

Is it a Spindle plant? Or are those definetely berries on it?

Definitely berries

Not heard of a deciduous cotoneaster before, just the more common small leaved evergreen varieties ie horizontalis etc.
But having googled images yes that's what it is

Thanks everyone, I won't concern myself about the lichen, living near Oban, it's wet and good air quality blowing in off the Atlantic

At a guess it's Cotoneaster Cornubia.