Ash

Description

Habitat

Natural Distribution

The Tree Year

Flowers            Leaves               Fruit              Ripen            Fall

April                 May                 June             October          September



Propagation and Growth





Grow from seed - deeply dormant - treat as per Acer campestre.  Long thin brown seeds approx 25cm long.  Approx 8000 germinable seeds per kg.  Seeds form in large sprays.  If planted green seeds may germinate flowing spring or even straight away whereas brown seeds will germinate the second spring after planting.  Grows quickly to 20 - 40 years old but growth stops at 60 years.



Timber





Pale creamy wood that is strong and elastic.



Uses of Wood





Hockey sticks, oars, paddles, rudders, billiard cues, cricket stumps, polo sticks and policemen's truncheons.  Also used for veneer and furniture.  Burns fragrantly when green or dried due to low water content even when green (30 - 35%) but seasoning (to 15% water) does improve efficiency.



Food and Drink





Related Species













Ilex acquifolium
 

Holly


Holm

Family Aquifoliaceae

Description





Small evergreen tree.



Height   15m



Habitat





Wide range of soil types - from calcerous to poor and acid.  Locally can form almost pure woods.  Suitable for hedging and pollarding.  Tolerates shaded positions in beech and oak woods.



Natural Distribution





Native to British Isles.  Particularly found in West but absent from Northern Scotland.  Also Western Central and Southern Europe.



The Tree Year




Flowers          Leaves         Fruit           Ripen          Fall

April/May                          July      June (following year)



Propagation and growth





Seed deeply dormant.  Treat as Acer campestre but start treatment in January for sewing the season after next.  Approximately 22000 seeds per kg.  Distributed by birds eating berries.



Timber





Creamy white wood dense with even grain.



Uses of Wood





Formerly used for carving inlay and engraving.  Twigs yield birdlime. Good firewood even when green.



Food and Drink





Trees were pollarded and used for winter deed especially in North and West of England.  Berries are poisonous though used as an emetic.



Related Species









Juniperus communis

Juniper

Family Cupressaceae



Description





Evergreen small tree or bush producing blue black berry (really a cone) which has a whitish bloom.



Height   6m       



Habitat





Chiefly on chalk and limestone.



Natural Distribution





All over British Isles but particularly chalk in Southern England. Found across N. America and in Europe.



The Tree Year




Flowers         Leaves     Fruit     Ripen      Fall

May/June                               Sept/Oct (year +1)



Propagation and growth





Seeds dispersed by birds.  Seed is mildly dormant - moist chill for 15 weeks before sewing.  Approximately 10000 seeds per kg.



Timber





White aromatic sapwood and brown heartwood.  Durable and fairly strong.



Uses of Wood





Used to produce charcoal.  Small amounts used for pencils and small items.  Also used to smoke meat.



Food and Drink





Juniper oil distiled from berries.  Berries also used to flavour game and Gin.



Related Species





Irish juniper (a variety of J. communis) has a more upright form with more dense leaves.  Subspecies Nana is found on mountains and is a small bush.









Malus sylvestris

Crab Apple



Family Rosaceae



Description





Small thorny deciduous tree.



Height    16m



Habitat





Common in Oak woods and hedges.



Natural Distribution





Throughout British Isles except Northern Scotland.



The Tree Year 


Flowers          Leaves          Fruit           Ripen          Fall

May                April



Propagation and growth





Timber





Hard close grained wood.



Uses of Wood



Wood carving, inlay work, mallets, screws. Good firewood with pleasant aroma.



Food and Drink





The attractive small fruit are extremely sour but make good jelly by themselves or with blackberries or rowan berries.  Crab Apple wine is reported to be potent.



Related Species





Orchard Apples are derived from Malus sylvestris and other species.









Pinus sylvestris

Scots Pine

Scots Fir



Family Pinaceae                                   

Description





Large evergreen and only native British Pine.



Height     40m                Age - typically up to 150 years but 300 possible.



Habitat





Light and sandy soils at low or moderate elevation.  Does not like sea winds or high rainfall.



Natural Distribution





Now believed to have been native to Scotland only at time of separation of England from continent although must have been found over the whole country at one time as the Ice sheets retreated.  Found from Spain to Siberia.



The Tree Year 




Flowers        Leaves      Fruit     Ripen              Fall

May                                      2nd year (3 years after fertilization.)

                   





Propagation and growth





Grown from seed.  Moist chill for up to ten weeks before sewing. Approximately 120,000 germinable seeds per kg.



Timber





Strong general purpose timber.



Uses of Wood





Preservatives are effective on this wood hence suitable for outdoors. Used for fencing, joinery, building, flooring, box and packing case manufacture, railway sleepers, pitwood, fibreboard, chipboard, and telegraph poles.  Referred to by the timber trade as "redwood" or "deal".



Food and Drink





The needles yield a medicinal oil also pitch, tars, resin and turpentine obtained from the wood.



Related Species














Page 5.12/14/15/16 - Native Trees of the British Isles