Things I Found While Looking For Other Things

[pierre girard]

I was looking for some information on local trees when I ran across a site on English forests. Acording to the site, "Native' trees are defined as those that were able to migrate from mainland Europe without the aid of man."

They said there were only 33 trees in this category. Seemed like an interesting site.

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/fol/species.html

Another site said there is only one tree species that grows in GB and no where else, the whitebeam. The description of its uses (tool handles, gears before iron came into general usuage) makes it sound something like our local ironwood.

I also found out that England has silver birch and downy birch. Love to see one of each to see how they compare with our local species.

PG

[Ketchup]

Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) is not limted to UK, but also native in Southern continental Europe. UK (and certainly Southern Ireland) has a more mediterranean climate than our parts of Europe.

[Don Redondo]

Downy birch [Betulus pubescens] and Silver Birch [Betula pendula] are fairly different in their form. Downy birch is a mop headed tree whilst the silver birch has a more 'flowing' form, with a bark and structure more akin to a paper birch than does the downy. Trouble is, they hybridise in the wild and I've seen birch that I've initially thought were something else completely, until I realised that we had another hybrid.

Downy are more common in the western uplands/mountains, Wales, Scotland etc whilst silver tend to be found at lower elevations. Both are pioneer species.

Not confined to England, but widespread throughout Great Britain and Ireland.

[British Red]

Well Pierre, its not a great specimen, but it is in the field behind the house!

Silver Birch (the catkins are hazel, ignore them)

http://img476.imageshack.us/img476/2434/birch19jv.jpg

Section of rotten birch showing the nature of the bark

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/9476/birch22gy.jpg

Shot of the branches showing the nature of them

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/6950/birch32mc.jpg

Regards

Red

[pierre girard]

Thanks for the tree shots. Bark looks similar to our paper (canoe) birch. Tree looks like what you might find in someone's yard here. In the forest, the paper (canoe) birch grow very tall before the first branch. I'll see if I can find some decent looking ones to photograph.

PG

[Tengu]

paper birches are whiter and the bark peels off bigtime

[Fallow Way]

We are fairly limited to our native species in Europe compared to other continents due to the orientation of our mountainous regions. Generally they run east west, while in America for example, they are orientated north/south. This meant that during the previous Ice Ages, species would become trapped colonising southward to escape the encroaching colder region, while in Amercia they had a much easier path. This partially explains our limited species.

[swyn]

Hornbeam was also used for gears,in particular for spikes on drive wheels inside windmills. Wild service tree (sorbus torminalis) is a rare tree too. It's fruit looks like little olives and when allowed to rot a little is quite sweet. (foragers note) This was a childrens sweet in mediaeval times. It's alternative name was 'Chequers'. There are two old veteran trees near me (1704) and 11 young now planted in various spots in a 5 mile radius for future generations to enjoy.
PS. I really should put chequers on the lovely grub thread :D