Veteran Trees

[Kath]

A very interesting and enlightening online handbook Veteran Trees Management Handbook (http://www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/Handbooks/upland.asp?id=6)

[Tantalus]

nice

yes they are a subject all to themselves

have even heard of people who travel the country in search of them , a bit like munro bagging but with trees :)

would like to hear any interesting stories about them

Tant

[Kath]

Here's a link listing 50 of the oldest trees in Britain: http://www.treecouncil.org.uk/tws/Great%20British%20Trees.htm. I visited a yew near where I live that is listed as being 4000 years old!

[Tantalus]

nice :smile2:

about the only ones i can say i have definitely seen are the parent larch(es) at dunkeld

story my dad a keen forrester told me was that japanese and european larches were both planted there. The cross pollination resulted in a hybrid larch that was very vigourous, and as a result the hybrids were planted all over the country, hence the "parent larches"

interested to hear of the yew trees too, many of them go back to pre christian times. The druids considered them sacred and often planted them to protect springs which they revered also

christians coming to the country focussed around such "holy" places presumably because people were coming there for religous reasons anyway and it was a good place to spread their message

hence 4000 year old yews in church yards that are maybe 1000 years old (2000 max lol)

read a funny story about a couple of hikers resting under a yew tree in wales, a man appeared and proceeded to wander around the tree muttering "where is it"etc

when they asked what he said the spring of course, and explained he was making a catalogue of ancient yews and explained the relationship with springs which is what he was looking for

i think he mustve scared them a little at first lol

Capon Tree in Jedburgh is a new one to me, i must go and have a look at it, soon as i get the batteries charged on the digital camera

back soon with pics :theyareon
Tant