Most usefull trees in UK

[DavidJT]

Perhaps we are looking at the question the wrong way...

It could be argued that without the Yew (for bows) and the Oak (for tudor war ships), the country wouldn't exist at all?

[Harvestman]

Perhaps we are looking at the question the wrong way...

It could be argued that without the Yew (for bows) and the Oak (for tudor war ships), the country wouldn't exist at all?

Yes it would, but someone else might be in charge. Besides, we weren't the only nation building ships out of oak. Good historical point though. Wood has been a major part of our culture, development, and history, and has only recently being partially overtaken by metals and plastics. I'd probably bet that worldwide wood is still the most commonly used raw material.

[dwardo]

Would it be possible to have a post/thread that we could all edit and add our bit? Its great people add their own post but one location containing everyones input would be nice, if at all possible (Mods) ?

[Harvestman]

We've probably been too comprehensive in our answers for the original intention of the question. So...

For a really thorough answer, have a look here.

For a simple answer, Birch, for all the reasons given previously

[greensurfingbear]

You can use the leaves from horse chestnut to make a mild soap plus who doesn't enjoy a good ole conker match.

[leahcim]

1. Oak has more uses than any tree around except for palm trees including coconuts.
2. Pine is one of the best trees as well - there are more commerical uses for pines than probably any tree. toothpaste, paper, turpentine, the list goes on and on.
3. I am not in England, I am in America, but trees in America would be in order

1. Oak, Pine or all Conifers, maple, hickory, basswood, persimmon, then BIRCHES, followed by cherries, and willows. I would nut want to be without OAKS anywhere. with oaks and pines, you have everything you really need to get through the day.

[Native Nathan]

Easy any two about 8-9 feet apart with flat level dry ground between them

lol


Pine,
Resin is highly flammable
Resin can be made in to pine pitch glue
Pine pitch glue is also waterproof
Pine cones contain pine nuts which are edible
Young roots make great field expedient natural cordage
Pine needles are high in vitamin C and i love pine needle tea
Pine boughs make a good bed
Pines make a great snow shelter - usually

[sandbender]

"...In the days when plough where iron pear would was the favoured material for ploughs in the heavy clay soils around Somerset - perry pear tree wood ideal. There reason, the abrasive nature of the clay and acid nature of the land rapidly pitted & dulled the plough making it hard work as the clay stuck to the shear. On the other hand the clay gave a nicely fine sanded effect to the pear wood and it was not effected by the acid moisture so it continued to keep cuttingand not stick. And it was cheap and to hand.

Very interesting.

Great thread.

[Martyn]

Pine,
Resin is highly flammable
Resin can be made in to pine pitch glue
Pine pitch glue is also waterproof
Pine cones contain pine nuts which are edible
Young roots make great field expedient natural cordage
Pine needles are high in vitamin C and i love pine needle tea
Pine boughs make a good bed
Pines make a great snow shelter - usually

...and it's fast growing, is a source of turpentine, fatwood and it's evergreen and it smells nice. Although technically a softwood, some species can be very hard and dense and provide high calorie content for burning, though in fairness it's usually spitty and fast burning.

I would say it's a fight between pine and birch for the top spot in this list.

[mountainm]

Not sure - but would it be useful (for the scouts, less so for us) to list the most common trees/shrubs in the UK and then their uses, rather than the most useful tree - as the chances are you'll need to compromise based on what's available. Odds are if you're in a wood in the UK then there will be at least one of the following species

Beech
Ash
Birch
Oak
Sycamore
Pine
Horse Chestnut
Hawthorne
Elder
Holly
Willow
Hazel
Blackthorn
Rhododendron

In my experience (obviously up for debate) I think these are less common
Lime
Elm
Yew
Hornbeam
Sweet Chestnut
Apple
Pear
Alder

[Siberianfury]

the best species in britain by far is not native, Western red cedar might aswell be classed a super tree, its uses are endless.

[Native Nathan]

@ Siberianfury Can you give us some example please Josh, I've not come across the Western red cedar before.

I'm off to Google it now

[Lukas]

if you look into the thread Properties and uses of trees in the flora and fauna section of the forum you will see the list of various uses I listed, I hope more people will contribute to it

[dasy2k1]

For scouts hazel has a multitude of uses.
It makes the best pioneering poles and of course the traditional scout stave is normal made of hazel (or ash)

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[thebrown83]

Very useful thread looking forward to seeing your results mate

[21st century pict]

It could be argued that without the Yew (for bows) and the Oak (for tudor war ships), the country wouldn't exist at all?

Sorry but there is nothing special about yew, any wood can make a good bow so long as you use the right design,I’ve seen bows made from old oak whisky barrel staves and pine. And the same goes for ships, Ash, Elm, Pine the Scottish Celtic Galley Aileach is made from Larch and I have even herd the legend of a Viking galley made from Yew.

[youngbushcrafter]

Well I'm Scottish so it has to be the scots pine,
Needles great for tea
sap makes glue if mixed with crushed charcoal
Stump good for collecting fat wood
makes a pretty good firewood
Sap can be used as a waterproof coating

[21st century pict]

“Hoots man, awa ya go.”
"Tea" that will be a non-alcoholic beverage from that tree then.
Birch then pine and juniper, or how about the oldest tree in Europe the Fortingall yew Perthshire.
Boreal forests rock.
Fit like Youngbushcrafter loon?

[slowworm]

In my experience (obviously up for debate) I think these are less common
Lime
Elm
Yew
Hornbeam
Sweet Chestnut
Apple
Pear
Alder

I think that depends on where you are, when I lived in Surrey Yew and Lime were very common. I would say apple seems to be very common all over the place although you might not find a large group.

As for useful trees, I would have to have some form of lime as the leaves are edible, the flowers make a good tea and the wood is good for carving etc, the bark can be used for fibres and paper I believe.

Perhaps it's going a bit far but alder is also very useful as the trees fix nitrogen along with it's bushcraft uses.

[winst0nsmith]

Whatever you do on one side of the A5, this should take up the other side in my mind, 'tis a classic and very educational...

Beech-wood fires burn bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year;
Store your beech for Christmastide
With new-cut holly laid beside;
Chestnut's only good, they say,
If for years 'tis stored away;
Birch and fir-wood burn too fast
Blaze too bright and do not last;
Flames from larch will shoot up high,
Dangerously the sparks will fly;
But ash-wood green and ash-wood brown
Are fit for a Queen with a golden crown.

Oaken logs, if dry and old,
Keep away the winter's cold;
Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke;
Elm-wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold;
It is by the Irish said;
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread,
Apple-wood will scent the room,
Pear-wood smells like flowers in bloom;
But ash-wood wet and ash-wood dry
A King may warm his slippers by.

There are other versions that are better I think, could be wrong, often am, I shall edit this post with them as I find them or not.

W

[winst0nsmith]

Whatever you do on one side of the A5, this should take up the other side in my mind, 'tis a classic and very educational...


There are other versions that are better I think, could be wrong, often am, I shall edit this post with them as I find them or not.

W

Seems that noobs can't edit posts...


Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year
Chestnut only good they say
If for long it's stored away
Make a fire of elder tree
Death within your house will be
But ash new or ash old
Is fit for a Queen with a crown of gold

Birch and Fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last
It is by the Cornish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould
Even the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a Queen with a golden crown

Poplar gives a bitter smoke
Fills your eyes and makes you choke
Apple wood will scent your room
With an incense-like perfume
Oaken logs, if dry and old
Keep away the winters cold
But ash wet or ash dry
A king shall warm his slippers by

[winst0nsmith]

Logs to Burn, Logs to burn, Logs to burn,
Logs to save the coal a turn,
Here's a word to make you wise,
When you hear the woodman's cries.

Never heed his usual tale,
That he has good logs for sale,
But read these lines and really learn,
The proper kind of logs to burn.

Oak logs will warm you well,
If they're old and dry.
Larch logs of pine will smell,
But the sparks will fly.

Beech logs for Christmas time,
Yew logs heat well.
"Scotch" logs it is a crime,
For anyone to sell.

Birch logs will burn too fast,
Chestnut scarce at all.
Hawthorn logs are good to last,
If you cut them in the fall.

Holly logs will burn like wax,
You should burn them green,
Elm logs like smoldering flax,
No flame to be seen.

Pear logs and apple logs,
They will scent your room,
Cherry logs across the dogs,
Smell like flowers in bloom

But ash logs, all smooth and gray,
Burn them green or old;
Buy up all that come your way,
They're worth their weight in gold.

[21st century pict]

Well I just want to sit down in front of a nice fast burning birch fire, that I lit with birch bark, and drink birch sap beer out of my birch cup to make some birch tar for my birch bark canoe while simultaneously moaning on and on about the best wood to use for corporal punishment.

[British Red]

The construction uses and food uses interest me...

Stock proof hedging from hawthorn and blackthorn

Rot resistant fence posts from sweet chestnut (did you know an acre of sweet chestnut trees yields the same food calories as an acre of wheat?)

Elm is very strong and prone not to split - hence its use in wheel hubs

Larch is very water resistant - used in boat building.

The variety of our trees give a whole variety of useful timbers - that variety is more useful than any "king of trees"

[sandbender]

"...(did you know an acre of sweet chestnut trees yields the same food calories as an acre of wheat?)..."

I have heard or read that somewhere, not sure where though.

[mountainm]

The construction uses and food uses interest me...

Stock proof hedging from hawthorn and blackthorn

Rot resistant fence posts from sweet chestnut (did you know an acre of sweet chestnut trees yields the same food calories as an acre of wheat?)

Elm is very strong and prone not to split - hence its use in wheel hubs

Larch is very water resistant - used in boat building.

The variety of our trees give a whole variety of useful timbers - that variety is more useful than any "king of trees"

Elm also for coffins, larch for fenceposts. Similar reasons but larch also grows straight. Info courtesy of the national trust at fountains abbey where there's more yew trees than I've ever seen before.

[jackcbr]

The most useful tree for me is the one I can't find to do the thing I'm trying to do in the woods at any given time.

[mrcharly]

Interesting that no-one has mentioned Walnut trees. Good food source, lovely timber.

I wouldn't want a boat made of Ash. Not exactly renowned for its rot resistance, Ash. Not like Oak. There is a reason why Oak was used as a ship building timber.

[BareThrills]

I found this site for ID of common trees in winter. may be of use

http://dal.hubpages.com/hub/RECOGNISING-WINTER-TREES

[Folcwigga]

Sorry but there is nothing special about yew, any wood can make a good bow so long as you use the right design

Surely you can make a bow out of any wood, but i think Yew was historically chosen because it was the best wood for bow making.