Little Ouse River. T. St Helen's picnic site. Goat willow. Salix caprea ... In the past, the tall, straight, flexible tr
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St Helen’s picnic site
Goat willow
Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna
Salix caprea
Forestry Commission office
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Populus robusta
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Quercus robur
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Fagus sylvatica
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We are plan diverse range ting an ever more of from carefully tree species, grown se are better ab lected seeds that le to cope with changing clim o ate. This help ur increase the s to availab types of food ility of different and available to w nectars ildlife.
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Explorer
2 English oak Quercus robur
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Common beech
Fagus sylvatica
Beech leaves have wavy edges with small hairs. •Beech arrived in country in the Bronze age. They were often called ‘The lady of the Woods’ because of their beautiful colours. •Beech deadwood supports the wide st range of insect species within lowland woodland. •T ruffles can sometimes be found on the roots of Beech trees.
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The oak tree has long irregular and deep lobed green leaves. They grow alternately along the twig.
•Oak trees can live for 500 years, and reach a height of 30m. •The oak has always been held in high esteem. The Druids worshipped and practised their rites in oak groves. •There are a number of non-native oaks in the UK including holm, red and turkey oak. The only other native is the sessile oak. •Oak trees provide a rich habitat for wildlife and support more life forms that any other native trees.
Crataegus monogyna
The leaves have toothed deep lobes which cut almost to the leaf stalk.
•Hawthorn trees are also known as the ‘May-tree’ as this is the month when they flower. •Up to 300 insects can live on a Hawthorn and the dense thorny foliage make them a great nesting place for many birds. •Hawthorn wood is finely grained and very hard. It’s excellent for firewood as it burns at high temperatures.
3 Scots pine Pinus sylvestris
Needles on a Scots pine are about 5cm long and a blue-green colour. They are usually smaller than needles on most other pines and grown in pairs from the stalk.
•The Scot’s pine is the UK’s only native timber producing conifer. •The high resin content of this tree’s sap means that the wood is slow to decay. In the past, the tall, straight, flexible trunks were ideal for making ship masts. •The Scots pine loses its lower branches as it matures. •Capercaille (woodland grouse) and osprey roost in large dead branches.
5 Goat willow Salix caprea
Hawthorn
Walking trail
Goat willow leaves are almost perfect ovals. The leaves are dull green in colour with a fleecy topside. Where the leaf stalk joins the twig, there is a cupped husk. •Willow is often coppiced and its thin branches used for hurdles and basketwork. Coppicing involves cutting the tree back to a ‘stool’ at ground level, to encourage straight stems to grow. •Willow tends to thrive in damp woods, scrub and hedges.
6 Hybrid poplar Castanea sativa
Hybrid poplar’s have glossy bronze leaves which mature to a bright green and turn yellow just before falling. The bark of a hybrid poplar is grey.
•Hybrid poplar timber is very strong and is used to make boxes and crates. •It is often planted to provide shelter for buildings, as it is a fast growing and leafy tree. It grows at a rate of 1.8m per year. •The hybrid popular was first discovered in France in 1895 and these would have been part of the plantation found at St Helens which produced timber for the match making industry.
