Black poplar Populus nigra (subspecies betulifolia) is a tree native to Britain and well-adapted to our floodplains. The species is widespread across the country but never common. Black poplars often lean, and when in leaf their characteristic diamond-shaped leaves (cuneate leaf-bases) also help in identification. Female trees are very rareContinue Reading

Beech tree rent asunder

On a recent trip to a woodland in southern England I came across a beech tree that had been rent asunder by winter gales. The tree had a large fork and one of its stems had broken causing the entire trunk to split open, all the way to the ground.Continue Reading

Sandalwood billets and chips stacked ready for processing at the Mysore factory

Sandalwood Santalum album L., commonly known as East Indian Sandalwood or Chandan, is a small tropical tree highly prized for its wood and scented oil. Its wonderful fragrant oil is used in perfumes, toiletries and incense. It is a fascinating tree in many ways. Sandalwood: the tree and its cultivationContinue Reading

Robin's pincushion gall - Diplolepis rosae

Cecidology – the study of galls produced on trees and plants by fungi, insects, or mites Most children have played games with oak apples (e.g. they’re great in a slingshot!) but few kids, or adults, realise that an oak apple is not a natural part of the tree, at least notContinue Reading

The grey squirrel is perhaps one of the most commonly seen of British mammals being highly visible in parks, gardens and woodlands.  This, in combination with its large eyes and bushy tail, often make it an attractive and popular animal in the public eye. Grey squirrels are, however, a seriousContinue Reading

Elder and farm machinery HDR image

Trees are beautiful to the eye but their smell is often overlooked. I don’t mean the obvious showy flowering trees but the hidden olfactory wonders in leaf, bark and seed. Here are my favourite Fragrant trees, and some less popular Odiferous trees. Fragrant trees The fresh needles of the EuropeanContinue Reading