Alnus glutinosa - Common Alder
I found this Alder in Longford park.
Alder trees are found growing alongside water on the banks of a river or stream, grows up to 20m sometimes more.
Fresh new shoots emerging.
Similar to hazel, common alder also has round leaves with serrated edges.
Taxus baccata - Yew
Yew has a lifespan of 2,000 years, there is also a specimen called Irish yew which has more of a narrow form. I found this tree in Silverdale surprisingly common in churchyards. It has a great history producing the perfect type of wood for constructing longbows with because of its strength and elasticity. The tree is poisonous.
The tree is a dark green, evergreen, densely packed with flattened needles.
The bark is reddish-brown and flakes at the trunk.
It can grow on extremely shallow soil; has to be acidic.
Has a pointed crown and the branches grow upwards.
Hampton Court Palace Gardens - fountain court. The tree has an amazing ornamental appearance, its dense foliage gives it the possibility to be cut into various shapes and forms.
The trunk looks twisted because of the vertical grooves that form because of the repeatedly growing shoots from the base.
Salix caprea - Goat Willow
Also known as sallow Salix caprea grows into a large bush, so it makes it difficult to determine if its a tree or shrub, it has a round crown that reaches heights of 10 meters. Prefers damp and dry soils and is common around northern Europe.
Rough textured leaves and significant fleshy yellow pointed buds.
Simple entire leaves with toothed edges.
Fluffy grey-white catkins emerge from the buds during spring, the female trees produce silky white catkins and males are yellow.
Smooth grey bark thats rigid at the base.
Salix caprea during winter.
Crataegus monogyna - Hawthorn
A dense thorny shrub, but can form a small tree that grows to about 12 meters tall. I found this specimen in Longford park.
The trees bark is bright brown with tints of reds and greens and flakes.
Very knobbly twigs with rigid edges. Gives it quite a scary appearance.
Buds are pinkish that will soon produce white flowers that turn pink again when mature.
Gets its name from the many defensive hardy thorns that it produces.
Corylus avellana - Hazel
Broadleaf evergreen leaves, round in shape and has toothed edges.
In winter it has yellowish-brown twigs and round green buds and small catkins.
Buds are round an green.
This specimen is coppiced, we can tell because it has very slim multiple stems.
Bark is smooth and grey and riddled with lenticels.
Pinus sylvestris - Scots Pine
The only native British pine, also found all over Europe. Pinus sylvestris is a tall coniferous tree that grows quickly reaching heights of 35-40 meters. Planted for ornament and for its timber. Its crown changes from being cone shaped to an irregular flat top.
Its long needles are blue-green, robust and pointy growing up to 5 cm and longer. Significantly grows in pairs.
The buds are sticky and pointed with hairs and has a sweet resin smell.
The twigs are flakey and grows in long curves.
Its bark is also flakey and comes off easily.
Robust trunk. Its a soft wood tree and the timber is sold cheaply.
From the cone I can tell that the tree is female, originally green but become greyish and oval shaped in maturity.
Urtica diocia (stinging nettle) growing at the base could signify that the tree prefers acidic soils.
I found Betula pendula in All Saints park, adjacent Oxford road. Silver birch is a fast growing tree that normally lives for about 100 years. Its distinguishable drooping twigs separate it from the other Betula descriptions.
The bark has large pointed cracks in it which are diamond shaped, when pulled off it comes in papery strips which are pink on the inside.
The buds are small, hard and redish-brown
Its flowers take the form of catkins, the male trees' catkins droop, are 4-5 cm long and yellow turning brown, female trees' catkins produce many paper like winged seeds.
Fraxinus Excelsior - Ash
I found this ash tree in Whitworth park alongside Oxford road. Ash trees are native in England and are found all over Europe. It is a broadleaf, deciduous tree and has an average height of 15-30 meters.
Has a long and robust trunk that often grows upright.
Has grey, smooth bark that can turn green because of algae, the surface has long significant tightly packed ridges.
The twigs have large black buds at the ends of them and has two smaller lateral buds lower down.
Its fruits are long narrow brown wings that disperse by the wind.
Betula pendula - Silver Birch
I found Betula pendula in All Saints park, adjacent Oxford road. Silver birch is a fast growing tree that normally lives for about 100 years. Its distinguishable drooping twigs separate it from the other Betula descriptions.
The bark has large pointed cracks in it which are diamond shaped, when pulled off it comes in papery strips which are pink on the inside.
The buds are small, hard and redish-brown
Its flowers take the form of catkins, the male trees' catkins droop, are 4-5 cm long and yellow turning brown, female trees' catkins produce many paper like winged seeds.
Quercus robur - English Oak
I found this quercus in whitworth park adjacent oxford road. The tree is relatively young and small judging by the girth of its trunk and is currently in good health. English oaks are common throughout Europe, they can grow to monumental sizes and live to hundreds of years.
The bark is grey and finely cracked
The leaves are short in length growing up to a few inches, they have very deep lobes with two miniature lobes pointing backwards at the base.
We can tell that this Quercus is male by observing the catkins closely, they form short light green clusters that emerge in May, the females catkins are shorter and have tiny flowers.
The twigs/branches are knobbly.
Prefers well drained acidic soils.
Round and robust trunk.
Its bark is grey and smooth, mostly green with algae and becomes flakey when adult.
The twigs are brown and has long narrow brown pointed buds.
Its leaves are shiny, pointed and oval shaped. They are dark green and start turning brown in autumn.
When ivy reaches its maturity, its stems turn into trunks and its surfaces becomes covered with bark that has a rough and coarse texture.
Fagus Sylvatica - Beech
I found these beech trees in Longford park, its an impressive tree thats known for its strength and the furniture that gets produced from it. Beech trees can grow up to 30 - 40 meters high with a huge spreading crown and now can be found in many European countries. Its flowering season starts from april to may. This particular specimen is growing healthily and has spread its species around it.
Prefers well drained acidic soils.
Round and robust trunk.
Its bark is grey and smooth, mostly green with algae and becomes flakey when adult.
The twigs are brown and has long narrow brown pointed buds.
Its leaves are shiny, pointed and oval shaped. They are dark green and start turning brown in autumn.
Hedera Helix - Ivy
Hedera Helix is common all around Europe, I found this one just outside Piccadilly station, Ivy is a climbing plant that relies on another object or plant to grow up on, its capable of reaching heights of up to 20 meters high (rarely higher) it grows like this because it has aerial roots which cling to other surfaces and can be tough to pull off. Ivy can be a nuisance to gardeners because it grows rapidly and colonises.
It has pinnate leaves that have 5 lobes on each leaf.
Adult hedera don't have lobes anymore so the leaf becomes heart shaped.
The stems are smooth, shiny and fleshy, its colour can range from red to purple. Here are examples of its aerial roots systems.
When ivy reaches its maturity, its stems turn into trunks and its surfaces becomes covered with bark that has a rough and coarse texture.
Cornus Alba - Dogwood
I found this dogwood in the Longford park. Cornus alba is a deciduous shrub and (in the best growing conditions) can grow up to 3 meters tall, it has a round crown and its stems dissipate from the ground, its a seasonal plant; the stems turn different colours in the year, in the winter they turn red and in the spring they turn green.
Each leaf are simple entire leaves.
Stems turn red in the winter. Has two lateral buds that grow just above the leaf
Cornus alba has pinnate leaves; up to 5-10 on each stem.
Dogwood is known as a surculose plant which means that it can use the structure of another plant to help it stabilise it when its growing, thats why it has these shoots that grow off the stems to cling onto other branches or twigs.
The buds are bald, pointed and cylindrical in shape and every stem has them.
We know that this tree is female because it bares the fruit, the fruit (or pomes) are scarlet red, round and are roughly 1cm in diameter.
The bark is smooth and grey, often found with bumps on the surface.
Being an evergreen tree, some of its leaves can appear to be almost completely yellow.
The leaves are thick, fleshy and shiny (due to its waxy texture)
Formally remembered by its sharp, thick, pointy spikes holly tree leaves can also be found as simple leaves like the one below.
Sorbus Aucuparia - Rowan/ Mountain Ash
I found this mountain ash in Longford close to the garden, this one is still quite young. It stands next to a young cherry blossom. Known as a shrub or small tree, native in Europe, Northern America and parts of Asia. When they reach full maturity they can reach heights of 15m. They produce small, almost spherical berries that are bright red which appear in August.
Its bark is smooth with knots in it and shines a grey-brown colour.
The twigs are slightly hairy, the buds grow to 13mm long and are extremely hairy when they burst into life.
Ilex Aquifolium - Holly
I found this holly tree the university of Manchester, Vaughan house just outside Christ church on Oxford road. Holly trees are capable of growing to heights up to 18 meters tall, its a completely evergreen tree but in some cases the edges of the leaves are yellow, just like beech its possible to grow holly in the shape of a hedge.
The buds are bald, pointed and cylindrical in shape and every stem has them.
We know that this tree is female because it bares the fruit, the fruit (or pomes) are scarlet red, round and are roughly 1cm in diameter.
The bark is smooth and grey, often found with bumps on the surface.
Being an evergreen tree, some of its leaves can appear to be almost completely yellow.
The leaves are thick, fleshy and shiny (due to its waxy texture)
Formally remembered by its sharp, thick, pointy spikes holly tree leaves can also be found as simple leaves like the one below.
The twigs are slightly hairy, the buds grow to 13mm long and are extremely hairy when they burst into life.
Its leaves are distinctly pinnate with leaflets.
The leaflets have a round edge closest to the twig but become more toothed when it reaches the tip. Though their leaves are similar to the ash tree they are of two different genus.
Aesculus hippocastanum - Horse chestnut
I found the horse chestnut in All Saints Park, adjacent Oxford road in Manchester. They can reach heights of up to 25 meters (82 feet) in full maturity. This particular specimen has a disease caused by a horse chestnut leaf mining moth.
The bark can crack off in long plates, at full maturity the trees bark will turn brown, becoming flakey and rough.
Clear example of the disease, the larva of the leaf mining moth mines into the trees leaves leaving noticeable brown fragile patches.
Leaves are palmate and separate into oval shaped leaflets.
These leaflets can grow up to 25 cm long.
The fruit of the tree (commonly known as a conquer) fall at the end of September, they have a green spiky surface that contain 1-3 nuts inside.
Deeply rigid bark with protruding bosses.
The leaves sprout as bright green glossy diamond shapes but becomes heart shaped later on.
They grow on long tough stalks.
Populus nigra - Black poplar
I found Populus nigra in Longford park, this specimen is better known as populus nigra var italica - lombardy poplar. It has a defined outline and grows upright like a tower. It is always male and makes good windbreakers.
Tilia x europea - Common Lime
I found the common lime in longford park, its capable of reaching heights of 25 meters. It is a hybrid tree crossed small leaved and large leaved limes.
Bosses appear on the trunk.
Long ridges and cracks appear as it turns into adulthood.
The leaves grow from 6-10 cm long with whitish hairs underneath.
Fruits emerge as small bead like pods that grow in clusters of 4.
Acer pseudoplatanus - Sycamore
Sycamore is a common maple in Britain. It form a humungous dome. I found this example in Longford park.
The leaves grow up to 15cm and turn dark green after Spring.
The starts smooth and grey but becomes cracked and flakey when mature.
Tall robust trunk.
Flowers hang in long clusters and start to appear in April.
Buxus sempervirens - Box
Box is a familiar garden hedge plant and is commonly used in Royal gardens. Normally grows as a bush but can be found as a tree which can reach 6-10 meters. It is native throughout Europe.
When mature the bark is brown and cracked.
It has glossy dark evergreen leaves that grow opposite each other on a squarish stem, they are usually curled and roll under.
Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn
Blackthorn rarely forms a tree and is more common in a hawthorn hedge, native to Europe. It prefers any type of soil apart from wet, acidic soils.
The leaves are small, about 1-2 inches long, they are oval shaped and have very fine toothed edges.
Known for its dark thorny shoots.
Small irregular stump of a trunk.
The flowers burst into life during Spring, this year they are taking a little while longer to emerge.
A shrub or a small tree reaching heights of 10 meters. Elder grows on acidic soil and at a rapid rate, it is common throughout Europe.
Sambucus nigra - Elder
Mature trunks are brown, on younger ones it has a creamy grey colour with well marked pores.
The wood is soft, piffy and white inside the twigs
Typically pinnate leaves, often 2-3 pairs of leaflets and grow opposite each other on either side of the stem.
Oval shaped, sometimes rounder and has toothed edges
The flowers are minuscule and appear in June, they give rather off-putting smells.
The Field maple grows to 10-15 meters high and can be grown as a hedgerow shrub. I found this example in mersey valley in a wood.
Acer campestre - Field Maple
The stems are red and leaves are lobed similar to a sycamores but much more rounder, they have a distinctly darker green colour and will get darker as it continues to grow.
The bark is fissured and grey-brown when mature although this is a young specimen you can point out where the fissures will break.
The twigs are grey and when they are young they are slightly hairy.
Prunus avium - Wild Cherry
Wild cherry or gean grows throughout Europe reaching heights of 20 meters. Naturally it can be spotted growing in beech woods.
Cylindrical trunk, shiny, purple-grey with a bumpy texture, grows in rings and is stripped horizontally.
Flowers grow on long stalks, are cup shaped and bloom in small clusters. The blossoming starts in April.
Flowers still in a bud shape burst through into life.
The leaves appear in April roughly at the same time as the flowers, they start off with a bronze colour eventually turning green and hang from their base, they are simple entire leaves with a pointy tip and toothed edges.
