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  • Hybrid Cherry leaf. Many hybrid cherry cultivars have been developed. Many are favoured in municipal gardens and as street trees. The following are particularly popular cultivars: Prunus ‘Umineko’ with upright to spreading branches, ovate leaves that are toothed and long-tipped, and white flowers that appear just as the leaves are bursting; Prunus ‘Pandora’ with upright and spreading branches, oval and toothed leaves and dull pink flowers; Prunus ‘Spire’ with an extremely erect habit, broadly oval leaves with a slender tip and toothed margins, and dull pink flowers; Prunus ‘Accolade’ with a densely spreading habit, oval to elliptical leaves with toothed margins, and bright pink flowers.
    134821.jpg
  • Almond-leaved Pear Pyrus amygdaliformis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 6m. Small tree. BARK Rough and scaly. BRANCHES Often dense and sparsely spiny with greyish, woolly young twigs. LEAVES To 8cm long, usually lanceolate with a sparsely toothed margin. Young leaves are downy, but full-grown leaves are shiny above and slightly downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flower clusters open with the leaves. Thick-stalked fruits are rounded, to 3cm across, ripening dark yellow. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SE Europe; planted here occasionally.
    133796.jpg
  • Almond-leaved Pear Pyrus amygdaliformis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 6m. Small tree. BARK Rough and scaly. BRANCHES Often dense and sparsely spiny with greyish, woolly young twigs. LEAVES To 8cm long, usually lanceolate with a sparsely toothed margin. Young leaves are downy, but full-grown leaves are shiny above and slightly downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flower clusters open with the leaves. Thick-stalked fruits are rounded, to 3cm across, ripening dark yellow. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SE Europe; planted here occasionally.
    132901.jpg
  • Almond-leaved Pear Pyrus amygdaliformis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 6m. Small tree. BARK Rough and scaly. BRANCHES Often dense and sparsely spiny with greyish, woolly young twigs. LEAVES To 8cm long, usually lanceolate with a sparsely toothed margin. Young leaves are downy, but full-grown leaves are shiny above and slightly downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flower clusters open with the leaves. Thick-stalked fruits are rounded, to 3cm across, ripening dark yellow. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SE Europe; planted here occasionally.
    133795.jpg
  • Olive/Hoary Willow Salix elaeagnos (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 6m. Similar to Osier. SHOOTS Young twigs have dense grey or white hairs; older twigs become yellow-brown and smooth. LEAVES Species is best recognised by studying leaves: has matt white hairs beneath; dark shiny green above when mature. Leaves, to 15cm long and less than 1cm wide, have untoothed margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins appear on separate trees, just before leaves; reddish, male catkins to 3cm long, female catkins smaller. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Europe, sometimes planted here for ornament.
    134453.jpg
  • Olive/Hoary Willow Salix elaeagnos (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 6m. Similar to Osier. SHOOTS Young twigs have dense grey or white hairs; older twigs become yellow-brown and smooth. LEAVES Species is best recognised by studying leaves: has matt white hairs beneath; dark shiny green above when mature. Leaves, to 15cm long and less than 1cm wide, have untoothed margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins appear on separate trees, just before leaves; reddish, male catkins to 3cm long, female catkins smaller. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Europe, sometimes planted here for ornament.
    134448.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray. Naturalised occasionally.
    117567.jpg
  • SEASIDE CENTAURY Centaurium littorale (Gentianaceae) Height to 15cm. Similar to Common Centaury but more compact, with subtle differences in the leaves and flowers. Associated with sandy, coastal ground and mainly northern. FLOWERS are 10-16mm across, unstalked and pink with 5 petal-like lobes; borne in dense, flat-topped clusters (Jun-Aug). FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES are grey-green; basal leaves form a rosette and are narrow and 4-5mm wide while stem leaves are narrower still and parallel-sided. STATUS-Locally common on coasts of N and NW Britain.
    121183.jpg
  • Holm Oak - Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
    157545.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak - Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
    157484.jpg
  • Cider Gum Eucalyptus gunnii (Myrtaceae) - juvenile leaves. HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Medium-sized Gum. BARK Smooth, readily peeling, greenish-white or pink-tinged. BRANCHES Upright to level. LEAVES Juvenile leaves ovate, to 4cm long, opposite with heart-shaped bases. Adult leaves ovate to lanceolate, to 7cm long, with veins sometimes prominent. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flowers in small clusters of 3 on slightly flattened stalks up to 8mm long. Buds cylindrical, about 8mm long with a rounded cap. Fruit, to 1cm long, is bell-shaped; slightly concave disc and up to 5 valves. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Tasmania. Hardy in our climate and much-planted.
    133178.jpg
  • Coastal Redwood Sequoia sempervirens (Taxodiaceae) HEIGHT to 50m. An impressively large evergreen, growing to be the tallest tree in the world in its native California and Oregon. Forms a conical to columnar tree with a tapering trunk arising from a broader, buttressed base. BARK Thick and reddish-brown, becoming spongy, eventually deeply fissured and peeling. BRANCHES Mostly arise horizontally or are slightly pendulous. LEAVES Green twigs support a unique combination of 2 types of leaves arranged in spirals; leading shoots have scale-like leaves, up to 8mm long, clasping the stem, and side-shoots have longer, flattened, needle-like leaves up to 2cm long, lying in 2 rows. Crushed foliage smells of grapefruit.<br />
REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female cones are produced on the same tree. The small yellow male cones grow on the tips of main shoots, releasing pollen in early spring. The pale-brown female cones grow singly on the tips of shoots, becoming 2cm long and ovoid. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of California and Oregon, growing best in the hills where the permanent sea-mists keep the trees supplied with moisture. Unsurprisingly, the biggest British and Irish specimens are in the west and north of the region.
    135041.jpg
  • Chinese Juniper Juniperus chinensis (Cupressaceae) HEIGHT to 18m. Large evergreen with dark-green foliage and a sparse habit when mature. BARK Reddish-brown, peeling in vertical strips. BRANCHES Level to ascending. LEAVES Young leaves needle-like, 8mm long with sharply pointed tips and 2 bluish stripes on upper surface; mostly in clusters of 3 at base of adult shoots, radiating at right-angles. Adult leaves small and scale-like, closely adpressed to shoot. Crushed leaves smell of cats. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male cones small, yellow; grow on tips of shoots. Female cones rounded, up to 7mm long, bluish-white at first, ripening purplish-brown in second year. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Japan and China, often planted in our region in parks, gardens and churchyards
    134936.jpg
  • Almond-leaved Pear Pyrus amygdaliformis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 6m. Small tree. BARK Rough and scaly. BRANCHES Often dense and sparsely spiny with greyish, woolly young twigs. LEAVES To 8cm long, usually lanceolate with a sparsely toothed margin. Young leaves are downy, but full-grown leaves are shiny above and slightly downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flower clusters open with the leaves. Thick-stalked fruits are rounded, to 3cm across, ripening dark yellow. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SE Europe; planted here occasionally.
    134926.jpg
  • Chinese Juniper Juniperus chinensis (Cupressaceae) HEIGHT to 18m. Large evergreen with dark-green foliage and a sparse habit when mature. BARK Reddish-brown, peeling in vertical strips. BRANCHES Level to ascending. LEAVES Young leaves needle-like, 8mm long with sharply pointed tips and 2 bluish stripes on upper surface; mostly in clusters of 3 at base of adult shoots, radiating at right-angles. Adult leaves small and scale-like, closely adpressed to shoot. Crushed leaves smell of cats. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male cones small, yellow; grow on tips of shoots. Female cones rounded, up to 7mm long, bluish-white at first, ripening purplish-brown in second year. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Japan and China, often planted in our region in parks, gardens and churchyards
    134922.jpg
  • Phoenician Juniper Juniperus phoenicia (Cupressaceae) HEIGHT to 8m. Small evergreen tree, or a spreading shrub. LEAVES Scaly twigs bear 2 types of leaves. Young leaves are up to 1.5cm long and 1mm wide, sharply pointed, showing pale bands on both surfaces; in bunches of 3 spreading at right-angles. Mature leaves are only 1mm long, resembling tiny green scales clasping the twig. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male cones are inconspicuous and borne at ends of shoots, female cones are up to 1.4cm long, rounded and ripening from black through yellowish-green to a deep red in second year. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Mediterranean coasts and Atlantic shores of Portugal.
    134921.jpg
  • Japanese Crab Malus floribunda (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 8m <br />
A compact, densely crowned small tree on a thick bole with dark brown, fissured bark. The twigs are slightly pendulous and reddish when young, remaining densely hairy. The alternate leaves are up to 8cm long, oval with a pointed tip and a toothed margin. The underside is downy when the leaves first open, but becomes smooth later. Reproductive parts The fragrant flowers appear soon after the leaves and are usually so dense that they hide the leaves. At first the buds are a rich pink, then they become paler as they open and the blossom gradually fades to white. The fruits are rounded and up to 2.5cm across, but sometimes smaller. They ripen to a bright yellow, and are often present in the same abundance as the flowers. Habitat and distribution Probably a hybrid between two Japanese garden species, as this tree has not been found growing in the wild. Frequently planted in gardens and parks all over Europe for its attractive blossom and convenient small size.
    134889.jpg
  • Downy Japanese Maple Acer japonicum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 14m Similar to Smooth Japanese Maple, but bole is often even shorter; note also, differences between the leaves. BARK Grey and smooth. BRANCHES Upright and sinuous. LEAVES Hairy when young, with veins remaining hairy through the season. Leaves are lobed, but divided less than half-way to base, with forward-pointing teeth on margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Purple flowers grow in long-stalked, pendulous clusters, opening just before leaves. Paired, winged fruits, to 5cm across, have wings diverging widely; margins hairy at first. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Japan, grown here for ornament; cultivar ‘Vitifolium’ is popular for its red autumn colours.
    134480.jpg
  • Olive/Hoary Willow Salix elaeagnos (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 6m. Similar to Osier. SHOOTS Young twigs have dense grey or white hairs; older twigs become yellow-brown and smooth. LEAVES Species is best recognised by studying leaves: has matt white hairs beneath; dark shiny green above when mature. Leaves, to 15cm long and less than 1cm wide, have untoothed margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins appear on separate trees, just before leaves; reddish, male catkins to 3cm long, female catkins smaller. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Europe, sometimes planted here for ornament.
    134454.jpg
  • Olive/Hoary Willow Salix elaeagnos (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 6m. Similar to Osier. SHOOTS Young twigs have dense grey or white hairs; older twigs become yellow-brown and smooth. LEAVES Species is best recognised by studying leaves: has matt white hairs beneath; dark shiny green above when mature. Leaves, to 15cm long and less than 1cm wide, have untoothed margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins appear on separate trees, just before leaves; reddish, male catkins to 3cm long, female catkins smaller. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Europe, sometimes planted here for ornament.
    134449.jpg
  • Olive/Hoary Willow Salix elaeagnos (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 6m. Similar to Osier. SHOOTS Young twigs have dense grey or white hairs; older twigs become yellow-brown and smooth. LEAVES Species is best recognised by studying leaves: has matt white hairs beneath; dark shiny green above when mature. Leaves, to 15cm long and less than 1cm wide, have untoothed margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins appear on separate trees, just before leaves; reddish, male catkins to 3cm long, female catkins smaller. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Europe, sometimes planted here for ornament.
    133879.jpg
  • Almond-leaved Pear Pyrus amygdaliformis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 6m. Small tree. BARK Rough and scaly. BRANCHES Often dense and sparsely spiny with greyish, woolly young twigs. LEAVES To 8cm long, usually lanceolate with a sparsely toothed margin. Young leaves are downy, but full-grown leaves are shiny above and slightly downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flower clusters open with the leaves. Thick-stalked fruits are rounded, to 3cm across, ripening dark yellow. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SE Europe; planted here occasionally.
    132891.jpg
  • Almond-leaved Pear Pyrus amygdaliformis (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 6m. Small tree. BARK Rough and scaly. BRANCHES Often dense and sparsely spiny with greyish, woolly young twigs. LEAVES To 8cm long, usually lanceolate with a sparsely toothed margin. Young leaves are downy, but full-grown leaves are shiny above and slightly downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flower clusters open with the leaves. Thick-stalked fruits are rounded, to 3cm across, ripening dark yellow. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SE Europe; planted here occasionally.
    132890.jpg
  • Coastal Redwood Sequoia sempervirens (Taxodiaceae) HEIGHT to 50m. An impressively large evergreen, growing to be the tallest tree in the world in its native California and Oregon. Forms a conical to columnar tree with a tapering trunk arising from a broader, buttressed base. BARK Thick and reddish-brown, becoming spongy, eventually deeply fissured and peeling. BRANCHES Mostly arise horizontally or are slightly pendulous. LEAVES Green twigs support a unique combination of 2 types of leaves arranged in spirals; leading shoots have scale-like leaves, up to 8mm long, clasping the stem, and side-shoots have longer, flattened, needle-like leaves up to 2cm long, lying in 2 rows. Crushed foliage smells of grapefruit.<br />
REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female cones are produced on the same tree. The small yellow male cones grow on the tips of main shoots, releasing pollen in early spring. The pale-brown female cones grow singly on the tips of shoots, becoming 2cm long and ovoid. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of California and Oregon, growing best in the hills where the permanent sea-mists keep the trees supplied with moisture. Unsurprisingly, the biggest British and Irish specimens are in the west and north of the region.
    132872.jpg
  • Downy Japanese Maple Acer japonicum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 14m Similar to Smooth Japanese Maple, but bole is often even shorter; note also, differences between the leaves. BARK Grey and smooth. BRANCHES Upright and sinuous. LEAVES Hairy when young, with veins remaining hairy through the season. Leaves are lobed, but divided less than half-way to base, with forward-pointing teeth on margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Purple flowers grow in long-stalked, pendulous clusters, opening just before leaves. Paired, winged fruits, to 5cm across, have wings diverging widely; margins hairy at first. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Japan, grown here for ornament; cultivar ‘Vitifolium’ is popular for its red autumn colours.
    132826.jpg
  • Downy Japanese Maple Acer japonicum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 14m Similar to Smooth Japanese Maple, but bole is often even shorter; note also, differences between the leaves. BARK Grey and smooth. BRANCHES Upright and sinuous. LEAVES Hairy when young, with veins remaining hairy through the season. Leaves are lobed, but divided less than half-way to base, with forward-pointing teeth on margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Purple flowers grow in long-stalked, pendulous clusters, opening just before leaves. Paired, winged fruits, to 5cm across, have wings diverging widely; margins hairy at first. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Japan, grown here for ornament; cultivar ‘Vitifolium’ is popular for its red autumn colours.
    132819.jpg
  • Downy Japanese Maple Acer japonicum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 14m Similar to Smooth Japanese Maple, but bole is often even shorter; note also, differences between the leaves. BARK Grey and smooth. BRANCHES Upright and sinuous. LEAVES Hairy when young, with veins remaining hairy through the season. Leaves are lobed, but divided less than half-way to base, with forward-pointing teeth on margins. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Purple flowers grow in long-stalked, pendulous clusters, opening just before leaves. Paired, winged fruits, to 5cm across, have wings diverging widely; margins hairy at first. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Japan, grown here for ornament; cultivar ‘Vitifolium’ is popular for its red autumn colours.
    132818.jpg
  • Cabbage Palm Cordyline australis (Agavaceae) HEIGHT to 13m <br />
A superficially palm-like evergreen. Trees that have flowered have a forked trunk with a crown of foliage on top of each fork. BARK Pale brownish-grey, ridged and furrowed. LEAVES Tall, bare trunks are crowned with dense masses of long, spear-like, parallel-veined leaves, to 90cm long and 8cm wide. Upper leaves are mostly erect, but lower leaves hang down to cover top of trunk. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are produced in midsummer in large spikes, to 1.2m long comprising numerous small, fragrant, creamy-white flowers, each about 1cm across, with 6 lobes and 6 stamens. Fruit is a small rounded bluish-white berry about 6mm across containing several black seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of New Zealand, planted here for ornament. It survives quite far north, as long as there is some protection from severe cold, and tolerates a range of soil types. Often used to create the illusion of sub-tropical conditions in coastal resorts.
    132768.jpg
  • Chinese Juniper Juniperus chinensis (Cupressaceae) HEIGHT to 18m. Large evergreen with dark-green foliage and a sparse habit when mature. BARK Reddish-brown, peeling in vertical strips. BRANCHES Level to ascending. LEAVES Young leaves needle-like, 8mm long with sharply pointed tips and 2 bluish stripes on upper surface; mostly in clusters of 3 at base of adult shoots, radiating at right-angles. Adult leaves small and scale-like, closely adpressed to shoot. Crushed leaves smell of cats. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male cones small, yellow; grow on tips of shoots. Female cones rounded, up to 7mm long, bluish-white at first, ripening purplish-brown in second year. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Japan and China, often planted in our region in parks, gardens and churchyards
    132731.jpg
  • Coastal Redwood Sequoia sempervirens (Taxodiaceae) HEIGHT to 50m. An impressively large evergreen, growing to be the tallest tree in the world in its native California and Oregon. Forms a conical to columnar tree with a tapering trunk arising from a broader, buttressed base. BARK Thick and reddish-brown, becoming spongy, eventually deeply fissured and peeling. BRANCHES Mostly arise horizontally or are slightly pendulous. LEAVES Green twigs support a unique combination of 2 types of leaves arranged in spirals; leading shoots have scale-like leaves, up to 8mm long, clasping the stem, and side-shoots have longer, flattened, needle-like leaves up to 2cm long, lying in 2 rows. Crushed foliage smells of grapefruit.<br />
REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female cones are produced on the same tree. The small yellow male cones grow on the tips of main shoots, releasing pollen in early spring. The pale-brown female cones grow singly on the tips of shoots, becoming 2cm long and ovoid. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of California and Oregon, growing best in the hills where the permanent sea-mists keep the trees supplied with moisture. Unsurprisingly, the biggest British and Irish specimens are in the west and north of the region.
    132650.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
    132377.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
    132345.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
    132344.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
    132343.jpg
  • CELERY-LEAVED BUTTERCUP Ranunculus scleratus (Ranunculaceae) Height to 50cm. Yellowish green annual with hollow stems. Favours marshes and wet grazing meadows, often on trampled ground. FLOWERS are 5-10mm across with pale yellow petals; borne in clusters (May-Sep). FRUITS have elongated heads. LEAVES are celery-like and divided into 3 lobes (basal leaves); stem leaves less divided. STATUS-Locally common in S.
    131950.jpg
  • Grey Poplar Populus x canescens (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 37m. Stable hybrid between White Poplar and Aspen. When fully mature, grows into an impressively large tree with a good solid bole. In spring the tree has a whitish appearance when the wind displaces the leaves, but it is not as brilliantly white as the White Poplar. BARK Whitish with diamond-shaped fissures. LEAVES Rounded to oval and toothed with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Leaf upper surface is glossy grey-green and lower surface is covered with a greyish-white felt. By mid- to late summer the leaves lose some of the white felt and the tree looks greyer. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins are borne on separate trees. Fe¬male trees with green, pendulous catkins are rare. Male catkins are elongated and pendulous, giving whole tree a purplish col¬our when they swell before opening in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of mainland Europe and introduced into Britain very early, probably with the White Poplar.
    133949.jpg
  • Sugar Maple Acer saccharum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 26m <br />
Similar to Norway Maple. BARK Has large fissures and falls away in shreds in older trees. BRANCHES Upright to spreading. LEAVES 13cm-long leaves are lobed, but teeth on lobes are rounded, not drawn out into a fine point as in Norway Maple; there are hairs in vein axils below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Pendulous yellow-green flowers are small and lack petals; open in spring with leaves. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E North America, planted here for its autumn colours.
    134188.jpg
  • Indian Bean Tree (Southern Catalpa) Catalpa bignonioides (Bignoniaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Medium-sized deciduous tree with a short bole. BARK Greyish-brown and scaly. BRANCHES Mostly spreading with smooth, stout twigs tipped with very small orange-brown buds. LEAVES Long-stalked, large and broadly ovate, to 25cm long and 20cm across, with heart-shaped bases and short-pointed tips; margins are untoothed, upper surface is smooth and lower surface is downy. Leaves are tinged with purple and downy when young, becoming a lighter, almost transparent green when mature. Usually late to open and early to fall. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS 5cm-long flowers are an open bell shape with 2 lips; petals are white with purple and yellow spots; in large showy panicles in midsummer. Fruit is a long, slender bean-like pod, to 40cm long, that hangs from branches long after leaves have fallen; contains many inedible flat, papery seeds, to 2.5cm long. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SE USA, planted here and quite common in many large cities, including London.
    135460.jpg
  • Swamp Cypress Taxodium distichum (Taxodiaceae) HEIGHT to 35m. Deciduous conifer, conical at first, becoming broader and domed with maturity. When growing in or near water, fluted trunk is surrounded by emergent ‘breathing roots’ (likened by some to knobbly knees) characteristic of this species. BARK Pale reddish-brown, peeling in thin fibrous strips. BRANCHES Upright or spreading in older trees, carrying 2 types of shoots: long shoots bear spirally arranged leaves, and alternate side-shoots bear flattened leaves set in 2 ranks. LEAVES Alternate, up to 2cm long, and pale green; a greyish band on the underside has a fine midrib. A mature tree colours well in autumn before shedding its needles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male cones produced in slender, branching clusters up to 15cm long at end of 1-year-old shoots. Female cones are globose and woody, on short stalks, ripening purplish-brown in first year. Each scale has a small curved spine in the centre. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S and SE USA, planted here for ornament.
    135032.jpg
  • Ribbon Gum Eucalyptus viminalis (Myrtaceae) HEIGHT to 50m. Large tree. BARK Rough, peels in long ribbons revealing smoother, pale patches. BRANCHES Mainly upright. LEAVES Juvenile leaves opposite, oblong, to 10cm long. Adult leaves alternate, to 18cm long and tapering. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flowers usually in clusters of 3; buds have scarlet domed caps. Fruits rounded. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S and E Australia, grown here for timber and ornament.
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  • Moosewood Acer pennsylvanicum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 14m. One of the so-called ‘snakebark maples’. BARK Green, vertically striped with reddish-brown or white; bark becomes greyer with age. BRANCHES Mainly upright. LEAVES To 15cm long and about same width, with 3 triangular forward-pointing lobes that taper to slender points; central lobe is longest. In summer leaves are rich yellow-green with a smooth upper surface and a hairy lower surface when first open. In autumn they turn a deep yellow. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Small yellow-green flowers, in pendulous racemes, appear in spring with leaves. Greenish fruits are about 2.5cm long and have downcurved wings. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for its autumn colours.
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  • Moosewood Acer pennsylvanicum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 14m. One of the so-called ‘snakebark maples’. BARK Green, vertically striped with reddish-brown or white; bark becomes greyer with age. BRANCHES Mainly upright. LEAVES To 15cm long and about same width, with 3 triangular forward-pointing lobes that taper to slender points; central lobe is longest. In summer leaves are rich yellow-green with a smooth upper surface and a hairy lower surface when first open. In autumn they turn a deep yellow. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Small yellow-green flowers, in pendulous racemes, appear in spring with leaves. Greenish fruits are about 2.5cm long and have downcurved wings. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for its autumn colours.
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  • Sassafras Sassafras albidum (Lauraceae) HEIGHT to 20m <br />
Medium-sized, columnar, deciduous tree. BARK Thick, reddish-brown, furrowed and aromatic bark. BRANCHES With thin, green shoots, particularly evident after leaf-fall. LEAVES Mostly elliptic and untoothed, to 15cm long and 10cm across, but sometimes with large lobes on either side. Upper surface is bright green and lower surface is bluish-green; leaves turn through yellow and orange to purple in autumn. Crushed leaves have a pleasing smell and to some they taste of orange and vanilla. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female flowers are very small, greenish-yellow and without petals, growing in small clusters on separate plants and opening in the spring. Fruit is an ovoid berry, about 1cm long, ripening to a dark blue. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Common native tree of E North America, growing in woods and thickets, and used as a raw ingredient for root beer and tea. Seen in Britain and Ireland in arboreta and well-established gardens.
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  • Cork Oak Quercus suber (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 17m<br />
Medium-sized evergreen oak forming a rounded tree. BARK Thick, pale greyish-brown with deep fissures and ridges if left to mature, and a soft corky texture. BRANCHES Numerous, large and twisted, arising low down on bole; in very old trees some branches may trail on ground. LEAVES Resemble holly leaves, with spiny tips to shallow lobes; to 7cm long, on 1cm petioles. Mature leaves are dark green and smooth above, but paler, almost grey and downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Acorns are 2–3cm long, egg-shaped, and borne in cups covered with long projecting scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Mediterranean region, introduced here and grown for ornament as far north as Scotland
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  • Cork Oak Quercus suber (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 17m<br />
Medium-sized evergreen oak forming a rounded tree. BARK Thick, pale greyish-brown with deep fissures and ridges if left to mature, and a soft corky texture. BRANCHES Numerous, large and twisted, arising low down on bole; in very old trees some branches may trail on ground. LEAVES Resemble holly leaves, with spiny tips to shallow lobes; to 7cm long, on 1cm petioles. Mature leaves are dark green and smooth above, but paler, almost grey and downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Acorns are 2–3cm long, egg-shaped, and borne in cups covered with long projecting scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Mediterranean region, introduced here and grown for ornament as far north as Scotland
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  • Swamp Cypress Taxodium distichum (Taxodiaceae) HEIGHT to 35m. Deciduous conifer, conical at first, becoming broader and domed with maturity. When growing in or near water, fluted trunk is surrounded by emergent ‘breathing roots’ (likened by some to knobbly knees) characteristic of this species. BARK Pale reddish-brown, peeling in thin fibrous strips. BRANCHES Upright or spreading in older trees, carrying 2 types of shoots: long shoots bear spirally arranged leaves, and alternate side-shoots bear flattened leaves set in 2 ranks. LEAVES Alternate, up to 2cm long, and pale green; a greyish band on the underside has a fine midrib. A mature tree colours well in autumn before shedding its needles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male cones produced in slender, branching clusters up to 15cm long at end of 1-year-old shoots. Female cones are globose and woody, on short stalks, ripening purplish-brown in first year. Each scale has a small curved spine in the centre. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S and SE USA, planted here for ornament.
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  • Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Taxodiaceae) HEIGHT to 35m. Conical deciduous conifer with shoots and leaves in opposite pairs. Trunk tapers and is buttressed at base, becoming ridged in older trees. BARK Rich reddish-brown, peeling in vertical strips. LEAVES 2.5cm long, flat and needle-like, pale green at first, becoming darker green later; on short, lateral shoots that are shed in autumn. Leaves emerge early in spring, and turn yellow, pink or red before falling. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female flowers are produced on young shoots in separate clusters on same tree in spring. Males are yellow; females greenish, producing rounded green, then brown cones about 2.5cm across. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SW China, unknown as a living tree (known only from fossil records) until 1941. Now a popular garden tree.
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  • Montpelier Maple Acer monspessulanum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 15m. Small deciduous tree with a neatly domed crown. BARK Blackish or grey and fissured. BRANCHES With smooth, thin and brown twigs terminating in small, ovoid orange-brown buds. LEAVES Leathery, to 8cm long, with 3 spreading lobes, entire margins, shiny dark-green above and bluish below with a few tufts of hairs in axils of lower veins; petiole is similar length as leaf and orange-tinted. Leaves are fresh green in spring, but dark in summer, and remain on tree until well into autumn. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Yellowish-green flowers after leaves, in small clusters on long, slender pedicels; upright at first but pendent later. Red-tinged fruits are about 1.2cm long, with parallel or overlapping wings. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here for ornament.
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  • Ribbon Gum Eucalyptus viminalis (Myrtaceae) HEIGHT to 50m. Large tree. BARK Rough, peels in long ribbons revealing smoother, pale patches. BRANCHES Mainly upright. LEAVES Juvenile leaves opposite, oblong, to 10cm long. Adult leaves alternate, to 18cm long and tapering. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flowers usually in clusters of 3; buds have scarlet domed caps. Fruits rounded. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S and E Australia, grown here for timber and ornament.
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  • Grey Willow Salix cinerea (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 6m <br />
Variable, usually a large shrub or sometimes a small tree with characteristic thick, downy, grey twigs. Represented by ssp. cinerea and ssp. oleifolia (pka S. c. atrocinerea or S. atrocinerea). SHOOTS If bark is peeled off 2-year-old twigs, wood shows a series of fine longitudinal ridges. LEAVES Oblong and pointed, usually about 4 times as long as broad, on short petioles with irregular stipules. Leaves often have inrolled margins and are grey and downy below. Upper surface is matt and downy in ssp. cinerea but glossy and hairless in ssp. oleifolia. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Catkins appear in early spring on separate trees, before leaves: male catkins ovoid and yellow, female catkins similar but greener, eventually releasing finely plumed seeds. This species and Goat Willow S. caprea, are often called ‘Pussy Willow’ when their silky-grey buds, resembling cats’ paws, followed by bright-yellow catkins, appear in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Common across much of our region usually growing in wet habitats such as fenlands, streamsides and damp woodlands
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  • CELERY-LEAVED BUTTERCUP Ranunculus scleratus (Ranunculaceae) Height to 50cm. Yellowish green annual with hollow stems. Favours marshes and wet grazing meadows, often on trampled ground. FLOWERS are 5-10mm across with pale yellow petals; borne in clusters (May-Sep). FRUITS have elongated heads. LEAVES are celery-like and divided into 3 lobes (basal leaves); stem leaves less divided. STATUS-Locally common in S.
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  • SMALL-FLOWERED BUTTERCUP Ranunculus parviflorus (Ranunculaceae) Height to 30cm. Sprawling, hairy annual of dry, bare ground, often on sandy soils. FLOWERS are 3-5mm across with pale yellow petals; borne on furrowed stalks, often arising from the fork of a branch (May-Jul). FRUITS are roughly hairy. LEAVES are rounded and lobed (basal leaves); stem leaves are narrowly lobed. STATUS-Local in S England and S Wales.
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  • SPRING CINQUEFOIL Potentilla tabernaemontani (Rosaceae) Height to 15cm. Creeping, mat-forming perennial with woody stem bases. Found in dry, calcareous grassland. FLOWERS are 1-2cm across with 5 yellow petals; borne in loose clusters (Apr-Jun). FRUITS are dry and papery. LEAVES comprise palmate basal leaves with 5-7 leaflets, and trifoliate stem leaves. STATUS-Widespread but extremely local.
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  • RAPE Brassica napus (Brassicaceae) Height to 1.25m<br />
Greyish green annual or biennial. Arable fields and waste ground. FLOWERS are 25-35mm across with 4 yellow petals, often overtopped by buds (Apr-Sep). FRUITS are cylindrical and 10cm long. LEAVES comprise pinnate basal leaves that soon wither and clasping stem leaves. STATUS-Widely cultivated but also casual in many places.
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  • PYRENEAN SCURVYGRASS Cochlearia pyrenaica (Brassicaceae) Height to 30cm. Variable biennial or perennial of mountains, rocky slopes and upland stream margins and meadows. FLOWERS are 5-8mm across with 4 white petals (Jun-Sep). FRUITS are elliptical and shorter than stalk. LEAVES comprise kidney-shaped basal leaves less than 2cm long and clasping stem leaves. STATUS-Local in W and N of region.
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  • WILD CELERY Apium graveolens (Apiaceae) Height to 1m<br />
Upright, hairless biennial with a characteristic strong smell of celery. Stems are solid and grooved. Favours rough, often saline, grassland and its distribution is mainly coastal. FLOWERS are white and borne in short-stalked or unstalked umbels, 3-6cm across (Jun-Aug). FRUITS are globular. LEAVES are shiny and pinnate; basal leaves are 1- or 2-pinnate with toothed and lobed, diamond-shaped lobes; stem leaves appear trifoliate.
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  • OXEYE DAISY Leucanthemum vulgare (Asteraceae) Height to 60cm. Downy or hairless perennial of dry, grassy meadows and verges, often on disturbed ground. FLOWERS are borne in solitary heads, 30-50mm across, with yellow disc florets and white ray florets (May-Sep). No scales between disc florets. FRUITS are achenes. LEAVES are dark green and toothed; lower leaves are spoon-shaped, stalked and form a rosette, stem leaves are pinnately lobed. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout.
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  • OXEYE DAISY Leucanthemum vulgare (Asteraceae) Height to 60cm. Downy or hairless perennial of dry, grassy meadows and verges, often on disturbed ground. FLOWERS are borne in solitary heads, 30-50mm across, with yellow disc florets and white ray florets (May-Sep). No scales between disc florets. FRUITS are achenes. LEAVES are dark green and toothed; lower leaves are spoon-shaped, stalked and form a rosette, stem leaves are pinnately lobed. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout.
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  • Grey Willow - Salix cinerea (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 6m <br />
Variable, usually a large shrub or sometimes a small tree with characteristic thick, downy, grey twigs. Represented by ssp. cinerea and ssp. oleifolia (pka S. c. atrocinerea or S. atrocinerea). SHOOTS If bark is peeled off 2-year-old twigs, wood shows a series of fine longitudinal ridges. LEAVES Oblong and pointed, usually about 4 times as long as broad, on short petioles with irregular stipules. Leaves often have inrolled margins and are grey and downy below. Upper surface is matt and downy in ssp. cinerea but glossy and hairless in ssp. oleifolia. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Catkins appear in early spring on separate trees, before leaves: male catkins ovoid and yellow, female catkins similar but greener, eventually releasing finely plumed seeds. This species and Goat Willow S. caprea, are often called ‘Pussy Willow’ when their silky-grey buds, resembling cats’ paws, followed by bright-yellow catkins, appear in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Common across much of our region usually growing in wet habitats such as fenlands, streamsides and damp woodlands
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  • Grey Willow - Salix cinerea (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 6m <br />
Variable, usually a large shrub or sometimes a small tree with characteristic thick, downy, grey twigs. Represented by ssp. cinerea and ssp. oleifolia (pka S. c. atrocinerea or S. atrocinerea). SHOOTS If bark is peeled off 2-year-old twigs, wood shows a series of fine longitudinal ridges. LEAVES Oblong and pointed, usually about 4 times as long as broad, on short petioles with irregular stipules. Leaves often have inrolled margins and are grey and downy below. Upper surface is matt and downy in ssp. cinerea but glossy and hairless in ssp. oleifolia. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Catkins appear in early spring on separate trees, before leaves: male catkins ovoid and yellow, female catkins similar but greener, eventually releasing finely plumed seeds. This species and Goat Willow S. caprea, are often called ‘Pussy Willow’ when their silky-grey buds, resembling cats’ paws, followed by bright-yellow catkins, appear in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Common across much of our region usually growing in wet habitats such as fenlands, streamsides and damp woodlands
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  • Oxeye Daisy - Leucanthemum vulgare (Asteraceae) Height to 60cm. Downy or hairless perennial of dry, grassy meadows and verges, often on disturbed ground. FLOWERS are borne in solitary heads, 30-50mm across, with yellow disc florets and white ray florets (May-Sep). No scales between disc florets. FRUITS are achenes. LEAVES are dark green and toothed; lower leaves are spoon-shaped, stalked and form a rosette, stem leaves are pinnately lobed. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout.
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  • Oxeye Daisy - Leucanthemum vulgare (Asteraceae) Height to 60cm. Downy or hairless perennial of dry, grassy meadows and verges, often on disturbed ground. FLOWERS are borne in solitary heads, 30-50mm across, with yellow disc florets and white ray florets (May-Sep). No scales between disc florets. FRUITS are achenes. LEAVES are dark green and toothed; lower leaves are spoon-shaped, stalked and form a rosette, stem leaves are pinnately lobed. STATUS-Widespread and common throughout.
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  • Portugal Laurel Prunus lusitanica (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 8m <br />
A small, spreading evergreen tree, or usually a shrub. BARK Smooth or occasionally flaking, and very dark grey to black. BRANCHES Widely spreading, with twigs that are reddish and smooth. LEAVES Dark-green, glossy and slightly leathery, and up to 13cm long. The leaves are lanceolate to elliptical and tapering at the tip, with a rounded base and a toothed margin. The reddish petiole is about 2cm long. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The white flowers are borne in long tapering spikes, up to 26cm long and composed of about 100 strongly scented flowers. They grow out of the leaf axils and exceed the length of the leaves, and are usually pendent. The fruits are up to 1.3cm long, ovoid or rounded with a tapering tip, purplish-black when ripe and containing a smooth, rounded stone with a ridged margin. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of Portugal, Spain and SW France, but frequently planted elsewhere in the milder parts of W Europe, including Britain and Ireland.
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  • Grey Willow Salix cinerea (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 6m <br />
Variable, usually a large shrub or sometimes a small tree with characteristic thick, downy, grey twigs. Represented by ssp. cinerea and ssp. oleifolia (pka S. c. atrocinerea or S. atrocinerea). SHOOTS If bark is peeled off 2-year-old twigs, wood shows a series of fine longitudinal ridges. LEAVES Oblong and pointed, usually about 4 times as long as broad, on short petioles with irregular stipules. Leaves often have inrolled margins and are grey and downy below. Upper surface is matt and downy in ssp. cinerea but glossy and hairless in ssp. oleifolia. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Catkins appear in early spring on separate trees, before leaves: male catkins ovoid and yellow, female catkins similar but greener, eventually releasing finely plumed seeds. This species and Goat Willow S. caprea, are often called ‘Pussy Willow’ when their silky-grey buds, resembling cats’ paws, followed by bright-yellow catkins, appear in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Common across much of our region usually growing in wet habitats such as fenlands, streamsides and damp woodlands
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  • Cork Oak Quercus suber (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 17m<br />
Medium-sized evergreen oak forming a rounded tree. BARK Thick, pale greyish-brown with deep fissures and ridges if left to mature, and a soft corky texture. BRANCHES Numerous, large and twisted, arising low down on bole; in very old trees some branches may trail on ground. LEAVES Resemble holly leaves, with spiny tips to shallow lobes; to 7cm long, on 1cm petioles. Mature leaves are dark green and smooth above, but paler, almost grey and downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Acorns are 2–3cm long, egg-shaped, and borne in cups covered with long projecting scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Mediterranean region, introduced here and grown for ornament as far north as Scotland
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  • Swamp Cypress Taxodium distichum (Taxodiaceae) HEIGHT to 35m. Deciduous conifer, conical at first, becoming broader and domed with maturity. When growing in or near water, fluted trunk is surrounded by emergent ‘breathing roots’ (likened by some to knobbly knees) characteristic of this species. BARK Pale reddish-brown, peeling in thin fibrous strips. BRANCHES Upright or spreading in older trees, carrying 2 types of shoots: long shoots bear spirally arranged leaves, and alternate side-shoots bear flattened leaves set in 2 ranks. LEAVES Alternate, up to 2cm long, and pale green; a greyish band on the underside has a fine midrib. A mature tree colours well in autumn before shedding its needles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male cones produced in slender, branching clusters up to 15cm long at end of 1-year-old shoots. Female cones are globose and woody, on short stalks, ripening purplish-brown in first year. Each scale has a small curved spine in the centre. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S and SE USA, planted here for ornament.
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  • Willow-leaved Pear Pyrus salicifolia (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 10m. Small deciduous tree with a rounded crown. BARK Rough, scaly and usually dark brown. BRANCHES Mostly level with pendulous, very downy twigs. LEAVES Narrow, to 9cm long, like willow leaves: silvery-grey on both surfaces at first, but greener on upper surface later in season. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flowers, to 2cm across, usually open at same time as leaves. Fruit is about 3cm long, pear-shaped or sometimes more pointed, and brown when ripe, on a downy pedicel. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of central Asia. Grown here for ornament.
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  • Plum Yew (Japanese Cow-tail Pine) Cephalotaxus harringtonia (Cephalotaxaceae) HEIGHT to 6m<br />
Small, bushy, yew-like evergreen tree. LEAVES Leathery and spineless, in dense clusters on slightly down-curved twigs. <br />
C. harringtonia var. drupacea is a more frequently seen variant with shorter leaves growing almost vertically on the gracefully curving shoots and showing their silvery-green lower surfaces. C. harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ is an upright form with much darker foliage; leaves reach 7cm in length, although they are shorter near the tip of the current year’s growth. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Creamy-white male flowers are borne in small clusters on the underside of twigs; female flowers (on separate sex trees) borne on very short stalks, later giving rise to small greenish plum-like fruits. <br />
STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Known only as a garden plant, originally from Japan, and never seen growing in the wild.
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  • Plum Yew (Japanese Cow-tail Pine) Cephalotaxus harringtonia (Cephalotaxaceae) HEIGHT to 6m<br />
Small, bushy, yew-like evergreen tree. LEAVES Leathery and spineless, in dense clusters on slightly down-curved twigs. <br />
C. harringtonia var. drupacea is a more frequently seen variant with shorter leaves growing almost vertically on the gracefully curving shoots and showing their silvery-green lower surfaces. C. harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ is an upright form with much darker foliage; leaves reach 7cm in length, although they are shorter near the tip of the current year’s growth. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Creamy-white male flowers are borne in small clusters on the underside of twigs; female flowers (on separate sex trees) borne on very short stalks, later giving rise to small greenish plum-like fruits. <br />
STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Known only as a garden plant, originally from Japan, and never seen growing in the wild.
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  • Cider Gum Eucalyptus gunnii (Myrtaceae) HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Medium-sized Gum. BARK Smooth, readily peeling, greenish-white or pink-tinged. BRANCHES Upright to level. LEAVES Juvenile leaves ovate, to 4cm long, opposite with heart-shaped bases. Adult leaves ovate to lanceolate, to 7cm long, with veins sometimes prominent. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flowers in small clusters of 3 on slightly flattened stalks up to 8mm long. Buds cylindrical, about 8mm long with a rounded cap. Fruit, to 1cm long, is bell-shaped; slightly concave disc and up to 5 valves. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Tasmania. Hardy in our climate and much-planted.
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  • Moosewood Acer pennsylvanicum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 14m. One of the so-called ‘snakebark maples’. BARK Green, vertically striped with reddish-brown or white; bark becomes greyer with age. BRANCHES Mainly upright. LEAVES To 15cm long and about same width, with 3 triangular forward-pointing lobes that taper to slender points; central lobe is longest. In summer leaves are rich yellow-green with a smooth upper surface and a hairy lower surface when first open. In autumn they turn a deep yellow. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Small yellow-green flowers, in pendulous racemes, appear in spring with leaves. Greenish fruits are about 2.5cm long and have downcurved wings. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of N America, planted here for its autumn colours.
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  • Chilean Plum Yew Prumnopitys andina (Podocarpus andinus) (Podocarpaceae) HEIGHT to 20m<br />
Resembles a yew, but unrelated. Grows either with a single upright bole and horizontal branches, or sometimes with several boles and more upright branches. BARK Dark grey and smooth with occasional scars and ridges. LEAVES Flattened, needle-like and up to 2.5cm long; deep bluish-green on upper surface with 2 pale bands on underside. Leaves are much softer than true yew leaves, except in young trees when they are more leathery and bear small spines. Borne in dense shoots, either arranged in 2 ranks on either side of the shoot or spread all round it. FLOWERS Male catkins are yellow and borne in branched clusters near the ends of shoots. Female flowers are greenish and produced in small spikes at the tips of the shoots. The flowers occur on different-sex plants, opening in the spring. FRUITS resemble small green plums at first, containing a single seed, and may ripen to become blackened and covered with a fine bloom like sloes. <br />
STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of the mountains of Argentina and Chile.
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  • Chilean Plum Yew Prumnopitys andina (Podocarpus andinus) (Podocarpaceae) HEIGHT to 20m<br />
Resembles a yew, but unrelated. Grows either with a single upright bole and horizontal branches, or sometimes with several boles and more upright branches. BARK Dark grey and smooth with occasional scars and ridges. LEAVES Flattened, needle-like and up to 2.5cm long; deep bluish-green on upper surface with 2 pale bands on underside. Leaves are much softer than true yew leaves, except in young trees when they are more leathery and bear small spines. Borne in dense shoots, either arranged in 2 ranks on either side of the shoot or spread all round it. FLOWERS Male catkins are yellow and borne in branched clusters near the ends of shoots. Female flowers are greenish and produced in small spikes at the tips of the shoots. The flowers occur on different-sex plants, opening in the spring. FRUITS resemble small green plums at first, containing a single seed, and may ripen to become blackened and covered with a fine bloom like sloes. <br />
STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of the mountains of Argentina and Chile.
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  • Nikko Maple Acer nikoense (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 15m (20m). Broadly spreading deciduous tree. BARK Greyish-brown and smooth. BRANCHES Mainly level, with blackish buds that have grey hairs on scales. LEAVES Compound, with 3 leaflets, the central one up to 10cm long, the other 2 smaller and unequal at the base. They are mostly green and smooth on the upper surface, but bluish-white below with a covering of soft hairs. Leaves turn fiery red in autumn. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Small yellow flowers, in pendulous clusters of 3, on hairy stalks, open at about same time as leaves. Green, winged fruits are about 5cm long, and wings spread widely, but seeds are rarely fertile or fully formed. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Japan, and now popular here as an ornamental tree, mostly for its fine autumn colours.
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  • Sassafras Sassafras albidum (Lauraceae) HEIGHT to 20m <br />
Medium-sized, columnar, deciduous tree. BARK Thick, reddish-brown, furrowed and aromatic bark. BRANCHES With thin, green shoots, particularly evident after leaf-fall. LEAVES Mostly elliptic and untoothed, to 15cm long and 10cm across, but sometimes with large lobes on either side. Upper surface is bright green and lower surface is bluish-green; leaves turn through yellow and orange to purple in autumn. Crushed leaves have a pleasing smell and to some they taste of orange and vanilla. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female flowers are very small, greenish-yellow and without petals, growing in small clusters on separate plants and opening in the spring. Fruit is an ovoid berry, about 1cm long, ripening to a dark blue. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Common native tree of E North America, growing in woods and thickets, and used as a raw ingredient for root beer and tea. Seen in Britain and Ireland in arboreta and well-established gardens.
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  • Nikko Maple Acer nikoense (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 15m (20m). Broadly spreading deciduous tree. BARK Greyish-brown and smooth. BRANCHES Mainly level, with blackish buds that have grey hairs on scales. LEAVES Compound, with 3 leaflets, the central one up to 10cm long, the other 2 smaller and unequal at the base. They are mostly green and smooth on the upper surface, but bluish-white below with a covering of soft hairs. Leaves turn fiery red in autumn. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Small yellow flowers, in pendulous clusters of 3, on hairy stalks, open at about same time as leaves. Green, winged fruits are about 5cm long, and wings spread widely, but seeds are rarely fertile or fully formed. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Japan, and now popular here as an ornamental tree, mostly for its fine autumn colours.
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  • Cork Oak Quercus suber (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 17m<br />
Medium-sized evergreen oak forming a rounded tree. BARK Thick, pale greyish-brown with deep fissures and ridges if left to mature, and a soft corky texture. BRANCHES Numerous, large and twisted, arising low down on bole; in very old trees some branches may trail on ground. LEAVES Resemble holly leaves, with spiny tips to shallow lobes; to 7cm long, on 1cm petioles. Mature leaves are dark green and smooth above, but paler, almost grey and downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Acorns are 2–3cm long, egg-shaped, and borne in cups covered with long projecting scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Mediterranean region, introduced here and grown for ornament as far north as Scotland
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  • Dwarf Cherry (Sour Cherry) Prunus cerasus (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 8m. A small deciduous tree with a very short, branching bole and a rounded shrubby outline, often surrounded by suckers. BARK Reddish-brown and twigs are smooth. LEAVES To 8cm long, oval to elliptic and sharply pointed at tip, with a tapering base and toothed margin; on 1–3cm-long petioles. Young leaves are slightly downy below, and upper surface is always smooth and shiny. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Long-stalked white flowers usually open just before leaves in April–May, and grow in clusters of 2–6. Fruits, to 1.8cm long are rounded with a slightly depressed apex, usually bright red or blackish-red. Flesh is soft and tastes acidic, and stone is rounded and smooth. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SW Asia, but widely cultivated for its fruit, which is used mainly in preserves when it loses much of its acidity.
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  • Montpelier Maple Acer monspessulanum (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 15m. Small deciduous tree with a neatly domed crown. BARK Blackish or grey and fissured. BRANCHES With smooth, thin and brown twigs terminating in small, ovoid orange-brown buds. LEAVES Leathery, to 8cm long, with 3 spreading lobes, entire margins, shiny dark-green above and bluish below with a few tufts of hairs in axils of lower veins; petiole is similar length as leaf and orange-tinted. Leaves are fresh green in spring, but dark in summer, and remain on tree until well into autumn. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Yellowish-green flowers after leaves, in small clusters on long, slender pedicels; upright at first but pendent later. Red-tinged fruits are about 1.2cm long, with parallel or overlapping wings. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here for ornament.
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  • Grey Poplar Populus x canescens (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 37m <br />
Stable hybrid between White Poplar and Aspen. When fully mature, grows into an impressively large tree with a good solid bole. In spring the tree has a whitish appearance when the wind displaces the leaves, but it is not as brilliantly white as the White Poplar. BARK Whitish with diamond-shaped fissures. LEAVES Rounded to oval and toothed with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Leaf upper surface is glossy grey-green and lower surface is covered with a greyish-white felt. By mid- to late summer the leaves lose some of the white felt and the tree looks greyer. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins are borne on separate trees. Fe¬male trees with green, pendulous catkins are rare. Male catkins are elongated and pendulous, giving whole tree a purplish col¬our when they swell before opening in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of mainland Europe and introduced into Britain very early, probably with the White Poplar.
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  • Portugal Laurel Prunus lusitanica (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 8m <br />
A small, spreading evergreen tree, or usually a shrub. BARK Smooth or occasionally flaking, and very dark grey to black. BRANCHES Widely spreading, with twigs that are reddish and smooth. LEAVES Dark-green, glossy and slightly leathery, and up to 13cm long. The leaves are lanceolate to elliptical and tapering at the tip, with a rounded base and a toothed margin. The reddish petiole is about 2cm long. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The white flowers are borne in long tapering spikes, up to 26cm long and composed of about 100 strongly scented flowers. They grow out of the leaf axils and exceed the length of the leaves, and are usually pendent. The fruits are up to 1.3cm long, ovoid or rounded with a tapering tip, purplish-black when ripe and containing a smooth, rounded stone with a ridged margin. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of Portugal, Spain and SW France, but frequently planted elsewhere in the milder parts of W Europe, including Britain and Ireland.
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  • Grey Willow Salix cinerea (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 6m <br />
Variable, usually a large shrub or sometimes a small tree with characteristic thick, downy, grey twigs. Represented by ssp. cinerea and ssp. oleifolia (pka S. c. atrocinerea or S. atrocinerea). SHOOTS If bark is peeled off 2-year-old twigs, wood shows a series of fine longitudinal ridges. LEAVES Oblong and pointed, usually about 4 times as long as broad, on short petioles with irregular stipules. Leaves often have inrolled margins and are grey and downy below. Upper surface is matt and downy in ssp. cinerea but glossy and hairless in ssp. oleifolia. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Catkins appear in early spring on separate trees, before leaves: male catkins ovoid and yellow, female catkins similar but greener, eventually releasing finely plumed seeds. This species and Goat Willow S. caprea, are often called ‘Pussy Willow’ when their silky-grey buds, resembling cats’ paws, followed by bright-yellow catkins, appear in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Common across much of our region usually growing in wet habitats such as fenlands, streamsides and damp woodlands
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  • Grey Willow Salix cinerea (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 6m <br />
Variable, usually a large shrub or sometimes a small tree with characteristic thick, downy, grey twigs. Represented by ssp. cinerea and ssp. oleifolia (pka S. c. atrocinerea or S. atrocinerea). SHOOTS If bark is peeled off 2-year-old twigs, wood shows a series of fine longitudinal ridges. LEAVES Oblong and pointed, usually about 4 times as long as broad, on short petioles with irregular stipules. Leaves often have inrolled margins and are grey and downy below. Upper surface is matt and downy in ssp. cinerea but glossy and hairless in ssp. oleifolia. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Catkins appear in early spring on separate trees, before leaves: male catkins ovoid and yellow, female catkins similar but greener, eventually releasing finely plumed seeds. This species and Goat Willow S. caprea, are often called ‘Pussy Willow’ when their silky-grey buds, resembling cats’ paws, followed by bright-yellow catkins, appear in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Common across much of our region usually growing in wet habitats such as fenlands, streamsides and damp woodlands
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  • Willow-leaved Pear Pyrus salicifolia (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 10m. Small deciduous tree with a rounded crown. BARK Rough, scaly and usually dark brown. BRANCHES Mostly level with pendulous, very downy twigs. LEAVES Narrow, to 9cm long, like willow leaves: silvery-grey on both surfaces at first, but greener on upper surface later in season. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flowers, to 2cm across, usually open at same time as leaves. Fruit is about 3cm long, pear-shaped or sometimes more pointed, and brown when ripe, on a downy pedicel. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of central Asia. Grown here for ornament.
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  • Willow-leaved Pear Pyrus salicifolia (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 10m. Small deciduous tree with a rounded crown. BARK Rough, scaly and usually dark brown. BRANCHES Mostly level with pendulous, very downy twigs. LEAVES Narrow, to 9cm long, like willow leaves: silvery-grey on both surfaces at first, but greener on upper surface later in season. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flowers, to 2cm across, usually open at same time as leaves. Fruit is about 3cm long, pear-shaped or sometimes more pointed, and brown when ripe, on a downy pedicel. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of central Asia. Grown here for ornament.
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  • Cider Gum Eucalyptus gunnii (Myrtaceae) HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Medium-sized Gum. BARK Smooth, readily peeling, greenish-white or pink-tinged. BRANCHES Upright to level. LEAVES Juvenile leaves ovate, to 4cm long, opposite with heart-shaped bases. Adult leaves ovate to lanceolate, to 7cm long, with veins sometimes prominent. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flowers in small clusters of 3 on slightly flattened stalks up to 8mm long. Buds cylindrical, about 8mm long with a rounded cap. Fruit, to 1cm long, is bell-shaped; slightly concave disc and up to 5 valves. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Tasmania. Hardy in our climate and much-planted.
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  • Cider Gum Eucalyptus gunnii (Myrtaceae) HEIGHT to 30m <br />
Medium-sized Gum. BARK Smooth, readily peeling, greenish-white or pink-tinged. BRANCHES Upright to level. LEAVES Juvenile leaves ovate, to 4cm long, opposite with heart-shaped bases. Adult leaves ovate to lanceolate, to 7cm long, with veins sometimes prominent. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flowers in small clusters of 3 on slightly flattened stalks up to 8mm long. Buds cylindrical, about 8mm long with a rounded cap. Fruit, to 1cm long, is bell-shaped; slightly concave disc and up to 5 valves. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Tasmania. Hardy in our climate and much-planted.
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  • Indian Bean Tree (Southern Catalpa) Catalpa bignonioides (Bignoniaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Medium-sized deciduous tree with a short bole. BARK Greyish-brown and scaly. BRANCHES Mostly spreading with smooth, stout twigs tipped with very small orange-brown buds. LEAVES Long-stalked, large and broadly ovate, to 25cm long and 20cm across, with heart-shaped bases and short-pointed tips; margins are untoothed, upper surface is smooth and lower surface is downy. Leaves are tinged with purple and downy when young, becoming a lighter, almost transparent green when mature. Usually late to open and early to fall. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS 5cm-long flowers are an open bell shape with 2 lips; petals are white with purple and yellow spots; in large showy panicles in midsummer. Fruit is a long, slender bean-like pod, to 40cm long, that hangs from branches long after leaves have fallen; contains many inedible flat, papery seeds, to 2.5cm long. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of SE USA, planted here and quite common in many large cities, including London.
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  • Nikko Maple Acer nikoense (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 15m (20m). Broadly spreading deciduous tree. BARK Greyish-brown and smooth. BRANCHES Mainly level, with blackish buds that have grey hairs on scales. LEAVES Compound, with 3 leaflets, the central one up to 10cm long, the other 2 smaller and unequal at the base. They are mostly green and smooth on the upper surface, but bluish-white below with a covering of soft hairs. Leaves turn fiery red in autumn. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Small yellow flowers, in pendulous clusters of 3, on hairy stalks, open at about same time as leaves. Green, winged fruits are about 5cm long, and wings spread widely, but seeds are rarely fertile or fully formed. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Japan, and now popular here as an ornamental tree, mostly for its fine autumn colours.
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  • Nikko Maple Acer nikoense (Aceraceae) HEIGHT to 15m (20m). Broadly spreading deciduous tree. BARK Greyish-brown and smooth. BRANCHES Mainly level, with blackish buds that have grey hairs on scales. LEAVES Compound, with 3 leaflets, the central one up to 10cm long, the other 2 smaller and unequal at the base. They are mostly green and smooth on the upper surface, but bluish-white below with a covering of soft hairs. Leaves turn fiery red in autumn. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Small yellow flowers, in pendulous clusters of 3, on hairy stalks, open at about same time as leaves. Green, winged fruits are about 5cm long, and wings spread widely, but seeds are rarely fertile or fully formed. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Japan, and now popular here as an ornamental tree, mostly for its fine autumn colours.
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  • Tulip Tree Liriodendron tulipifera (Magnoliaceae) HEIGHT to 45m. Impressive deciduous tree. BARK Pale grey. BRANCHES Often twisted. LEAVES Strikingly shaped, to 20cm long and 4-lobed with a terminal notch; fresh green through summer, turning bright gold in autumn. Leaves smooth and hairless, on a slender 5–10cm-long petiole. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are superficially tulip-like. Cup-shaped at first and inconspicuous as perianth segments are greenish and blend in with leaves. Later, flowers open more fully, revealing rings of yellowish stamens surrounding paler ovaries. Often produced high up in middle of dense foliage, and not until the tree is at least 25 years old and quite sizeable. Conical fruits, to 8.5cm long, are composed of numerous scale-like overlapping carpels. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTON Native of E USA. Introduced into Europe in the 17th century and commonly planted here in gardens and parks.
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  • Cork Oak Quercus suber (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 17m<br />
Medium-sized evergreen oak forming a rounded tree. BARK Thick, pale greyish-brown with deep fissures and ridges if left to mature, and a soft corky texture. BRANCHES Numerous, large and twisted, arising low down on bole; in very old trees some branches may trail on ground. LEAVES Resemble holly leaves, with spiny tips to shallow lobes; to 7cm long, on 1cm petioles. Mature leaves are dark green and smooth above, but paler, almost grey and downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Acorns are 2–3cm long, egg-shaped, and borne in cups covered with long projecting scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of Mediterranean region, introduced here and grown for ornament as far north as Scotland
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  • Sassafras Sassafras albidum (Lauraceae) HEIGHT to 20m <br />
Medium-sized, columnar, deciduous tree. BARK Thick, reddish-brown, furrowed and aromatic bark. BRANCHES With thin, green shoots, particularly evident after leaf-fall. LEAVES Mostly elliptic and untoothed, to 15cm long and 10cm across, but sometimes with large lobes on either side. Upper surface is bright green and lower surface is bluish-green; leaves turn through yellow and orange to purple in autumn. Crushed leaves have a pleasing smell and to some they taste of orange and vanilla. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female flowers are very small, greenish-yellow and without petals, growing in small clusters on separate plants and opening in the spring. Fruit is an ovoid berry, about 1cm long, ripening to a dark blue. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Common native tree of E North America, growing in woods and thickets, and used as a raw ingredient for root beer and tea. Seen in Britain and Ireland in arboreta and well-established gardens.
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  • Swamp Cypress Taxodium distichum (Taxodiaceae) HEIGHT to 35m. Deciduous conifer, conical at first, becoming broader and domed with maturity. When growing in or near water, fluted trunk is surrounded by emergent ‘breathing roots’ (likened by some to knobbly knees) characteristic of this species. BARK Pale reddish-brown, peeling in thin fibrous strips. BRANCHES Upright or spreading in older trees, carrying 2 types of shoots: long shoots bear spirally arranged leaves, and alternate side-shoots bear flattened leaves set in 2 ranks. LEAVES Alternate, up to 2cm long, and pale green; a greyish band on the underside has a fine midrib. A mature tree colours well in autumn before shedding its needles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male cones produced in slender, branching clusters up to 15cm long at end of 1-year-old shoots. Female cones are globose and woody, on short stalks, ripening purplish-brown in first year. Each scale has a small curved spine in the centre. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S and SE USA, planted here for ornament.
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  • Ribbon Gum Eucalyptus viminalis (Myrtaceae) HEIGHT to 50m. Large tree. BARK Rough, peels in long ribbons revealing smoother, pale patches. BRANCHES Mainly upright. LEAVES Juvenile leaves opposite, oblong, to 10cm long. Adult leaves alternate, to 18cm long and tapering. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White flowers usually in clusters of 3; buds have scarlet domed caps. Fruits rounded. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S and E Australia, grown here for timber and ornament.
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  • Portugal Laurel Prunus lusitanica (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 8m <br />
A small, spreading evergreen tree, or usually a shrub. BARK Smooth or occasionally flaking, and very dark grey to black. BRANCHES Widely spreading, with twigs that are reddish and smooth. LEAVES Dark-green, glossy and slightly leathery, and up to 13cm long. The leaves are lanceolate to elliptical and tapering at the tip, with a rounded base and a toothed margin. The reddish petiole is about 2cm long. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS The white flowers are borne in long tapering spikes, up to 26cm long and composed of about 100 strongly scented flowers. They grow out of the leaf axils and exceed the length of the leaves, and are usually pendent. The fruits are up to 1.3cm long, ovoid or rounded with a tapering tip, purplish-black when ripe and containing a smooth, rounded stone with a ridged margin. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION A native of Portugal, Spain and SW France, but frequently planted elsewhere in the milder parts of W Europe, including Britain and Ireland.
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  • Chilean Plum Yew Prumnopitys andina (Podocarpus andinus) (Podocarpaceae) HEIGHT to 20m<br />
Resembles a yew, but unrelated. Grows either with a single upright bole and horizontal branches, or sometimes with several boles and more upright branches. BARK Dark grey and smooth with occasional scars and ridges. LEAVES Flattened, needle-like and up to 2.5cm long; deep bluish-green on upper surface with 2 pale bands on underside. Leaves are much softer than true yew leaves, except in young trees when they are more leathery and bear small spines. Borne in dense shoots, either arranged in 2 ranks on either side of the shoot or spread all round it. FLOWERS Male catkins are yellow and borne in branched clusters near the ends of shoots. Female flowers are greenish and produced in small spikes at the tips of the shoots. The flowers occur on different-sex plants, opening in the spring. FRUITS resemble small green plums at first, containing a single seed, and may ripen to become blackened and covered with a fine bloom like sloes. <br />
STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of the mountains of Argentina and Chile.
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  • Chilean Plum Yew Prumnopitys andina (Podocarpus andinus) (Podocarpaceae) HEIGHT to 20m<br />
Resembles a yew, but unrelated. Grows either with a single upright bole and horizontal branches, or sometimes with several boles and more upright branches. BARK Dark grey and smooth with occasional scars and ridges. LEAVES Flattened, needle-like and up to 2.5cm long; deep bluish-green on upper surface with 2 pale bands on underside. Leaves are much softer than true yew leaves, except in young trees when they are more leathery and bear small spines. Borne in dense shoots, either arranged in 2 ranks on either side of the shoot or spread all round it. FLOWERS Male catkins are yellow and borne in branched clusters near the ends of shoots. Female flowers are greenish and produced in small spikes at the tips of the shoots. The flowers occur on different-sex plants, opening in the spring. FRUITS resemble small green plums at first, containing a single seed, and may ripen to become blackened and covered with a fine bloom like sloes. <br />
STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of the mountains of Argentina and Chile.
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  • Chilean Plum Yew Prumnopitys andina (Podocarpus andinus) (Podocarpaceae) HEIGHT to 20m<br />
Resembles a yew, but unrelated. Grows either with a single upright bole and horizontal branches, or sometimes with several boles and more upright branches. BARK Dark grey and smooth with occasional scars and ridges. LEAVES Flattened, needle-like and up to 2.5cm long; deep bluish-green on upper surface with 2 pale bands on underside. Leaves are much softer than true yew leaves, except in young trees when they are more leathery and bear small spines. Borne in dense shoots, either arranged in 2 ranks on either side of the shoot or spread all round it. FLOWERS Male catkins are yellow and borne in branched clusters near the ends of shoots. Female flowers are greenish and produced in small spikes at the tips of the shoots. The flowers occur on different-sex plants, opening in the spring. FRUITS resemble small green plums at first, containing a single seed, and may ripen to become blackened and covered with a fine bloom like sloes. <br />
STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of the mountains of Argentina and Chile.
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  • Tulip Tree Liriodendron tulipifera (Magnoliaceae) HEIGHT to 45m. Impressive deciduous tree. BARK Pale grey. BRANCHES Often twisted. LEAVES Strikingly shaped, to 20cm long and 4-lobed with a terminal notch; fresh green through summer, turning bright gold in autumn. Leaves smooth and hairless, on a slender 5–10cm-long petiole. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are superficially tulip-like. Cup-shaped at first and inconspicuous as perianth segments are greenish and blend in with leaves. Later, flowers open more fully, revealing rings of yellowish stamens surrounding paler ovaries. Often produced high up in middle of dense foliage, and not until the tree is at least 25 years old and quite sizeable. Conical fruits, to 8.5cm long, are composed of numerous scale-like overlapping carpels. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTON Native of E USA. Introduced into Europe in the 17th century and commonly planted here in gardens and parks.
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