Damson

Prunus insititia

Dawn Redwood

Metasequoia glyptostroboides

This is a specimen that I bought for my sister and is currently just outside of Larne in Northern Ireland. I have asked her to plant it out, yet she has not done so. Thankfully I am not harbouring any resentments regarding this...

English Oak

Quercus robur

A dominant native species across the UK. Supports over 280 species of insect and a range of fungi, birds and mammals.

English Walnut

Juglans regia

Juglans regia (Common/English Walnut) – Tree Notes

Identification:
• Leaves: Pinnate (feather-like), with 5–9 large, oval leaflets per leaf; aromatic when crushed
• Bark: Pale grey, becoming deeply ridged with age
• Growth habit: Upright and spreading canopy as it matures
• Fruit (not yet visible): Round green husk encasing a hard-shelled walnut

Growth & Conditions:
• Height: Can reach 15–35m at maturity
• Growth rate: Moderate to fast
• Sunlight: Full sun required for good nut production
• Soil: Deep, well-drained, loamy soils preferred; pH neutral to alkaline

Maintenance:
• Pruning: Best done in summer (July–August) to avoid bleeding sap
• Feeding: Avoid high nitrogen – this can reduce nut production
• Spacing: Needs room to grow; avoid planting close to buildings or other trees

Notes on Cultivation:
• Begins producing nuts after 5–10 years, depending on variety and rootstock
• Some juglone production in roots may inhibit nearby plants (e.g. tomatoes, apples, some flowers)
• Highly valued for both nuts and timber

Potential Issues:
• Pests/Disease: Aphids, walnut leaf blotch, codling moth
• Late frost damage: Especially to spring growth or catkins
• Squirrel damage: Common in UK gardens

Fig tree

Ficus carica

Young Fig Tree – Observational Notes & Care Guide

General Overview:
• Species: Ficus carica (Common Fig)
• Type: Deciduous fruit tree
• Age/Stage: Young, likely 2–4 years old
• Form: Multi-stemmed, open canopy
• Fruit: Clearly visible – green to purplish developing figs

Location & Conditions:
• Positioning: South-facing fence likely offers good sun and wind protection
• Surroundings: Well-companion planted; some shade from adjacent trees may affect fruit ripening
• Soil: Appears well-drained with organic matter; figs prefer alkaline to neutral soils

Growth Observations:
• Vigour: Healthy foliage, good leaf size and colour, fruiting well
• Trunk/Form: Needs formative pruning for strength and future shape (consider training to fan or espalier if space is limited)
• Fruit Set: Developing well – likely a Breba crop (early figs from last year’s wood) or main crop depending on variety

Care Recommendations:
• Watering: Deep watering during dry spells, particularly during fruit set and swelling
• Feeding: Mulch with well-rotted manure or compost in spring; consider potash-rich feed to support fruiting
• Pruning:
• Prune in late winter to remove dead/diseased wood and shape
• Pinch out new growth tips in midsummer to direct energy into ripening
• Training: Consider tying back branches to a more open form for sun penetration and airflow

Potential Issues:
• Cold Damage: Protect roots and young wood in winter if severe frosts expected
• Pests/Diseases: Generally hardy, but watch for:
• Fig rust (yellow spotting on leaves)
• Aphids or scale insects
• Fruit drop from inconsistent watering

General Tips:
• Avoid overfeeding with nitrogen – it promotes leafy growth at the expense of fruit
• Restrict root growth (e.g. with paving or root pruning) to enhance fruit production
• Harvest figs when fully ripe – soft, drooping, and aromatic

Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastranum

Mature horse chestnut trees grow to a height of around 40m and can live for up to 300 years. The bark is smooth and pinky-grey when young, which darkens and develops scaly plates with age. Twigs are hairless and stout; buds are oval, dark red, shiny and sticky.

Look out for: conkers (seeds) which are surrounded by a spiky green case. Distinctive large leaves have serrated leaflets.

Identified in winter by: twigs which have large, sticky red buds.

Mountain Ash

Fraxinus excelsior

Mitral buds, terminal leaflets

Oriental plane

Planus Orientalis

The Tree of Hippocrates, under which Hippocrates — the "Father of Medicine" — taught at Kos, is reputed to have been an oriental plane. A 500-year-old tree presently there may be on the same site and may have been planted from a succession of cuttings from the original. The Athenian Academy, outside Athens, featured a sacred grove of planes where the students listened to the masters and where among others the Peripatetics practiced philosophy.

Many villages in Greece feature plane trees in their main squares, frequently found alongside them are water springs that in the past would serve as the main water source for the villagers; usually these are quite old trees with their age seen as a point of pride for the local inhabitants. Occasionally the oldest trees exhibit partially hollowed out trunks, with cavities large enough to provide amusement opportunities for local or visiting children and teenagers, and even serving (along with the rest of the tree) as tourist attractions or at least in one occasion a shrine.

Plum

Prunus domestica

Pollarded 24/8/25

Princess tree, Foxglove tree

Paulownia tormentosa

Sessile Oak

Quercus petraea

Mythology and symbolism
The oak was sacred to many gods including Zeus, Jupiter and the Celtic Dagda. Each of these gods ruled over thunder and lightning, and oak trees are often hit by lightning as they are the tallest living feature in the landscape.

Druids practised rituals in oak groves and cherished the mistletoe that grows in oak tree branches. It’s also linked with royalty: ancient kings and Roman Emperors wore crowns of oak leaves.

In England, the oak is a national symbol of strength. Couples were wed under ancient oaks in Oliver Cromwell’s time. Oak is the emblem of many environmental groups, including the Woodland Trust.

Small leaved lime

Tilia cordata

Spotted at Clacket Lane Services on the M25

Sycamore

Acer pseudoplatinus

Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Maple

Botanical Profile:
• Common name: Sycamore (not to be confused with American sycamore)
• Scientific name: Acer pseudoplatanus
• Family: Sapindaceae
• Origin: Native to Central and Southern Europe; naturalised across the UK
• Type: Deciduous broadleaf tree

Key Characteristics:
• Height/Spread: Up to 35m tall; broad domed canopy
• Leaves: 5-lobed, dark green with serrated edges; paler and downy underneath
• Flowers: Small green-yellow, in drooping panicles (spring)
• Fruit: Paired winged seeds (samaras), dispersed by wind
• Bark: Smooth grey when young; flakes into plates with age

Ecological and Practical Value:
• Pollinators: Nectar source for bees
• Timber: Pale, fine-grained wood used in musical instruments and furniture
• Resilience: Tolerates pollution, wind, salt spray — often planted in exposed areas

Issues:
• Invasiveness: Can self-seed prolifically
• Sap dripping: Often hosts aphids which produce honeydew, leading to sticky surfaces
• Not a native species – debated ecological value in ancient woodland settings

⸻

Historic Note: The Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Tree

Historical Significance:
• Location: Tolpuddle, Dorset, England
• Event: Six farm labourers formed a friendly society in 1834 to protest poor wages; transported to Australia as punishment under laws against secret oaths
• Tree type: The Tolpuddle Sycamore – a mature Acer pseudoplatanus – marks the place where the men are said to have met

Legacy:
• The tree stands as a living memorial to trade unionism and workers’ rights
• Each year, the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival celebrates this history, with the tree as a symbolic backdrop

Cultural Status:
• Sometimes referred to as “the most famous tree in trade union history”
• Protected and celebrated by labour organisations and heritage groups

Weigela

Weigela florida

Weigela florida – Notes

Overview:
• Scientific name: Weigela florida
• Family: Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle family)
• Origin: Native to northern China, Korea, and Japan
• Type: Deciduous shrub

Key Features:
• Height/Spread: Typically 1.5–2.5m tall and wide
• Growth habit: Upright to arching, dense form
• Leaves: Oval, mid-green, 5–10 cm, opposite arrangement
• Flowers: Trumpet-shaped, 2–4 cm long, usually pink but cultivars range from white to deep red
• Bloom time: Late spring to early summer, with occasional repeat blooms in late summer

Conditions:
• Light: Prefers full sun for best flowering; tolerates partial shade
• Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil; pH neutral to slightly acidic
• Water: Moderate water needs; drought tolerant once established

Uses:
• Ornamental borders, informal hedging, pollinator-friendly gardens
• Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds (in suitable climates)

Maintenance:
• Pruning: Prune immediately after flowering to maintain shape and encourage new growth
• Pests/Diseases: Generally pest-free; occasional aphids or powdery mildew

Popular Cultivars:
• ‘Variegata’ – variegated cream-edged foliage, pink flowers
• ‘Wine and Roses’ – deep purple foliage, rosy-pink flowers
• ‘Bristol Ruby’ – vigorous, ruby-red blooms

Noteworthy:
• RHS Award of Garden Merit recipient (various cultivars)
• Excellent choice for low-maintenance, long-season colour

Yew

Taxus Baccata

Poisonous! Every bit of it - except the pithy bit (aril) around the seeds, but then the seeds are deadly so I wouldn’t risk it. Usually found at church entrances and linked to folklore and superstition.

Yew tree (Taxus baccata) poison biochemistry involves taxine alkaloids, particularly Taxine B, which act as calcium and sodium channel antagonists, disrupting heart function by increasing cytoplasmic calcium levels. These alkaloids cause cardiotoxicity, leading to symptoms like bradycardia, heart block, and potentially fatal cardiovascular collapse. While other substances like taxanes and glycosides are also present, taxine alkaloids are considered the primary toxic component, and are found in all parts of the plant except the red aril.
Toxic Components
Taxine Alkaloids: The main toxic compounds, including Taxine B, which is more potent than Taxine A.
Other Compounds: Also present are taxane derivatives and glycosides, though the alkaloids are the primary cause of cardiotoxicity.
Mechanism of Action
Sodium and Calcium Channel Antagonism: Taxine alkaloids block sodium and calcium channels in cardiac myocytes, which are the cells of the heart muscle.
Increased Cytoplasmic Calcium: This blockade leads to an accumulation of calcium within the heart cells, disrupting the heart's normal electrical and contractile functions.
Reduced Myocardial Contractility: The increased calcium impairs the ability of the heart to contract effectively.
Symptoms and Effects
Cardiovascular Effects: The most prominent effects are on the heart, including bradycardia (slow heart rate), atrioventricular (AV) conduction block, widened QRS complexes, and ventricular arrhythmias.
Other Symptoms: Initial symptoms can include dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, followed by neurological disturbances, paralysis, and ultimately, cardiovascular collapse.
Cardiovascular Collapse: Death often results from the failure of the cardiovascular system.