The Fascination of Trees by Richard Gulliver 11th February

Richard took us through a number of tree species which he has observed over the years both in domestic gardens, as street trees and other municipal settings. He looked at a number of aspects in considering year-round interest. Look at size, shape, flower colour, scent and support for wildlife.
We were advised to plan ahead for size at maturity but coppicing can help to keep some trees within bounds and, if desperate one could always try Bonsai!

Looking at some tree species and what they can give at different seasons –
Prunus family – flowers in spring; fruits in summer and autumn
Rowan – flowers; fruits which attract waxwings; autumn colour
Japanese crabapple – spring flowers; summer/autumn – fruits
Birch – bark colour – all year interest.
Acers and Liquidamber – autumn colour
Amelanchier – spectacular spring flowering; fruits in summer beloved by blackbirds, though often hidden by foliage.
All deciduous trees give us an attractive silhouette of branches in the winter months.
Willow-leafed Pear – Pyrus salicifolia – attractive grey leaves, white spring blossom and small but inedible fruits in summer.

Moving on to some larger species –
Gingko biloba – Maidenhair tree – distinctive and attractive leaves said to be reminiscent of Oriental ladies with hair flowing down their backs. Gingkos are associated with Japanese temples but have been successfully planted in many parks and domestic gardens worldwide.
Wellingtonia – Sequoiadendron giganteum. These magnificent trees have long held a fascination, especially with children, due to their thick, soft bark which accepts much ‘abuse’ from being punched without damage to tree or child.
They are often found in areas with a high fire risk but the bark, a good insulator, can protect the tree from excessive damage.
The Wellingtonia, along with the Coast Redwood – Sequoia sempervirens, have the ability to regrow.
The Tree Creeper, with its long slender beak, is one of few birds able to obtain insects from within the thick, fibrous, deeply fissured bark
They rarely blow down despite their shallow root plate and so are amongst the most long lived of conifers.

Richard mentioned how some trees can be managed by pollarding or coppicing. Choosing an appropriate species either method can be a means of creating an ornamental tree. In addition a tree may live longer as it may not be affected by wind.

There were also some snippets about the Black Poplar – Populus nigra. The tree has large seeds but the viability is short-lived. Germination was often successful on the bare silty soil left after floods around certain estuaries such as the Dee. Some planted in Manchester appeared to be unaffected by pollution.
One famous Black Poplar is in the village of Aston-on-Clun around which a Festival is held on 25th May when the tree is dressed with flags. The original tree dated from 1500 but sadly fell down in the 1990’s, it was replaced by a sapling from the original tree.

(I must apologise for not including details of the last part of Richard’s talk on the Elm, my notes were very incomplete).
Many thanks to Richard for such a fascinating and informative talk