Woodland Trust Shrubs

The group met at lunchtime today and made a start ,planting out the free trees we received from the Woodland Trust.  We have chosen to plant them along side a fence that will in a few years provide a secure area and places for our natural habitat to build their homes.

Silver Birch

1.Silver Birch is a deciduous, relatively fast growing tree, reaching maturity at about 40 years of age,

compared to an oak tree that might take hundreds of years.

2. When the trees are young, they have a white papery bark hence the name silver birch.The bark develops dark fissures as the tree matures

3. The birch can grow almost anywhere, from old building sites to mountain tops. It is called a ‘pioneer’ species because it is one of the first trees to colonise an open area.

4. The twigs can be bound together to make besoms, which are traditional brooms and reputedly flown by witches! Also, the bark is waterproof and is therefore used in tanning, including the production of birch tar used to make leather waterproof. Charcoal made from the Silver birch was used as gunpowder.The sap of the birch tree makes a good wine, which was believed to have medicinal properties. Less pleasant, ‘the birch’ was used in many schools to beat children!

MYTHS AND FOLKLORE

TheWoodland Trust is the UK’s leading conservation charity dedicated to the protection

e sheets have been designed to be shared. Feel free to photocopy and provide to colleagues.104 06/10

The silver birch is known as the “Lady of the woods”. It is thought to be constant and friendly– a tree of enchantment.



(Prunus avium)

Wild Cherry



1.Wild Cherry is in the same genus as prunes and plums, but the fruit is much smaller. It is widespread in woods throughout the UK, but is rarer in Scotland.

2. Young trees have dark grey-pink shiny bark. In older trees this changes to a purple-red with rows or patches of horizontal markings called lenticels.The leaves are five to sixteen centimetres long, and have a finely toothed edge.

3. Trees bear profuse white flowers in spring and bunches of glossy fruit in the late summer.The fruit changing colour from yellow through red to purple as they ripen.

4. The cherry is attractive to bees and butterflies when flowering in the spring and its berries are an excellent source of food for birds in the late summer and autumn.

5. Cherry tree wood is a beautiful red and fine grained. It is strong enough for tool handles and

much revered by cabinetmakers.

6. An infusion made of the stalks of the berries was used medicinally to treat bronchitis and anaemia.

MYTHS AND FOLKLORE6/10

Wild cherry folklore has unusual associations

with the cuckoo, whereby the bird has to eat

three good meals of cherries before it may

stop singing.