NINE NATIVE BRITISH TREES

If you don t know your ash from your alder, this treespotter’s guide reveals the qualities, looks and lore of some of our oldest woodland species

Oak Impressively large, ancient and strong, the oak has long been considered sacred by cultures from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the Norsemen and the Druids. Its spreading canopy and sturdy, twisted limbs make it ideal for boatbuilding: around 30,000 oak trees – more than 800 acres of forest – were felled for the Navy during Elizabeth I’s reign (1558–1603) alone. Alder The alder has an affinity with water and is often found growing alongside rivers and canals, and supporting buildings or structures which stand in water (bridges, jetties; much of Venice), since the wood lasts indefinitely when submerged. Perhaps surprisingly, it also burns well and makes a superior charcoal, the gunpowder from which was said to add 50 yards’ range to a ship’s cannon. Beech The overlapping branches of a beech tree produce…

You're reading a preview of

The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2018

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.