Fagus sylvatica – European Beech

General Information Common Name  European Beech Scientific Name  Fagus sylvatica Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  25–35 m (80–115 ft) Spread  up to 15 m (up to 50 ft) Growth Rate  Moderate  Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green Flower Color  Green Type  Tree Native  Europe, western Asia

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Hamamelididae Order  Fagales Family  Fagaceae – Beech family Genus  Fagus L. – beech Species  F. sylvatica

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech

European Beech Scientific name is Fagus sylvatica is one of the best known trees in Europe. It is seen particularly on chalk and limestone formations such as the Cotswold’s, Chilterns and Downs. It is graceful tall tree, reaching heights of up to 49 m (160 ft) tall and 3 m (10 ft) trunk diameter, sometimes called 'The Lady of the Woods'. The thick shade which it sheds usually keeps the forest floor bereft of undergrowth. The mature, almost mono-culture beech wood, has a beauty rarely surpassed. It is also a long living tree that has a typical lifespan of 150 to 200 years, though sometimes up to 300 years.

The new shoots, grey and transparent, develop into long, thin, zigzag twigs which hold pale brown winter buds, set alternately and long and slender, with papery scales, 5–10 cm long and 3–7 cm broad, with 6-7 veins on each side of the leaf . The leaves are a tender pale green when opening in April, later becoming a rich deep green shade. They are oval, end in a short point and have a wavy margin which with the veins on the underside and the leaf-stalks are at first hairy. In autumn the leaves change to glorious tints of bronze, orange and gold. Trees below a height of about 10 ft retain their spent red-brown leaves throughout winter, but larger trees strew them over the forest floor until they are swept by the wind to lie in deep drifts.

The male catkins are borne in groups of two or three soon after the leaves open, each catkin has a long thin drooping stalk which bears two or three slender scale leaves and ends in a tassel of about fifteen greenish flowers. The female catkins are small, green, and lie close to the stem. At first the fruit is an egg-shaped pointed green husk, clad in soft green hairs. In the autumn the husks turn brown, and after splitting into four lobes to release one or two triangular, smooth shining brown seeds (‘beech nuts’), they often persist on the tree until the following spring. Good ‘mast years’ occur infrequently. The nuts provide, with acorns, pannage for pigs.

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech

The thin bark is of a typical bright silver-grey or metallic color and remains smooth throughout the tree’s life. In some parts of the country the naked circular columnar trunks have in part almost a purplish sheen. In outline Beech is large, upright, with a crown comprising a spreading network of fine branches. Its base is almost always but-tressed. The wood is hard and strong, of a bright buff color with mid-brown flecks (‘pith rays’). Among its chief uses are furniture and turnery goods such as tool handles, bowls and spoons.

Beech freely regenerates from fallen seed. It is usually planted pure or as groups in a matrix of other trees or as an underpants. It has a high amenity value.

Beeches with coppery red or deep purple foliage are frequently seen. The Copper Beech, variety purpurea (altropunicea), is a natural ‘spot’ Discovered in the eighteenth century. The rich purplish-brown color of its leaves masks their green chlorophyll within but they function normally. The tree is usually grafted onto stock of the common Beech but will also grow from seed.

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech : Leaves

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech : Leaves

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech : Leaves

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech : Flowers

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech : Flowers

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech : Nut

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech : Nuts

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech : Nuts

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech

Fagus sylvatica – European Beech

Corylus avellana – Hazel

General Information Common Name  Hazel Scientific Name  Corylus avellana Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height   3–5 m (10–18 ft) Spread  3-4.5 m (7–15 ft) Growth Rate  Moderate Bloom Time  Winter Color  Green Flower Color  Yellow, Green Type  Shrub Native  Europe, western Asia

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision  Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Hamamelididae Order  Fagales Family  Betulaceae – Birch family Genus  Corylus L. – hazelnut Species  C. avellana

Corylus avellana - Hazel

Corylus avellana commonly known as Hazel is rarely allowed to develop into a tree. Usually it thrives as a small shrub or bush, forming undergrowth or low coppice in woodlands, or as an unwanted component of a tended hedgerow. Hazel is mainly native to Europe and western Asia.

The straight downy grey-brown twigs carry small winter buds set alternately, which are brown at first and green by February. The leaves are alternate, broad and roundish, with doubly toothed margins and end in a little short tip. In autumn they change to brown and finally pale yellow.

The yellow, pliant male catkins, drooping like lambs’ tails, appear from January, having developed through winter from being little grey-green ‘cylinders’. The female flower is much less conspicuous, being a small bud-like structure from which obtrudes several fine crimson stigmas. The fruit is the well known hazel-nut, with a white ‘kernel’ enclosed in a shell that stands in a leafy cup often longer than the nut and which together change from green to dark brown by autumn.

Corylus avellana - Hazel

The bark is smooth and shining and a brownish-red to greenish-brown, with conspicuous horizontal lenticels. On stouter stems the bark becomes silver-grey with a soft brownish tint. The wood is mid-brown in color, strong and hard. Most uses of hazel have been in its round or cleft state, in old crafts that have lately almost died out – particularly that of wattle-hurdle making and for wattle in house-building. It is still the traditional species for pea-sticks, bean-rods, hoops, leathering for hedge-laying, withes (for tying) and for some crates. Once a valuable element in rural economy, Hazel today is usually removed by foresters so that more profitable forest crops can be grown. Many people regret the gradual passing of a lovely form of woodland, which incidentally often harbors primroses, wild anemones, violets, bluebells and champion. They also regret the loss of the ancient traditional crafts of the Underwood worker – as interesting as those of the charcoal-burner and the chair-bodger. Common Hazel is cultivated for its nuts.

Corylus avellana - Hazel : Leaves

Corylus avellana - Hazel

Corylus avellana - Hazel

Corylus avellana - Hazel : Flowers

Corylus avellana - Hazel

Corylus avellana - Hazel : In Autumn

Corylus avellana - Hazel

Corylus avellana - Hazel : Nuts

Corylus avellana - Hazel

Corylus avellana - Hazel

Corylus avellana - Hazel

Corylus avellana - Hazel

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut

General Information Common Name  Sweet Chestnut, Spanish Chestnut Scientific Name  Castanea sativa Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  20–35 m (65–100 ft) Spread  12–18 m (40–60 ft) Growth Rate  Medium Bloom Time  Summer Color  Green Flower Color  White Type  Tree Native  Europe

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision  Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Hamamelididae Order  Fagales Family  Fagaceae – Beech family Genus  Castanea Mill. – chestnut Species  C. sativa

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut

Castanea sativa commonly known as Sweet Chestnut also known as Spanish Chestnut is native to the Mediterranean region. People like it as a source of nuts for food. It was abundant in the Forest of Dean by the eleventh century. As a stately tree it reaches some 30 m (100 feet) in height.

The twigs are smooth or slightly downy, angular (five-sided), bear prominent lenticels and are shiny olive-green to purplish-brown. The roundish winter buds are set alternately on little edges and yellowish-green to brown. The leaves are bronze to khaki when opening and long (often up to 9 in) with sharply toothed margins and veins which continue as bristles beyond the teeth. 

Both male and female flowers lie on a slender yellow spike (that resembles a pipe-cleaner), the females being at its base, they open in July. The edible fruit (‘chestnut’) ripens during October in a green husk (cupule) which is clad in a mass of green sharp spikes. The brown nuts are usually in threes and sometimes infertile.

In young trees the bark is smooth and grayish-green, but with age it becomes grayish-grown and deeply fissured, the fissures at the base of the trunk often forming to several feet. Some trees carry burrs which are found high up the bole. The wood has the strength and durability of oak, with thinner sapwood, but whereas oak has conspicuous radiating (medullary) rays, those of chestnut are very fine and virtually invisible. It is apt to be ‘shaky’ (having radial or circular cracks), or to have spiral grain, but it has the important property of being easily split (cleft). It finds a ready sale for chestnut fencing, hop poles, posts and stakes. When large the wood is often a substitute for oak in furniture and in buildings. 

Chestnut is frequently grown as a coppice crop. It thrives on warm, sandy soils, but is unhappy on most calcareous formations. The tree requires a mild climate and adequate moisture for good growth and a good nut harvest. Its year-growth (but not the rest of the tree) is sensitive to late spring and early autumn frosts, and is intolerant of lime. Under forest conditions, it will tolerate moderate shade well. The use as food and an ornamental tree caused it to be introduced throughout western Europe; localised populations and cultivation also occur on other continents.

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut : Full Bloom

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut : Flowers

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut : Leaves

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut : Nuts

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut : Nut

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut : Log

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut : Nuts

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut : Nuts

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut : Full Bloom

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut

Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut - Spanish Chestnut : Flowers

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut – Conker Tree

General Information Common Name  Horse Chestnut, Conker Tree Scientific Name  Aesculus hippocastanum Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  20 - 30 m (65 - 100 ft) Spread  12 - 20 m (40 - 65 ft) Growth Rate  Moderate Bloom Time  Summer Color  Green Flower Color  White Type  Tree Native  South East Europe

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision  Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order  Sapindales Family  Hippocastanaceae – Horse-chestnut family Genus  Aesculus L. – buckeye Species  A. hippocastanum

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum commonly known as Horse Chestnut also called Conker Tree is a native of the Balkans and Asia Minor tree, though it also appears self-sown in some woodland. The display of prominent showy white blossoms on its arching branches is its chief attribute.

The shoots are stout, becoming pale grey or brown, with large horse-shoe-shaped scars left by the fallen leaf-stalks. The brown winter buds large sharply pointed and thickly coated with resin. The shoots flush in March and the foliage soon puts on the appearance of a damaged wing of a bird later expanding magnificently. The leaves consist of from five to save leaflets with serrated margins, and palmately arranged from a long stalk. Each leaflet becomes broader towards the tip, and then suddenly narrows to a point, the largest may reach almost a foot in length. The upper surface is a dismal dark green and hairless, the lower is covered with woolly down which soon disperses. In autumn the leaves change to yellow and gold or in parts to red.

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

The handsome candelabra-like inflorescence, with hermaphrodite flowers, is erect in mid-May, and may exceed a foot in height, having more than a hundred white flowers that have delicate petal edges frilled in variable patterns and a yellow blotch that turns pale crimson. The inedible fruit, one or more lustrous red-brown seeds (‘conkers’), ripens in early autumn within a tough, thick, leathery and spiky husk which has changed form pale green to dark brown. The bark is dark grayish-brown, smooth in young trees but later breaking into unevenly sized and shaped pink-brown scales, which are eventually shed. The white wood is too soft and brittle to have much practical use.

The trunk is often fluted and spreading somewhat at the base. Though self-sown trees are common, it is a ornamental rather than a woodland tree.

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut : Seeds

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut : Flowers

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut : Leaves

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut : Flowers

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut : Young Planet

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut