Easy Peasy Treesy.

With the spring sunshine and summer months on the way, I should hope that many of you will be spending much more time outside. With this in mind, what a fabulous time to work on your tree identification. Below are some facts to help you with your tree ID.

YEW TREE

• Red berries (DO NOT PICK OR EAT)

• Scaly brown bark

• Evergreen (has leaves all year)

• All parts of the tree are poisonous

• Wood not food safe (burning or utensils)

HAZEL TREE

• It has Catkins

• Hazel nuts grown in the summer

• Good to make bow drill with

• Food safe (burning or utensils)

• Bark -Silver grey to pale brown, sometimes peeling

OAK TREE

• Acorn’s grow on them in summer

• Takes 40 years to grow its first acorn’s

• Bark – Pale grey with deep ridges

• Good for making furniture (hard wood)

• Ships in the Navy was built from oak wood

HAWTHORN TREE

• Bark – brown with shallow ridges

• Leave is lobed, glossy and green leaves

• Good fire wood

• Also known as the May-tree. (Due to its flowering period). Only tree named for the month it blooms

• The red berries have a star shape on the bottom also the berries can be good to make medicine

BEECH TREE

• Bark is silver grey and smooth

• Contains beech nuts which are in a prickly husk (look on floor may see these near the tree)

• Good hard wood to use for furniture and flooring.

• The wood is good for fire wood

• Winter bubs are distinctively, sharply pointed and not pressed against the twigs