Silver Birch – Betula pendula

Silver birch is a very graceful tree, growing up to 35 feet high, with pendulous branches and striking silver peeling bark. It has small diamond shaped leaves which allow a lot of light to the woodland floor, and these turn a dramatic burnt orange colour in the autumn.

The tree is what is known as a ‘pioneer species’, which means that it is able to grow on land which is initially unsuitable for other trees to grow on. By doing so, it improves soil conditions which allows other trees, such as oak, to grow in the future.

Birch is the tree which represents the second letter of the Gaelic alphabet, ‘Beith’ as in Cowdenbeath in Fife, or Beith in Ayrshire. This alphabet was once learned by all children in the highlands who, in doing so, also acquired a knowledge of the natural environment.

Rowan – Sorbus aucuparia

The Rowan is a small and slender tree, rarely growing taller than 40 feet in height. It can be identified by its clusters of white flowers in May or June, and large hanging bunches of bright red berries in autumn along with striking gold autumn foliage. Like the ash tree, it’s leaves are made up of sets of smaller leaflets.

The berries of the Rowan are an important food source for many bird species, including thrushes and field-fares. The tree thrives in harsh environments, and can even be seen growing out of bare rock.

Traditionally, rowan was planted beside cairns, homes and stone circles to protect against witches, and it was used in many rituals to ward off evil.

Holly – Ilex auquifolium

Holly most commonly grows in the understory of oak woodlands, but is also found in different settings, such as rocky hillsides and occasionally in holly woodlands. It is thought that these holly woods were unique to the British isles and so have high conservation value.

The species is one of the few evergreen broadleaves, and so is one of the few food sources in winter for grazing animals. This is why it is only the lower leaves which develop sharp edges. The winter berries provide an important food source for birds.

Holly is one of our most well-known tree species, with it’s distinctive sharp-edged, waxy leaves and bright red berries in mid-winter. As well as being associated with the modern-day celebration of Christmas, it has been used as a decoration during winter stretching back to ancient times.

Pedunculate Oak – Quercus robur

Oak trees are most easily identified by their wavy-edged leaves, their large size and their broad, domed appearance when mature. They can live for many hundreds of years, and tend to grow rather slowly.

More creatures are dependent on, or make use of, the two native oak species than is the case with any other kind of tree in Britain. Many hundreds of species of moth, beetle and other insect, many kinds of spider and other invertebrate and many birds and several mammals are frequently associated with oak trees. In addition, they have been found to support over 400 lichen species, about 65 types of mosses and liverworts and over 4,000 different types of fungi. As such, oak trees are of enormous biodiversity value.

Scots Pine – Pinus sylvestrus

The Scots Pine is a large tree which can grow to over 20 metres in height. It is evergreen and keeps its needles all year long. It can be recognised by it’s reddish bark and clusters of needles, and by it’s tendency to lose it’s lower branches in maturity to take on a distinctive top-heavy form. This makes it a favoured site for some species of nesting birds.

It is a keystone species in the Caledonian pinewoods. This means that many other species of this habitat, such as the red squirrel and Scottish crossbill for example, rely upon it for survival.

The Scots Pine is the most widely distributed conifer in the world, with a natural range extending from inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia to the Mediterranean and from Scotland to Eastern Siberia. However, while in Scotland the tree is once thought to have covered 1.5 million hectares, it is now restricted to just 1% of that area.

Juniper – Juniperus communis

Juniper tends to be found growing with heather on moorland or in the understory of old highland birch and pinewoods. It will usually take the form of a low, spreading shrub, but can also be found growing as tall as 3 metres. Its needles have a distinctive gin-scent when crushed, and the plant is still used in the production of gin. It produces berries, which are green at first, but ripen slowly into small, hard black berries.

While the berries of Juniper are not favoured by many birds, they are eaten by the fieldfare and waxwing. In addition, the plant provides nesting cover for birds such as the thrush and goldcrest.

Juniper is one of our most ancient trees, having arrived in northern Britain shortly after the last ice age, 10,000 or more years ago. It is one of 3 conifers native to Scotland, the other two being Scots Pine and Yew.

Common Ash – Fraxinus excelsior

Ash is a very fast growing and tall species, reaching as high as 100 feet. It can be identified by its leaves, which are broken up into leaflets (like those of the Rowan) and by the bunches of fruits called ‘keys’ hang from its branches in summer. It comes into leaf late in the spring, and loses its leaves without showing any autumn colour.

More insects and plant species rely upon the ash than upon any other species of native tree with the exception of oak. Over 225 epiphytic lichen species have been recorded on it, while 41 species of insect depend upon it for survival.

It is found widely over most of Europe and southern Scandinavia and is is a very good source of timber, It can be coppiced on 12-20 year rotation to produce a tough, impact resistant wood which is often used for tool handles, sports equipment such as hockey sticks and also furniture.

Hazel – Corylus avellana

Hazel is a fairly small tree which has large, heart-shaped leaves. Perhaps most well known because of the hazelnuts which come from it, it is also often used in hedgerows, alongside other compact tree species such as hawthorn, blackthorn and holly.

Historically, hazel was often coppiced, usually on a 10 year rotation. Coppicing is a process where trees are cut down to the ground regularly to produce a wood crop without killing the tree. Hazel is fast growing and produces straight and flexible timber which can be used for many things including fencing material. Rather than harming the tree, coppicing actually enhances its lifetime – the practice can double or even quadruple the lifespan of a hazel tree.

Hawthorn – Crataegeus monogyna

Hawthorn is a striking tree for a number of reasons. It exhibits long sprays of white scented flowers in late spring, and then is covered with deep red berries (haws) in the autumn. Its gnarled and twisted growth pattern gives it very dense foliage, which makes it a popular choice for many smaller bird species as a nesting site.

It is often used as a hedging plant, although it can take the form of a small tree if unchecked, sometimes reaching 30 feet or more. Of all the hedging plants, hawthorn supports the greatest number of invertebrate species and the berries remain on the bush into the winter, providing a valuable reserve store of food for birds.

Historically, hawthorn has been a very significant tree in a mythological sense. It was strongly related with the beginning of summer and to seasonal transition. The death of a hawthorn tree was considered a bad omen for the future of the clan or family to whom that tree was associated.

Willow – Salix sp

Willow trees are quick growing and love damp conditions. They are often the first trees to colonise damp areas such as bogs and were some of the earliest trees to re-colonise land after the last ice age. They require a lot of light, and do not grow well in conditions where there is not a lot of light.

There are thought to be between 300 and 500 different types of willow worldwide, with 18 different types of willow that are native to Britain. They are a popular source of food for both insects and animals, and all willow species in Britain support over 450 different invertebrate species!

Willow is very fast growing, and produces very flexible branches, which can be used in many applications, from baskets to fences. It also has important medical uses, and elements of willow are used for pain relief, particularly as an anti-inflammatory.