Timed to coincide with National Tree week
which this year runs from
23rd November to 3rd December,
42 broad leaf woodland trees will be planted in Ryelands Park to replace the trees that have been
removed due to disease and old age,
with a further 10 trees to be planted in schools across the district. A liaison officer is working with local schools to decide where these trees should be
planted.

“A town without trees is a town without a soul”

	Common Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Carbon Reduction: HIGH Holder of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit Height & Spread: 25m x 15m Often called lady of the wood this is possibly our most beautiful native tree with smooth grey bark and copper & russet autumn foliage. Its tall slender form with layered branches curve slightly upwards & produce a dense mass of foliage, soft yellow at first and then turning pale green as the season advances.
	Silver Birch (Betula pendula) Carbon Reduction: HIGH Holder of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit Height & Spread: 25m x 10m Sometimes called lady of the woods because of its outstanding elegance. Growth is upright, later slightly weeping, especially the young outer stems. Found throughout the forest, it is quick to colonise clearings and burnt areas. It is a short live tree 25- 40 years which succumbs to fungal infection especially the birch bracket fungus. In high winds the tops may be broken off. It is a graceful tree, the main character being the fissured silver bark.
	Horse Chestnut (Aesculus baumanni) Carbon Reduction: HIGH Holder of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit Height & Spread: 25m x 20m A superb tree with plenty of plusses. Will grow huge in any soil. The young shoots of the horse chestnut are large sticky buds. These open in May into large leaves each with five to seven fingers followed by the flowers (white or pink) which form large spikes in the shape of a pyramid comprising dozens of tiny florets. In the autumn, the spiky green fruits appear containing the shiny brown "conkers".
	Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) Carbon Reduction: MEDIUM Height & Spread: 15m x 7m Sometimes called Rowan is a native European tree, especially in high altitudes. Once credited with magical powers. It tolerates a wide range of soils & sites and regularly produces huge crops of red berries which attracts birds of all kinds. All parts of the tree are astringent and may be used in tanning and dyeing black. When cut, the Mountain Ash yields poles and hoops for barrels. Both the bark and fruit have medicinal properties.
	Sweet Chestnut (Sorbus aucuparia) Carbon Reduction: HIGH Height & Spread: 30m x 15m The Sweet Chestnut was probably introduced to Britain by the Romans who made flour from the nuts. The tree has been coppiced commercially in the past & individual specimen are found throughout in gardens, parks & along avenues. It blossoms in May followed by its fruits in October. The leaves are amongst the longest of any tree in Britain and are glossy green and toothed.
	Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) Carbon Reduction: HIGH Height & Spread: 20m x 10m A beautiful tree in the springtime when its flowering. The fruit appears in June -July as cherries, first yellow then turning red. Sadly, we never get to eat any of these cherries. The birds always get there first! The blackbirds in the garden are especially partial to them. Young trees show strong apical dominance with a straight trunk and symmetrical conical crown, becoming rounded to irregular on old trees.
	London Plane (Platinus acerifolio) Carbon Reduction: HIGH Height & Spread: 30m x 20m The 'Great Plane' is reputed to be the largest of its kind in the country, with branches covering an area of some 1,500m². The trees retain their leaves for longer than most other trees and when they do fall they are big, waxy and lots of them. A plane tree was first discovered growing in London in the 1700's and now can be found lining the streets in cities throughout the world.
	Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea) Carbon Reduction: HIGH Height & Spread: 25m x 15m Beech trees are attractive throughout the year, and the copper beech, a cultivar, is especially so. Copper beeches self-seed successfully, and they are to be seen in hedgerows and at the edge of woodland as well as in formal parks and gardens. There are some extremely fine specimens of copper beech to be seen, and they are a special delight in springtime, as the leaves turn from olive and pale tan to their summer colour of burnished copper.
	Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) Carbon Reduction: MEDIUM Height & Spread: 10-25m x 10m Whitebeam is native to Britain on chalk and limestones and nearby sandy soils in Southern England, the Wye Valley & County Galway. It is resistant to pollution and the tree or its cultivars are widely planted as street trees. Young trees have cone-shaped crown that be- comes domed in older trees. Dull white flowers in clusters appear in May to June. Fruits are globe-shaped, bright red, in hanging clusters.
	Red Oak (Quercus Robur) Carbon Reduction: High Height & Spread: 15m x 10m Probably the best known tree in Britain and an important feature of the English landscape. They live for hundreds of years and have always been important for their timber. The wood has been used to build ships, houses and furniture, but is also renowned for its use in casks for maturing wines and spirits. The fruit of the oak tree is the acorn which appears usually in September and is very popular with squirrels. The oak is deciduous but loses its leaves very late in the year.
	Bird Cherry (Prunus padus) Carbon Reduction: MEDIUM Height & Spread: 15m x 10m Native to northern Britain & a change from the traditional blousy cherry. Dark purple shoots appear in spring followed by coppery-purple foliage which fades to green with age. The dark foliage is the perfect foil for the delicate pale-pink flowers which blossom in May & give off an almond fragrance. The fruit can be used to flavour brandies and wines but the berries are only edible by birds. In the Middle Ages the bark was hung on doors and put in the drinking water as a guard against the plague.