Tree-Spotting (For Everyone): A Guide to Identifying Britain’s 56(ish) Native Trees by Ros Bennett & Nell Bennett

Author:Ros Bennett & Nell Bennett [Bennett, Ros & Bennett, Nell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: nature, Plants, Trees, General, Crafts & Hobbies, Nature Crafts
ISBN: 9781802794519
Google: Me9qEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Welbeck
Published: 2022-09-13T20:29:16+00:00

SALICACEAE

Bay Willow Salix pentandra

Crack Willow Salix x fragilis

White Willow Salix alba

Almond Willow Salix triandra

Purple Willow Salix purpurea

Osier Salix viminalis

Goat Willow Salix caprea

Grey Willow Salix cinerea

One summer in the noughties, when we were in the West Country, Nell helped me with a wetland plant survey that involved kayaking through dense reed beds and sedge swamps, and across open water to reach some floating islands that had been colonised by dense thickets of Grey Willow – a fascinating and enriching experience. It’s not every day that one has the privilege to explore such a pristine and exquisite piece of flower-rich woodland that rocks like a boat when its canopy catches the wind.

Willows have the reputation of being impossible to identify, but we hope to dispel that defeatist view. In Britain there are 20 different species of willows and it is said that ‘they all look alike’ – they don’t. But they all hybridise freely with each other and, what’s more, willow hybrids are sexually fertile, unlike many hybrids (think of the mule – an infertile hybrid between a horse and a donkey). They are able to cross with other willow species, resulting in a bewildering collection of over 70 hybrid mixtures.

This can complicate matters when identifying a particular tree. However, the hybrids are not as widespread as the parents and often a hybrid can be deduced because, unsurprisingly, it has a combination of traits from both parents.

More confusing for the beginner is the degree of variation within each species, giving rise to a number of accepted varieties which might be taken for hybrids. But don’t let these complications stop you having a go. More often than not, you will correctly recognise the most likely candidate(s) – a big step forward from simply saying ‘willow’. But if you sometimes draw a blank – join the band of many before you!

So for now, forget hybrids. The first step is to recognise the species. And this isn’t really a very difficult task, especially when you see that we can whittle it down from the possible 20 to only 8 species. We will not be considering the six tundra species that grow as prostrate mats in the Arctic and at the tops of our Scottish mountains. We are also excluding the four low shrubby species that did not meet our arbitrary selection criterion of reaching over 4 metres in height. Finally, we exclude the two scarce, recent alien species that you are unlikely to come across in the wild. This leaves us with the eight commonly occurring species that can stand over 5 metres tall. Once you become familiar with these eight, you will be able to spot hybrids, and you might want to explore the low-growing shrubs of bogs and sand dunes or discover the amazing dwarf montane pioneers. The hunt for willows can lead you to some truly special habitats.

All but one willow have spirally (alternately) arranged leaves and hence buds. Purple Willow (see below) is the exception. The buds of willows (unlike those of poplars) are unique in being wrapped in only one bud scale.

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