NATIVE WOODLAND

WHAT IS NATIVE WOODLAND?

Native Woodland

The Forestry Commission defines native woodland as consisting mainly of native trees, that is those that have grown here naturally since the last Ice Age and have not been introduced by humans.

This is based on the fact that modern humans only fully colonised the British Isles after the last ice retreated about 12,000 years ago.

An Island Nation

At about the same time the ‘land-bridge‘ connecting us to the continent was inundated and we became an island, limiting the effect of woodland and forest changes occurring across the channel.  Any new tree species would have to arrive via humans.

The forests of the time were made up of many familiar trees – oak, birch, willows, ash, alder, elm, Scots pine etc.  But there are some surprising species that were not part of that ancient woodland – horse chestnut, larch, and sycamore. Even the beech may have been introduced by man.

OUR NATIVE WOODLAND TREES

Please see below for a full list of the native woodland tree species we grow, sell and plant out across Dartmoor and South Devon.

Common Alder

Also called: alder, black alder, European alder, European black alder

Scientific name: Alnus glutinosa

Estimate full grown height: up to 30 metres (98 ft)

Preferred habitat: forest edges, riverside corridors, wetlands

Silver/Downy Birch

Also called: East Asian white birch, European white birch, warty birch (silver) | hairy birch, moor birch, white birch (downy)

Scientific name: Betula pendula (silver) | Betula pubescens (downy)

Estimate full grown height: up to 30 metres (66 ft)

Preferred habitat: heathland, moorland, mountainsides (silver) | heathland, moorland, mountainsides, peat bogs (downy)

European Hornbeam

Also called: common hornbeam

Scientific name: Carpinus betulus

Estimate full grown height: up to 25 metres (82 ft)

Preferred habitat: woodlands

European Beech

Also called: common beech

Scientific name: Fagus sylvatica

Estimate full grown height: up to 50 metres (160 ft)

Preferred habitat: hillsides, woodlands

European Aspen

Also called: aspen, common aspen, Eurasian aspen, European aspen, quaking aspen

Scientific name: Populus tremula

Estimate full grown height: up to 27 metres (90 ft)

Preferred habitat: heaths, riversides, woodlands

English/Sessile Oak

Also called: common oak, European oak, pedunculate oak (English) | durmast oak (sessile)

Scientific name: Quercus robur (English) | Quercus petraea (sessile)

Estimate full grown height: up to 12 metres (40 ft) (English) | up to 40 metres (131 ft) (sessile)

Preferred habitat: woodlands (English) | riversides, valleys (sessile)

Small-Leaved Lime

Also called: small-leaved linden

Scientific name: Tilia cordata

Estimate full grown height: up to 40 metres (131 ft)

Preferred habitat: woodlands

Wych Elm

Also called: Scots elm

Scientific name: Ulmus glabra

Estimate full grown height: up to 40 m (130 ft)

Preferred habitat: ditches, hilly or rocky woodlands, riversides

Field Maple

Also called: common maple, dog oak, hedge maple

Scientific name: Acer campestre

Estimate full grown height: up to 20 metres (66 ft)

Preferred habitat: chalk lowlands, hedgerows, scrub, woodlands 

Hazel

Also called: common hazel

Scientific name: Corylus avellana

Estimate full grown height: up to 12 metres (39 ft)

Preferred habitat: gardens, grassland, woodlands

Common Hawthorn

Also called: one-seed hawthorn, single-seeded hawthorn

Scientific name: Crataegus monogyna

Estimate full grown height: up to 9 metres (30 ft)

Preferred habitat: hedgerows, scrub, woodlands

Alder Buckthorn

Also called: breaking buckthorn, glossy buckthorn

Scientific name: Frangula alnus

Estimate full grown height: up to 5 metres (16 ft)

Preferred habitat: bogs, heathland, hedgerows, riversides, open woods, scrub

Common Holly

Also called: Christmas holly, English holly, European holly

Scientific name: Ilex aquifolium

Estimate full grown height: up to 10 metres (33 ft)

Preferred habitat: hedgerows, scrub, woodlands

Crab Apple

Also called: wild apple

Scientific name: Malus sylvestris

Estimate full grown height: up to 6 metres (20 ft)

Preferred habitat: hedgerows, woodlands

Wild Cherry

Also called: gean, sweet cherry

Scientific name: Prunus avium

Estimate full grown height: up to 25 metres (82 ft)

Preferred habitat: hedgerows, woodland edges

Blackthorn

Also called: sloe

Scientific name: Prunus spinosa

Estimate full grown height: up to 6 metres (20 ft)

Preferred habitat: copses, hedgerows, scrub, woodlands

Goat Willow

Also called: great sallow, pussy willow

Scientific name: Salix caprea

Estimate full grown height: up to 10 metres (33 ft)

Preferred habitat: ditches, reedbeds, wet woodlands

Rowan

Also called: mountain ash

Scientific name: Sorbus aucuparia

Estimate full grown height: up to 6 metres (20 ft)

Preferred habitat: heathland, mountains, woodland edges

Guelder Rose

Also called: guelder-rose

Scientific name: Viburnum opulus

Estimate full grown height: up to 4 metres (13 ft)

Preferred habitat: fens, hedgerows, riversides, scrub, woodland edges

European Spindle

Also called: common spindle, spindle

Scientific name: Euonymus europaeus

Estimate full grown height: up to 6 metres (20 ft)

Preferred habitat: hedgerows, scrub, woodland edges

Why are we so passionate about the native woodlands when there seem to be a lot of trees in the landscape?

HELP MOOR TREES