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7/1/2024 1 Comment

Tree of the month: January 2024 - Ivy

Ivy grows prolifically in shaded areas and in poor soils, be they wet, dry or acidic. Our native common Ivy changes form depending on where it is growing. As ground-cover and when adhering to tree-trunks, walls and other structures the leaves are 3 or 5 lobed on short stems. In this form, Ivy has no flowers or fruits but the dense cover, while capable of crowding out other plants, can provide valuable nesting sites and protection for insects, birds and small mammals, including bats.

As the stems grow higher and stronger (it can grow up to 30m and become a tree in itself) the aerial roots thicken and are more self-supporting. The stems branch out, the leaves change shape becoming ‘entire’ with no lobes, and can produce flowers in late autumn. The clusters of flowers (‘umbels’) support a wide range of insects, especially those like Red Admiral that feed up to overwinter as adults. Flowers ripen into fruits in winter, food for many birds.

Contrary to common belief, Ivy does not damage trees. Research by Oxford University for Kew Gardens in 2017 showed that, unless there are crevices into which the aerial roots and stems penetrate, Ivy can protect some buildings. It can buffer structures and habitats against temperature extremes and humidity, reducing frost damage, while also protecting from damage by small-particle pollution.

Insects benefitting from Ivy: Many of the 50+ species supported by Ivy are insects, which feed on the very valuable nectar and pollen rich flowers that appear in late autumn and early winter, when there are few other flowers out. The Ivy Bee has only been recorded in the UK since 2001 and is quickly spreading north but many bees, flies, hoverflies, wasps, and the Hornet all take advantage of this late food-source.

All the Butterflies that overwinter in the UK as adults - the Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Peacock and Brimstone - can be seen feeding-up on Ivy flowers ready for winter. Insects don’t actually hibernate but they go into dormancy when it falls below 10°C, some emerging in warm weather to feed up again.

The second brood of the Holly Blue butterfly caterpillars feed on Ivy flowers and the caterpillars of moths like Angle-shades, Small Dusty Wave and the Swallowtail moth feed on Ivy leaves.

The value of the Ivy to birds: Blackbirds, other members of the thrush family, the Starling, Woodpigeon and Blackcap all benefit from Ivy berries which are ripe over winter when there are fewer other high-energy high-fat berries around. Other birds shelter or nest in dense Ivy cover on trees and buildings. Insect-eating birds like the Wren benefit from the insulating effect of dense Ivy growth. During cold periods, insects are more likely to survive under Ivy than elsewhere.

Other invertebrates, such as Ladybirds and spiders feed on the tiny insects attracted to Ivy flowers. A patch of Ivy flowers in the autumn sun is ofter buzzing with many species of wildlife.

Myths and symbolism of Ivy: There are many, sometimes contradictory, claims made for Ivy by early cultures. Some link to its evergreen (‘immortal’) character. For ancient Egyptians the Ivy is sacred to Osiris who was believed to have been resurrected after death. The ‘everlasting’ quality has represented fidelity and some echo this ancient belief by including a spray of Ivy in their wedding bouquets.

Romans celebrated special achievement with this plant, presenting successful poets and athletes with a wreath of Ivy.

Ivy and alcohol: For the ancient Greeks, more from hope than experience we assume, the longlasting and ‘cooling’ properties of Ivy led to the belief that wearing a wreath of Ivy would prevent intoxication from the ‘fleeting’ impact of wine. The Greek god Dionysus, renamed Bacchus by the Romans, is the god of wine and ecstasy. He was represented in images and sculptures adorned with a wreath of Ivy and Grapes. The Ivy wreath was believed to be sufficient to prevent intoxication! This representation was also very popular in the 15th and 16th century, used by artists including Caravaggio and Michelangelo. Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79), an early nature recorder, (the writer of ‘Nature History’) who also believed trees to be earth’s richest bounty, the temples for the gods, wrote “a vessel made of this (Ivy) wood will let wine pass through it, while water will remain” indicating that Ivy was used at this time to authenticate the purity of wine.

Ivy in traditional medicine: Ivy, a member of the ginseng family, has long been used to treat medical conditions, and is still in use by some for respiratory tract infection, catarrh and coughs. It contains saponins and anti-inflammatory substances and is available in over-the-counter form in many European countries. It is thought to purify the air in homes, especially from mould spores and allergens, and is listed by NASA as one of the 18 most useful indoor air purifiers.

The Ivy in literature: Although Ivy wood is a fine-grained and lightcoloured wood it does not have many uses as timber, although thicker stems and trunks can be used for carving of small items like chesspieces and ornaments, or for whittling. However Ivy has been drawn on by many writers and poets due to its character and symbolism. As in the myths associated with Ivy, what it symbolises varies considerably. Shakespeare uses it in different ways. In The Tempest it represents a parasite, sucking out life, clearly a myth prevailing at that time as well as today. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream it represents encircling love- the enchanted Titania says to Bottom “the female Ivy so enrings the barky fingers of the elm. Oh how I love thee, how I dote on thee”. The elm as male and the female as Ivy, clinging round the elm was a common metaphor for a loving relationship in Shakespeare’s time.

James Joyce, in his short story “Ivy Day in the Committee Room” is drawing on the custom of wearing an Ivy leaf in recognition of the Irish Nationalist politician Charles Stewart Parnell.

There was a tradition of wearing an Ivy leaf in the lapel on Ivy Day (6th October). Joyce is referencing the wearing of an ivy leaf is to represent striving for the ideals represented by Parnell. In the story he is clear that, in his view, contemporary politicians, fell short of these ideals.

John Clare in “To the Ivy” writes:
“Dark creeping ivy with thy berries brown
That fondly twist on ruins all their own,
Old spire-points studding with a leafy crown
Which every minute threatens to dethrone,
Wreathes picturesque around some ancient tree
That bows his branches by some fountain-side:
Then sweet it is from summer suns to be,
With thy green darkness overshadowing me”

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3/12/2023 0 Comments

Tree of the month: December 2023 - Holly

Perhaps the most easily recognised of all our native trees the Holly grows in most soils except those that are very wet. The native form, slow growing, can reach a height of 20 metres and live for 300 years. Holly often occurs as a tree in old hedgerows because, in the past, it was considered bad luck to cut it down. There are many decorative forms which are often planted in gardens and parks- they can have the classic prickly leaves or be smooth, have the dark-green glossy leaves of our native trees or be variegated silver or gold.

The Holly has small, slightly scented four-petalled flowers in spring. Male and female flowers grow on different trees. Bees are the main pollinators. Feeding on the nectar and pollen on a male tree they inadvertently carry the pollen onto the female tree, pollinating the flowers which then produce the iconic red berries of winter.

Place-names: The old names for Holly include Holm and Hollin (Old English ‘holegn’- to prick), names which live on in several Sheffield place-names.

Wildlife value of Holly: Although poisonous to us, the bright berries of Holly are a great source of food for our birds, especially the Thrush family which includes the Blackbird, Song and Mistle Thrush, and the winter visitors, Redwing and Fieldfare. Mistle Thrushes will often guard a laden tree, protecting the berries for themselves and chasing off all-comers. Small mammals also feed on the berries.

You may see evidence, on the leaves, of the Holly leaf-miner fly, but the best known wildlife of Holly is the beautiful, tiny Holly Blue Butterfly. The butterfly itself is our most widespread Blue butterfly and flies rapidly, usually a few feet off the ground, seeking flowers rich in nectar. It is the first brood of caterpillars which feed on the Holly flowers - the later brood feeds on the flowers of the Ivy.

Holly leaves as fodder: Holly leaves are highly nutritious and used to be cut for animal fodder, especially for sheep but also for cattle and deer.

Holly and Parkwood Springs: Parkwood Springs was once part of a Deer Park so it is very likely that Holly growed in groves for fodder (hollins), which would have been a feature of our ‘country park in the city’. Holly was also grown in dense hedges or enclosures (‘hags’ or ‘hags of hollins’) in deer-parks to aid the round-up of deer for herd-management, for hunting or just for food.

Holly leaves are very prickly but it is usually the lower branches of our native trees that have the prickliest leaves, evolved specifically to deter such grazing. Mostly, in the wild, the upper branches have much smoother leaves and it is from these higher parts that holly branches were cut to supplement fodder, especially when grass was too frozen for grazing.

Other Human Uses for Holly: Holly wood is hard, fine-grained, and white. It has been used in cabinet-work, marquetry and engraving. It is also commonly used to make walking sticks and broom-handles, for wood-turning and in Lancashire it was prized for making bobbins for the cotton-mills. Such stable wood, it was used to make mathematical instruments. Bird-lime was prepared from the inner bark and as fire-wood it burns with a high heat. The leaves have been used to treat colds and fevers, and as a diuretic.

Symbols and Myths: In Norse mythology Holly was associated with thunder and the God Thor. It was planted near dwellings as a protection against lightening.

The Druids and Celts viewed the evergreen leaves and long-lasting berries as magical, signifying eternity and ensuring the arrival of spring. Celts believed the ‘twins’ Holly and Oak were engaged in a battle to rule the woods - mighty Oak ruled the summer but, when oak leaves dropped, Holly won the battle for winter. Druids believed that Holly protected from evil spirits, goblins and witches so bringing Holly indoors would protect the residents while also sheltering fairies from the cold. It was hoped the fairies would then be kind to the householders. Bathing young babies in water from the leaves was believed to protect them from harm.

Christianity adapted pre-existing beliefs, interpreting the red berries and prickly leaves as the blood of Jesus in a crown of thorns. Holly has been used to decorate houses and churches in winter for millennia - as children we walked the woods collecting holly to decorate the house every year. Wreaths still adorn many homes and front doors over the 12 days of Christmas.

In Stowe’s ‘Survey of London” 1598 it states:
‘every man’s house…..the corners of every street were decorated with holme (holly)’.

The carol ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ is still a favourite. People also still claim that a heavy crop of holly berries means a cold winter ahead although it is actually due to conditions prevailing the previous summer.

The Holly in poetry:
Perhaps it is no surprise that the Holly appears in many poems, a few extracts of which are included here:
Robert Burns: The Vision -
‘Green, slender, leaf-clad holly boughs
Were twisted, gracefu’, round her brows;
I took her for some Scottish Muse,
By that same token;
And come to stop those reckless vows,
Would soon be broken….’.

Thomas Hardy: Birds at Winter Nightfall
‘…around the house the flakes fly faster,
And all the berries now are gone
From holly and cotoneaster
Around the house.
The flakes fly! - faster’

John Betjeman: Christmas
‘…The holly in the windy hedge
And round the Manor House the yew
Will soon be stripped to deck the ledge,
The altar, font and arch and pew,
So that the villagers can say
‘the church looks nice’ on Christmas day..’

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30/10/2023 1 Comment

Tree of the month: November 2023 - Whitebeam

The native Whitebeam is seldom found in the wild but there are several species grown for ornamental planting, especially the Swedish Whitebeam common on Parkwood Springs. Related to the Rowan, the Whitebeam is a tough, easy-to-grow tree whose leaves and berries often linger on into early winter. A small, domed tree that grows up to 15 metres and lives to about 50 years, with dense clusters of white 5-petalled flowers in spring, deep red berries in autumn, and deep-green, glossy leaves it is easy to see why it is so popular for planting along our streets and in our parks. In some parts of the country Whitebeam goes by the name ‘Chess Apple Tree’.

The Whitebeam gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon - beam meaning wood and white from the thick white felting of hairs on the back of the leaves. These hairs give it a silvery appearance, especially in spring or when the breeze moves its branches. The white hairs also help explain its widespread planting - the hairs both conserve moisture and help the tree grow well in areas of high pollution, such as roadsides, carparks and industrial estates.

Wildlife value of Whitebeam: The mass of Whitebeam flowers in spring are an important source of food for many pollinators while the berries, which stay on the tree until early winter, are food for deer, small mammals and many birds.

The leaves are home to several invertebrates, including the larvae of the Hawthorn Red Midget and the Short-cloaked Moth, several Butterfly caterpillars and leaf-miners.

Human uses of the Whitebeam: The density and longevity of the wood led to it being used to make frictionresistant machine parts before the common use of iron, including wheels, and cogs. More recently it is valued for wood-turning, axe handles and furnituremaking.

The fruit is fairly tart and can be eaten raw or made into a jelly or juice. The seeds are rich in fats.

In Germany the Whitebeam is known as Mehlberre - ‘meal-berry’ - and the fruit was ground for use as a substitute for grain or flour when grain harvests were poor. The dried fruit was also used as a substitute for raisins.

Medicinal Use: As well as a food source the Whitebeam has been used in traditional medicines. An antioxidant, it was used to treat kidney disorders and constipation among other conditions. It is the subject of ongoing phytochemical research.

Symbolism and mythology of the Whitebeam: Due to the resilience of the Whitebeam it symbolised strength, endurance and tenacity, especially in Sweden.

The Anglo-Saxons used it as a boundary marker in hedgerows. It was also seen as magical, with staffs and wands from the Whitebeam used to conjure spells.

The Whitebeam in literature:
The felted, white hairs of the undersides on the leaves inspired one of our greatest Victorian poets, Gerard Manley Hopkins (b. 1844).
In “The Starlight Night” he writes:
“Look at the stars! Look, look up at the skies!
O look at all the fire-folk sitting in the air!
The bright boroughs, the circle-citadels there!
Down in dim woods the diamond delves, the elves’ eyes!
The grey lawns cold where gold, where quick-gold lies!
Wind-beat Whitebeam!”

Another Victorian poet and novelist, George Meredith, (b1828), in “Love in the Valley” referenced this silver-white colouring, especially obvious in young leaves, writing: “Flashing as in gusts, the sudden-lighted whitebeam”.

Richard Mabey, in his wonderful book “Flora Britannica”, thinks that John Evelyn, writing of the Service tree in 1670, may actually have been writing of the Whitebeam which didn’t get this name until the 18th century. Evelyn wrote: “The Service gives the Husbandman an early presage of the approaching spring, by extending his adorned Buds for a peculiar entertainment, and dares peep out in the severest Winters”. The tree was often known as the Service tree in the past.

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6/10/2023 0 Comments

Tree of the month: October 2023 - Sweet Chestnut

The Sweet Chestnut, thought to be introduced to England by the Romans from its native home in the Mediterranean, can live to 700 years and reach a height of 35 metres. After about 25 years it starts to produce the distinctive prickly burrs which contain the edible Chestnut. Most of our Chestnuts are imported but going chestnutting in October is a great foraging activity. Young trees have a smooth, grey bark while on veterans it becomes deeply fissured and twisted.

The tree can grow well on poor soils and in many areas, including on Parkwood Springs, it has been coppiced to produce a multi-stemmed tree. Sweet Chestnut is important for wildlife and has been a valuable wood for many centuries. Sweet Chestnut leaves are glossy, and deeply serrated. Both male and female flowers grow on the same tree.

The Wildlife value of Sweet Chestnut:
Many insects benefit from the pollen on the long, male flowers of Sweet Chestnut but the leaves are of even more value to other invertebrates - the caterpillars of over 70 of our 2,500 species of Moths feed on Chestnut leaves. This includes species like Green Silver-lines and the Yellow-tail, the Bordered Sallow, Clay Fan-foot and Yellow-legged Clearwing. Worryingly the Oriental Chestnut gall-wasp is proving a threat to the trees in the UK and in 10 secret locations parasitic wasps have been released and are being monitored to see if they can reduce the risk.

The nutritious Chestnuts provide a valuable food source for Jays, Wild Boar, Deer, Squirrels, Badgers and Mice among many other birds and animals, including the newly - and noisily - arrived colonisers in our area - Ring-necked Parakeets.

Roe Deer are increasingly seen on Parkwood Springs, especially at dawn and dusk. They will benefit from food like Chestnuts and young leaves and twigs but also could prove problematic for our planned new young trees and hedges.

Uses of Sweet Chestnut as a food:
The Romans used Sweet Chestnuts as a staple food and, although there is no definitive evidence they brought it to England, they are believed to have done so. Chestnuts are the nuts with the highest level of vitamin C, and are gluten-free and low in cholesterol. As well as eating Chestnuts whole, the Romans ground them into flour and meal, and gave chestnut porridge to their soldiers before they went into battle. Corsican polenta was made with chestnut flour.

We still use chestnuts in many recipes - for stuffing, soups, nut-roasts as well as roasted, boiled and eaten raw whole. Roasted Chestnuts were a common, nutritious food sold on Victorian streets.

Chestnut Coppicing:
Chestnut is one of the main trees, along with Hazel and Hornbeam, that has been coppiced for centuries. Many old coppices are now ancient woodlands. In coppicing, trees are cut at their base, producing multiple-stems.

A chestnut is coppiced by cutting stands of woods in sequence every 7-14 years, producing a completely renewable source of timber. As biodiversity is also higher on woodland edges and glades, where the light enters, coppices are also one of the best ecosystems for diverse woodland, birds, flowers and insects. Many unmanaged woodlands are, by contrast, becoming too dense and shaded for many species to thrive.

This renewable chestnut wood crop has had many uses over the centuries.

Charcoal made from sweet chestnut fractures with many facets so heats really well. The charcoal was valuable for activities like iron-smelting and hopdrying.

Chestnut timber is light, strong and straight-grained, and was used extensively for pit-props, hop-poles etc in the past. Being weather-resistant it is still in demand for fence-posts, railwaysleepers, furniture and roofing, and in children’s playgrounds.

Herbal uses and symbolism:
The bark, leaves, flowers and nuts have been used as a strengthening and calming herb, and to treat stiff joints. The nuts have antioxidant properties and are high in fibre.

The tree symbolises strength, abundance and longevity. To the ancient Greek it was known as the ‘acorn of Zeus’.

Harvesting English Sweet Chestnuts:
Here’s a tip if you want to forage for English Chestnuts - wait until the spiky burrs fall and are bursting open. Open carefully with gloves or boots to avoid getting the spines in your hands, or search in the leaves for those that have already fallen out of their prickly casing. Take off the outer skin of the nut, visible in the photo. The inner skins are astringent so I prefer foraging for those that still have white bases, as the soft inner skins peel easily from these. Peel off the outer skin and scrape off the inner skin for a delicious snack- or roast or boil at home.

John Clare: The Winter’s Come
Sweet chestnuts brown, like coming leather turn;
The larch trees, like the colour of the sun;
That paled sky in the Autumn seemed to burn,
What a strange scene before us now does run
Red, brown and yellow, russet, black and dun;
White thorn, wild cherry, and the poplar bare;
The sycamore all withered in the sun.
No leaves are now upon the birch tree there:
All now is stript to the cold wintry air.

Shakespeare has the first witch in Macbeth say:
“A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap
And munched and munched and munched…”

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4/9/2023 0 Comments

Tree of the month: September 2023 - Elder

The Elder can grow to a height of 15 metres and live up to 60 years. The bark is greybrown and deeply ridged. Elder grows particularly well where nitrogen levels in the soil are high from the presence of organic matter - farmyards, churchyards, badger sets and rabbit warrens for example.

It is a quick coloniser, often spreading from seeds ejected by small and large mammals and birds that have been feasting on its autumn berries.

All parts - the wood, leaves, flowers and berries -have a very distinctive scent. There are some more decorative varieties that can be grown in gardens or parks. Sambucus ‘Black Lace’ is one with deep purple leaves.

Wildlife value of Elder:
Some rodents, including Bank-voles, Dormice, Badgers and Squirrels will eat both the flowers and berries of the Elder tree.

The large, flat flower-heads of early summer provide pollen and nectar for many insects and the rich autumn berries are a great food for many birds through autumn, including Thrush, Blackbird, Warblers and Wood Pigeons.

Animals and birds eating the berries then scatter the hard seeds far and wide through their droppings, which helps to spread this common tree around new sites.

Often unnoticed by us one of the great wildlife values of Elder, as with many other plants and trees, is the food they provide for the caterpillars of several species of moths. The Elder is a host tree for the Dot, the beautiful Buff Ermine and the Swallowtail among others.

Food and drink:
Elderflowers have long been gathered to make cordial or the ‘country champagne’ sparkling Elderflower. The natural yeasts on the flowers produce the ‘fizz’. Commonly available in shops these are also easy to make using just a few, fresh heads of flowers.

The berries, rich in vitamin C, can be used to make a syrup called ‘Elderberry Rob’ which can also be diluted for a nutritious, tasty, healthy drink, hot or cold. The fruit can also be used to make jelly, jam, chutney, wine, or be put in pies.

NOTE: All green parts of the plant are toxic, as are the unripe fruits which can be metabolised by our bodies to produce small quantities of cyanide so make sure they are ripe - they are safe when cooked.

Insect repellent: The strong scent meant it was used as a strewing herb on floors, hung on horses manes and planted outside dairies to deter flies and fleas.

Herbal uses: Known as the “medicine chest of the people” the elder has long been used to treat many conditions, especially coughs and chest complaints, from a tea made of the flowers. Juice from the berries has microbial properties. Elder has been made into a cream to treat chilblains, bruises and wounds.

John Evelyn, the 17th century diarist, claimed it worked “against all infirmities” which may have been rather overstating the case!

Other uses for Elder Wood:
Elder wood is creamy-white and hard and has been used to make small toys, combs, wooden spoons, pegs, skewers and several sorts of musical instruments, including chanters, whistles and pipes. The ancient Greek, Pliny the Elder, talks of elder wood being used to make the sackbut - an early instrument whose name derives from Sambucus, now the scientific name for Elder. Both Pliny (AD 77) and Culpeper (17th century) refer to the frequent use of Elder by children to make pop-guns and peashooters and the twigs are also easily made into straws.

The common name for Elder was Bore-wood from to the soft pith that runs through Elder twigs and branches. The ease with which this pith can be removed, to hollow out a straight length of elder twig or branch, has led to many of the above uses. It’s fun to do with children, though needs careful use of a skewer, pointed stick or piece of metal so it’s best to help young children do this or first let them watch while you learn how to do it!

Use of Elder pith: The soft pith has been used to hold botanical specimens while they are being sectioned and to make fishing floats.

Elder pith was also used to remove oil from the tips of tools to prevent contamination of watch movements.

Dyeing with Elder: Elder is a valuable source of dyes. Traditional Harris Tweed was dyed using a range of parts of the tree. The berries create a bluepurple range of colours, the leaves yield yellow and green and the bark, dark browns and black.

The symbolism of Elder: Because it can grow readily from dropped seeds the Elder is associated with regeneration, birth and death, transformations and also the crossing of thresholds. Countryfolk thought you should plant Rowan by your front door and Elder by your back door to provide maximum protection from harmful spirits. The fact that the wood spits when burnt also led it to be associated with the devil. There was a taboo on burning Elder.

Myths and Legends of Elder:
White flowers were often associated with ‘Faeries’ and the Elder is no exception. One of the best places to encounter a fairy was believed to be beneath an Elder tree on Midsummers-Eve. That was the time the King and Queen of the Faeries were thought to process-by but falling asleep under an Elder was felt to bring bad luck, maybe because the smell can be slightly toxic. And the taboo against burning Elder wood may be because a little cyanide gas could be released from the burning wood.

The Anglo-Saxons and Druids held Elder to be a sacred tree - the tree of the thirteenth month, associated with Samhain, or Halloween. This was symbolically the end of the agricultural year and when the veil between the living and the dead was believed to be at its thinnest.

The Elder in literature:
Hans Christian Anderson’s story “The Elder-tree Mother” begins with a boy drinking elderflower tea, when an Elder tree grows out of the teapot.

Ancient legend links the Elder with the tree on which Jesus was hanged. An anonymous classic poem goes:
“Bourtree, bourtree, crookit rung,
Never straight and never strong,
Ever bush and never tree
Since our Lord was nailed to thee”
Subsequently Shakespeare, in Love’s Labours Lost, popularised this association of the Elder with the tree on which Jesus was hanged. However, in Cymbeline he associates the “stinking elder” with grief:
“And let the stinking elder, grief, untwine,
His perishing root with the increasing vine”.

Wordsworth, in The Kitten, was rather more whimsical:
“See the kitten on the wall, sporting with the leaves that fall
Withered leaves - one, two and three, from the lofty elder tree
Through the calm and frosty air, of this morning bright & fair”.

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30/7/2023 0 Comments

Tree of the month: August 2023 - Rowan/Mountain Ash

The Rowan Tree is a quick-growing, widespread tree of the Sorbus family, that can survive in many different conditions including wasteland, scree, and on cliffs. Its common name - Mountain Ash - derives from its ability to grow up to 1,000 metres above sea level, even surviving in crevices and cracks in rocks.

The Rowan can live up to 200 years and grow to a height of 15 metres, though on scree and rock-faces it may be much smaller.

Many species other than the native Rowan can be seen in parks, estates, gardens and planted along roadsides.

In spring the Rowan has masses of creamywhite flowers, very valuable food sources for pollinators, while the orange-red berries, ripening in autumn, are rich in vitamins, providing important food-sources for many species of birds and animals. Its distinctive, serrated leaves grow in five to eight pairs along a slender stem, and are a food source for several moth caterpillars.

Wildlife value of the Rowan:
The mass of sweet-scented, creamy flowers in spring provide food for many insects. Bees, flies and especially beetle species feed on the flowers, including Longhorn, Click, Sap and Scarab Beetles. Not having pollen sacs these insects inadvertently gather the pollen on their bodies. Moving from flower to flower and tree to tree they then pollinate them as they feed.

The caterpillars of several species of moths feed on the leaves, including the Welsh Wave Moth and the Green Carpet Moth.

When the mass of berries ripen in autumn a range of birds, especially those of the Thrush family (which includes Blackbirds and our overwintering visitors - Redwing and Fieldfare), gorge on the berries. The indigestible seeds inside are then deposited much further afield, helping to spread the Rowan widely.

A range of animals feed on the young shoots and seedlings of Rowan, including deer, hares, voles and slugs. The fact that it is a fast growing tree helps many seedlings survive grazing.

Human uses of Rowan: The wood is hard and has an elastic quality which made it useful for baskets, crates, cartwheels, divining rods, spinning wheels and spindles. It is also popular for walking sticks and was used as a threshing tool in the Scottish Highlands, where it was especially valued for threshing grain for rituals, due to its folklore associations (see below). It is good for carving and its durability meant it was often used for tool handles. The berries are still used for a strong alcoholic drink in the Highlands, while the Irish used them to flavour mead and the Welsh used them in ale. A black dye can be made from berries and bark.

Rowan Jelly:
Gather 1.5 kg of Rowan Berries (best after frost or when fully ripe)
1.5kg of crab apple or Bramley apple cores
450 g of white sugar for every 600ml of strained liquid.
Juice of 1 lemon.
Roughly chop apples and put in large pan with rowan berries. Just cover with water.
Bring to boil and simmer until soft (around 20 minutes).
Lay muslin or soft cloth over a large bowl and tip the contents of the pan into the cloth. Tie the cloth ends and hang it over the now empty pan for at least four hours, or overnight, so it slowly drips in. (To do this secure the cloth on string from a, chair or piece of wood etc so the tied cloth hangs free over the pan).
For every 600 ml of strained liquid, add 450g of sugar and the juice of the lemon. Boil rapidly for around 10 minutes or until setting point is reached. Put in sterilised jars. Seal.
The berries can also be used for pies, vinegar and ketchup. The flowers can be infused in drinks and the sap is edible.

Herbal uses include:
Treating stomach disorders and bleeding, and to treat asthma. The leaves have been used to treat sore eyes.

The Rowan in mythology and folklore:
In Norse mythology the first woman was fashioned from Rowan, the first man from Ash. The life of the god Thor is said to have been saved by a Rowan. When he was swept away in the Underworld by a fast-flowing river, he was able to grab a Rowan tree that was growing bent over the river and so save himself. Rowans that grow out of crevices in rocks were known as ‘flying Rowan’ and thought to be especially magical and the Rowan was the tree on which runes were inscribed for the purposes of divination.

It has a long association with witches and magic. Each berry has a five-pointed star at its tip (the sepal remnants) and pentagons were a protective symbol. The red of the berries also led to its association with protection from evil spirits. The white blossom meant it was seen as the ‘faerie tree’.

Rowan myths:
Old rhyme: “Rowan tree and red thread
Make the witches tine (lose) their speed”.
In some Celtic cultures it was taboo to use a knife on a Rowan. On the Isle of Man crosses made from Rowan twigs, made without using a knife, were fastened to cattle for protection from evil spirits and on Mayday Eve, hung on door lintels for protection. It was taboo in Scotland to cut down a Rowan and sprigs were worn as protection from enchantments. Milk was stirred with Rowan twigs to prevent it curdling.

Some Scottish place names derive from the Gaelic name for Rowan- Caorunn, as in Beinn Chaorunn. The clan badge of the Malcom’s and McLachan’s includes a Rowan.

Thrushes in the Rowan Tree by Maureen Boyle
The very day the rowan berries ripen, thrushes fly in, stately and speckled, as if summoned there… Acrobats in motley, they swing making lithe lines of branches, stretching - somersaulting out to reach the berries - each red drop held in the beak before it falls to add to the marbled bags of their bellies.

Carolina Oliphant: Scottish song-writer, 1766-1845
Oh Rowan tree, oh Rowan tree thou’ll aye be dear to me
Intwin’d thou art wi’ many ties o’ hame and infancy
Thy leaves were aye the first o’ spring,
Thy flow’rs the simmer’s pride;
There was nae sic a bonny tree, in a’ the countryside.

Of the many cultivated species of Rowan those with orange and yellow berries keep their berries longer so are good as a later food for birds and animals. Some, like Joseph Rock, also have leaves with rich autumn colours.

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13/7/2023 0 Comments

Insects on the Meadow

Some insects (and spiders) you can see on the new meadows by the viewpoint and around the Parkwood Springs site in the summer.

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30/6/2023 0 Comments

Tree of the month: July 2023 - The Lime Tree

The Lime (or Linden) Tree is a fast growing tree that can reach 40 metres in height. There are several species found in Britain, but the most commonly planted is the Common Lime, a natural hybrid between the small and largeleaved Lime. The Common Lime is tolerant of many different growing conditions which has led to it being planted widely in parks, churchyards, country estates and along urban streets. Many Sheffield roads, including several local to Parkwood Springs, are lined with Lime trees. The bark is ridged and mature trees will typically have many shoots and burrs near the base of their trunks. The Lime is an elegant tree, even in winter, with its downward-sweeping branches.

In late June and July many clusters of honeyscented flowers develop and fill the air with their elusive scent. The flowers hang below pale green bracts which stay on the tree long after the flowers have faded, as the seeds develop.

Wildlife value of the Lime Tree: Many moth caterpillars feed on the leaves of the Lime tree but the most spectacular is the Lime Hawkmoth. This large, beautiful moth has no mouth parts since it is one of the moths that don’t actually feed in their adult form. They only live for 2-3 days, long enough to mate and lay eggs for the next generation. Honey made from Lime flowers is much valued but their attractiveness to Bumblebees is a cause for long-term research. For many years there have been occasional reports of Bumblebees, in big numbers, being found dead underneath Lime trees, especially the less common Silver Lime. The theory being researched by Kew gardens is that the heady clusters of Lime flowers contain caffeine or some chemical that lures Bumblebees back and back over long distances to feed on the pollen and nectar. The nectar is of low quality so it is possible that the chemical structure of the scent enhances memory, deflecting the bees from richer nectar sources and these long, repeated journeys exhaust the bumblebees.

Lime flowers are hermaphrodite, comprising both male and female elements, and are pollinated by a range of insects. The tannin in Lime leaves attracts aphids in large numbers. The aphids suck on the sap and excrete a sticky honeydew substance which is ‘farmed’ by ants. Bacteria grow on the honeydew and the result can be a hard-to-remove sooty, sticky substance falling on cars and surfaces under the trees.

Uses of leaves and flowers: The young, fresh leaves can be used in salads and the sap was used in medieval times to sweeten drinks.

The flowers are frequently used to make teas, sold as Linden Tea, and as well as a refreshing drink it is thought to aid digestion. Herbally it has been used to treat coughs, colds and infections. The flowers are used to make perfumes.

Uses of Lime wood: The light-weight, fine-grained timber is highly valued by a range of wood-workers. Puppet and model-makers often use Lime wood, and its acoustic qualities have led to it being used for drum-shells, guitars, recorders and piano-keys. It is also used to make blinds, and the early Germanic peoples used it for their shields. In the Orthodox Christian world it was used for the panels of Icon-paintings. Lime also yields a fine charcoal.

Lime wood is particularly suitable for intricate carving. One of the most remarkable exponents of Lime-wood carving is the famous Anglo-Dutch Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721). A whole room of his extraordinary carvings can be seen in Petworth House, West Sussex. Important pieces are in the in the V and A and other national collections.

Uses of Lime tree bark: Bast is the common name for fibres made from the inner bark of the Lime (and some other plants). The bark is peeled off the tree, and soaked in water for several weeks before the inner fibres, or ‘bast’, are separated out, softened and prepared. The Lime bast has been used for millennia to make a range of products from fishing nets, baskets, shoes and ropes, for paper and material for clothing. The Ainu, indigenous people of Japan, and the people of Bronze Age Britain are among those known to have favoured bast for clothing.

Local avenues of Lime: There is a famous avenue of Lime trees at Wentworth Castle but it was the second-longest Lime Avenue in the UK, along the Rivelin Valley in Sheffield, that drew the headlines as part of the Sheffield Tree Action Group’s campaign against the City Council’s street-tree felling programme. 31 of the 700 trees in the Avenue were due to be felled, many of them in good health. Eventually, after thousands of street trees were felled, STAG was successful in its city-wide campaign.

The Lime tree in mythology: There is a myth that it is impossible to tell a lie under a Lime tree, which probably derives from its long association as a symbol of justice. In Germanic culture the Lime, or Linden as it is known in Europe, is associated with justice and peace. In rural Germany verdicts for small misdemeanours were decided ‘sub tilia’- ‘under the lime tree’.

In many Eastern European countries the Lime tree is called the Holy Tree, and some villages in Poland are named Swieta Lipka, or Holy Lime. It is the national emblem of several countries, including the Czech Republic.

The Greeks referred to the Lime or Linden tree as a tree of virtue. At the end of her life Philemon, one of the pious couple Baucis and Philemon, was changed into a Lime tree and Baucis into an oak. The legend goes that the couple welcomed and fed Zeus and Hermes when they were disguised as travellers. For their kindness they were honoured by being changed into trees, twined together forever in death.

The Lime Tree in the arts:
Shakespeare also knew the Lime as the Line tree. In the Tempest:
Prospero asks “How fares the King and his followers?”
Ariel, the sprite replies “Confined together … all prisoner’s sir,
In the Line-grove which weatherfends your cell.
They cannot budge till your release”

The use of Lime wood, or Basswood as it is known in America, is referenced in the poem Hiawatha, by Longfellow, 1855:
“Sumptuous was the feast Nokomis
Made at Hiawatha’s wedding
All the bowls were made of basswood
White and polished very smooth”.
Hiawatha, on whom the poem is based and about whom there are many legends, was probably a real person, a member of the Native American Onondaga tribe, and thought to date from around the 1100’s.

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18/6/2023 1 Comment

An update from our 2023 May AGM

We moved our Groups AGM back to May time this year. In doing so, we want to update on all that has happened since November 2022, in addition to providing a space to illustrate our ongoing events and activities on Parkwood Springs.

Firstly, a range of activities and events have continued to be held on site, primarily our Forest Garden and Conservation sessions (look at our new steps!) and guided walks. The Dawn Chorus, fungi and wildflower walks continue to be very popular indeed! In October last year we were able to hold another spectacular Lantern Procession once more.

AGM update

On the 9th May, our AGM focused on three major areas of discussion: the development of the Places to Ride project, the restoration of the closed Landfill site and the potential redevelopment of the old Ski Village site.

We will explain those three areas outlined above in more detail and how we approached the challenges and benefits linked to the redevelopment of the site.

As you can see from the above photo, work on the new paths and cycle paths has started to take shape on Parkwood Springs. There will be more work to make the paths easier to walk on in the autumn.

In a past update we discussed the four packages of work as part of the Places to Ride scheme. Later on in the summer the next work package, the provision of toilets, a kiosk and storage units will begin construction. The Council is also beginning the process of appointing an operator for the kiosk.

As a result we expect some potential challenges around accessing parts of the main car park off Shirecliffe Road, but we will keep you updated on progress.

Landfill Restoration

As we all know, the Landfill has been closed for some years now. The restoration is moving forward, and we know that before long we’ll have access to a growing network of paths across it. But it’s moving forward quite slowly. It hasn’t been helped by the change in ownership from Viridor to a new company, Valencia. There have been issues about drainage with Yorkshire Water, and legal issues to do with land ownership, but we gather these are now being sorted out.

The good news is that everyone is committed to the public having access to that network of paths. Valencia want to make sure that people are safe using the site, and obviously we do too. Therefore there will be restrictions for some while yet. However we understand that Valencia are now trying to speed things up, and we hope that this will mean we can go to at least some new areas by the autumn.

The outstanding issue for us is about our wish to see a wetland area on the closed Landfill, for nature, biodiversity, and to be an attractive feature for people. We have been pressing for this for years. We thought that we had agreement from Viridor (the previous owners) and were pleased to see it in documents submitted to the Council for planning permission. When permission was granted, the wetland area was reflected in the planning conditions attached to it. However, what was dug out was a rectangular ‘tank’, with steep sides on three of the four sides (steep sides really limit its value for wildlife). The area can be glimpsed through the trees from the ‘Beacons’ Viewpoint (where the poles are).

We realised that what Valencia dug out meets the need to manage the drainage of surface water, but it was a long way away from what we wanted, and thought had been agreed. The committee has spent a lot of time pressing for improvement. Council officers have taken our comments and representations seriously, and we understand that there are on-going discussions with Valencia. It looks as though there will be some improvements achieved through planting of vegetation and some softening of the edges. However we fear that it will not be as good an outcome as if Valencia had taken the issue seriously earlier.

Ski Village redevelopment and Transport Options Study

The Council are continuing to try to bring in investment to redevelop the old ski village area, which they have called the ‘Opportunity Site’. The main obstacle to development is transport access, which is currently only available through the narrow bridge on Douglas Road. The Council’s consultants Mott MacDonald began a transport assessment last year which is looking at all aspects of access to the site, highways, public transport, walking and cycling. The output from this assessment will be a critical part of any future submission for funding from government.

The Friends group and other local groups have participated in the assessment, and we are continuing to monitor what is happening. The first phase of the study has been completed and we are waiting to see the report which will show what has been done, and what will be happening next. We understand that three highway options will be investigated with detailed costings and modelling of the effects on the wider transport network. These will be brought together with the public transport, walking and cycling options.

We will be looking in detail at the first phase report, and have urged the Council to continue involving other local stakeholders such as the Friends of Wardsend Cemetery, KINCA and the Upper Don Trail Trust.

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3/6/2023 0 Comments

Tree of the month: June 2023 - Walnut

Our young Walnut Tree in full leaf at the Forest Garden, Parkwood Springs

The Walnut is not a native tree. It was first introduced to Britain by the Romans, who valued it for its nuts. It is a fast-growing, hardy tree able to reach 35 metres in 60 years. When young the bark is smooth and deep olive/brown. As the tree ages the bark becomes fissured and gnarled. It takes around five years to start to bear nuts and from then the harvest will steadily increase.

The Walnut, is encased in a wrinkled shell, growing inside a thick husk. It ripens mid-autumn and naturally falls to the ground, where mice, squirrels and other mammals eat it. Squirrels often spread the tree when they fail to retrieve all their caches of food. Don’t pick the husk until it opens to reveal the shell.

The Wildlife Value of the Walnut Tree: It is not only the nuts that prove valuable to wildlife (they are eaten by Squirrels, Mice and other mammals)- the leaves are a food plant for moths, including many micro-moths. Around 1,850 species of our 2,500 moth species in the UK are micro-moths (having wing-spans less than 20mm). They are often hard to identify- there are whole books dedicated to these tiny moths. Moths are underrated in our ecosystems - they are invaluable pollinators for many cultivated crops and wild plants.

Human Uses of Walnuts: Walnut Trees carry both male and female flowers. The wind carries the very fine pollen from the male flowers (catkins) to fertilise the female flowers. The Walnuts that result are very good for our health, and thought to help lower cholesterol. They can be eaten raw, roasted, salted or pickled. The ground nutshells are used as an abrasive.

The Oil can be used to make salad dressings and the sap is edible and sweet to taste. The oil has also been used as a wood polish, as a basis for varnish, used to burn in lamps and used in soap, shampoos etc.

Herbal uses have involved much of the plant. The leaves and bark are used as an astringent and detergent. The leaves can also be used as a hair-dye, for acne and to treat other skin conditions.

In the past the bark been used as a purgative and the shell used to treat blood poisoning. Juice was extracted from the husk of the nut and used as a throat gargle, as well as yielding a dark yellow dye.

The Walnut does produce a noxious substance called ‘juglone’ that is released into the soil and can affect other plants nearby, so it is often planted a little away from other plants. This chemical, present in much of the plant also led to its use as an insecticide. Fishermen are said to have used the bruised branches to stun fish.

The deep green, glossy ‘pinnate’ leaves cast a dense shade, which also inhibits the growth of other plants under its boughs. When crushed, the leaves smell like polish. As it matures, the Walnut Tree makes a great specimen tree so they were widely planted in parks, the grounds of country houses and large gardens.

Walnut timber: In the late 17th Century English Oak was overtaken by Walnut as the most sought-after timber for high quality furniture. It has a complex and fine-grain pattern and is a very stable wood. Walnut furniture can be seen in many of our old Country Houses but the fashion shifted as two thirds of the mature Walnut trees in Northern Europe were killed by a severe winter in 1709. By 1720 the French banned the export of Walnut, which was gradually replaced by Mahogany from Central America. Our furnituremaking ‘Friends’ member Robert tells us that Walnut is one of his favourite woods- most used now is American Black Walnut. European Walnut has varied heart and sap, and is dried with steam to lessen these differences. Sunlight, unlike for other woods, tends to lighten Walnut wood.

Aesop’s Fable- The Walnut: ‘The Walnut Tree’ is one of Aesop’s Fables (620-564 BCE). A moral tale like many of these early fables, it expresses the idea of how cruelty and ingratitude can be shown towards those who do good- people gladly enjoy my fruits, it says, but they have a terrible way of showing their gratitude, throwing sticks and stones at me to bring down my walnuts. One translation recounts “O wretched me! That those whom I cheer with my fruit should repay me with these painful requitals!”

Legends associated with the Walnut:
- The botanical name for Walnut, Juglans, is linked to the Roman myth of the god Jupiter who was said to favour eating Walnuts when he lived on Earth.

- An early Sanskrit legend tells of young men kicking the tree to make it flower so the tradition of beating Walnut tree trunks to make them fruit is clearly widespread and long practised - “the more you beat them, the better they be”. There is no truth to this long-practice - it is a myth. Through the ‘doctrine of signatures’, where plants that have the appearance of a body-part or disease were thought to be beneficial for healing that which they resemble, the Walnut, looking like a miniature brain, was thought to be good for brain-health. While there has been no direct link made in research, the fact that Walnuts are high in antioxidants, ‘good’ fats, minerals and vitamins means they are still regarded as good for general health.

The famous American poet Mary Oliver wrote:
The Black Walnut Tree
“My mother and I debate we could sell the black walnut tree to the lumberman,
and pay off the mortgage….”
Two women trying in a difficult time to be wise.
She concludes to leave it as selling it would cause them shame “in the emptiness we’d made”

Random facts:
- Oxford University is trying to develop a Walnut Tree better suited to our climate.
- Turkey is a big walnut-producer but by far the biggest is California.

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