[robp]

Originally Posted by Wild Bill

Speak for only yerself Kemosabe

A cultish fetish is still a cultist fetish no matter how large the cult. "Native" is a daft, destructive, deranged, doomed and dangerous construct once extended beyond any plant or animal born in a location.

As I said - nearly any plant "native" to Britain is as fit to be considered part of similar natural local ecosystems here as any that crossed the land-bridge in the brief period of it's existence.

(and many beyond Britain, natch, though not necessarily including the Jap bindweed)

Anyway, this native butterfly babe magnet, the Buddie Bush, is bursting out all over.

The Sycamore generally isn't even considered species in Britain. of course its useful sometimes for forestry but its one of the top weeds faced by those restoring natural Irish and British broadleaf. If the Irish landbridge with Europe lasted longer other new species probable would have got here long before sycamore like the suckering elms or lime trees.

Scientists are still identifying highly specialised invertebrates in Ireland specific to certain native trees, even in 2012. I wouldn't underestimate the level of adaptation here.

[Wild Bill]

Originally Posted by Oldtree

its laurel, divel to control.

A case for a good old Sitka spruce canopy ?

[Wild Bill]

Originally Posted by robp

The Sycamore generally isn't even considered species in Britain. of course its useful sometimes for forestry but its one of the top weeds faced by those restoring natural Irish and British broadleaf. If the Irish landbridge with Europe lasted longer other new species probable would have got here long before sycamore like the suckering elms or lime trees.

Scientists are still identifying highly specialised invertebrates in Ireland specific to certain native trees, even in 2012. I wouldn't underestimate the level of adaptation here.

Since Oldtree here got me examining the forest floor of my dry brown earth woodland I notice a profuse regeneration of holly and ash and cherry; much fewer sycamore make it out of the ground ivy...but; those that do come into leaf months earlier than the 'natives', taking full advantage of the bare trees above. They are already (along with some beech) forming a second canopy while the 'natives' sit and wait to be totally shaded out!

Don't really care as I like sycamore and beech but I hate that laurel.

[Oldtree]

Good man bill, didnt know you had it in you. laurel is poisionous to.

Due to popular demand ie pressure from wild bill hickcock, ive gone into my garden with a camera and the attached are bursting their buds at the moment:

[Oldtree]

more:

[Oldtree]

and still more:

[Oldtree]

And now just for you Bill, a pop quiz! What is the attached grown by my own fair hand???

its a native by way of being born here and flowers every 2nd year....

[Wild Bill]

I reckon it's a flower

Your alder is more advanced than mine are; and I don't have any elm, redwood or willow.

I do however have some yews (no flush), larch (first flush), a single ginkgo biloba (no buds yet), Spanish chestnut (still dormant); Scots pines (ditto) and...lots of stuff - including, it seems, laurel

Must get the camera working again

[Oldtree]

47 different trees is the target to beat bill, will do out a list just 4 yew
sadly my ginko and a couple of others just didnt make it here, a bit to exposed I think. My new zealand tree fern clung on for years then up sticks the winter before last.

It is the flowering head of a pineapple. Rooted the top off a bought pineapple and grew a bit year one, south facing window, then you get the flower out the top year two and by xmas there will be a half sized very sweet golden pineapple there. This is the the 4th year as I have cut the top off my own pineapple and rerooted it.

[Wild Bill]

Excluding ornamentals and varieties:

Scots pine, LP, larch, ceder, cypress, Sp chestnut, H Chestnut, beech, birch, sycamore, common cherry, pink cherry, eucalyptus, yew, holly, ginkgo, poplar, leylandii (how could I forget that!), hazel, elder, alder, oak, ash, field maple, apple, peach, pear, plum...may be one or two I forgot, two maples I can't name.....total.... max 35?

OK - I concede defeat

[Oldtree]

I have run out of appropiate space so you may yet get ahead.

No lleylandii here as I have taken too many of them down and quite loath them. However I have a small zebrina hedge that is slow growing and has a wonderful pineapple smell when brushed against in the summer, yum yum. Its golden look is suppost to be seen at its best in the irish winter sun.

Alder, italian alder, ash, blackthorn, oak, goat willow, 8 different apples, hawthorn, red hawthorn, prostrate yew, silver birch, jackmontii birch, downey birch, Zebrina, purple and green beech, dawyck beech, spindle, goat willow, kilmarnock willow, purple and yellow willow, other self seeded mayo willow from murrisk, 2 self seeded willow, 3 poplar, sweet chestnut, horse chestnut, bird cherry, plena cherry, cedrus deodar, korean fir, elm, mountain ash, bhutan pine, scots pine, holly, sycamore, red wood,

and my favorite ornamental but not doing so well in a pot here;

Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Inaba-shidare'

[Wild Bill]

Ah - forgot mountain ash; got that - it struggles to survive in the wee woodland though. And apples x 8 - cheatin'

I've varieties of maple, apple, plum - even poplars.

So..I challenge you :

How many self seeding trees have you got springing up?

Here we have: - holly, ash, cherry, hazel, sycamore , yew and...and.......and.............a conifer I cannot identify

[Wild Bill]

Originally Posted by Oldtree

I have run out of appropriate space so you may yet get ahead.

Ditto.

So now I'm moving into inappropriate space (according to the neighbours )

[Oldtree]

Forgot evergreen oak and another poplar, and that is just in my garden (half acre minus house and driveway). Thats 49. I have a whole woodland (semi natural and ancient woodland) of self seeded. My garden was a flat wasteland when I arrived 11 years ago.

[Wild Bill]

Here's a picture to gladden yer heart Oldtree!



(They make great seats for some arboreal contemplation)