Trees

ASH (Fraxinus excelsior) European
The Ash (Fraxinus) is often called the "Queen" of the woodland. In summer the leaves are split up into leaflets on a central stem and in winter the sturdy ash-brown twigs with soot-brown buds are very obvious.
The trunk and heavy branches usually grow straight and are deeply grooved and the bark is rough grey in colour. Older trees can reach a height of 100 feet and the wood is considered good to burn (what a waste), "hence the old adage Ash dry or Ash green makes a fire fit for a queen".
More constructively the timber is used for chairs, wheels, tool handles, oars, fence rails.
April or May sees the flowers in bloom before the formation of the leaves grouped into little bunches at the end of the twigs, they do not have petals or sepals, but consist of stamens and seed vessels only. The Ash does not usually bear fruit until it is about 40 years old.
In the UK the Ash usually comes into leaf after the Oak, but sometimes it is the other way round which gives rise to the old country saying "The Ash before the Oak were going to have a soak, the Oak before the Ash were going to have a splash".

OAK (Quercus) The Oak is easily regognised by its serrated leaf shape and acorn fruits the bark is rugged and the tree lives to a great age of 1000 years or more. In Roman times a crown of Oak leaves was presented to any one who saved the life of a Roman citizen. The timber has been used where strength and hardness is important hence its extensive use through the ages for Ship building and House Frames, and it is still valued as material for furniture. Bark from the Oak has been used for Tanning and Dying. After about 50 to 60 years the tree bears its fruit the well known acorn and is felled for timber between 150 and 200 yrs. The leaves open out in April May (UK) and the catkin flowers follow, the male flowers hang whilst the female flowers are upright on the same tree and are pollinated by the wind. During the summer the acorns mature and fall to the ground in the Autumn. There are several types as follows PEDUNCULATA this is the common Oak the acorns have long stalks and the leaves short stalks. SESSILIFLORA which grows more on hills and has long leave stalks and short acorns. DURMAST which has a downy leave. and TURKEY which has tufted or shaggy acorns and stalkless leaves.
ELM (Ulmus) The elm used to be one of the tallest trees in the UK often growing to 120 feet, but since the period Dutch Elm disease it is rare now to find a mature specimen, the branches are uneven on the trunk. The wood has been used in the past for wagon wheel hubs and ships parts. The tiny buds are bright green and the leaves are rough to the touch and often unequal. The small tufts of red brown flowers appear in February/March and pollination is by the wind, the fruit is winged and ripens in June. WYCH ELM (Ulmus glabra) This is a very similar tree to the Common Elm above but has a rounder more even growth. The leaves are larger.

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