Fagus sylvatica (Beech)

LOCATION: BOGGART HOLE CLOUGH, MANCHESTER

BEECH IS A VERY LARGE DECIDUOUS TREE, REACHING UP TO 35 METRES. THE TREE BARK IS SMOOTH AND LIGHT GREY. I WAS LUCKY TO FIND BEECH FRUITS THIS TIME OF YEAR AS THEY ARE MOSTLY EATEN BY SQUIRRELS. THE FRUIT IS A SMALL, SHARPLY THREE-ANGLED NUT. THE LEAVES ARE 5-15CM LONG, GREEN, ROUNDED, WITH SLIGHTLY SHINY SURFACE. ON THE AUTUMN THE LEAVES TURN YELLOW AND RED, AS SHOWN ON THE PHOTOGRAPHS, HOWEVER THEY OFTEN STAY ON THE TREE TILL LATE SPRING. THE TREE LOOKED LIKE IT HAD ENOUGH SPACE TO LIVE AND THE ROOTS SPREAD AROUND THE TRUNK QUITE WIDELY.

 

Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn)

LOCATION: BOGGART HOLE CLOUGH, MANCHESTER 

HAWTHORN IS CLASSIFIED AS A SHRUB OR A SMALL TREE, CHARACTERISED BY ITS STRONG THORNS WHICH GROW ALONG EACH BRANCH AND ALSO VERY DISTINCT RED BERRIES WHICH APPEAR IN THE SPRING. IT HAS A VERY DENSE CROWN. THIS PLANT HAS LOST ALMOST ALL OF ITS LEAVES AND FRUITS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE LEAVES CAN BE RECOGNISED BY IT'S SMALL SHAPE AS THEY ONLY REACH UP TO 2-4CM, THEY ARE OBOVATE AND DEEPLY LOBED. THE SURFACE OF THE LEAF IS MUCH DARKER THAN ON THE UNDERNEATH.

 

TREE BARK IS DULL BROWN AND MOSTLY HAS VERTICAL ORANGE CRACKS. FROM WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED, THIS PLANT LIVES IN A NATURAL ENVIRONMENT BUT IS SQUEEZED BETWEEN MUCH TALLER AND BIGGER TREES AROUND IT, HOWEVER IT STILL MANAGES TO SURVIVE.

Urtica dioica (perennial stinging nettle)

LOCATION: BOGGART HOLE CLOUGH, MANCHESTER

THE LEAVES OF STINGING NETTLE ARE QUITE LONG AND SOFT, THEY HAVE STRONGLY SERRATED MARGIN, A CORDATE BASE AND A ACUMINATE TIP. THE STEM IS GREEN AND WIRY. FROM MY OBSERVATIONS I NOTED THAT BOTH THE LEAVES AND THE STEM ARE HAIRY, THEY ARE USUALLY THE STINGING HAIRS WHICH COME OFF WHEN TOUCHED, TRANSFORMING THE HAIR INTO A NEEDLE WITH VARIOUS CHEMICALS AND THEN CAUSING PAIN.

I FOUND THIS SPECIES NEAR THE WETLANDS. IT ALSO HAS SMALL, LONG, HANGING GREEN FLOWERS WHICH INDICATE THAT THE PLANT IS FEMALE AS PURPLE FLOWERS GROW ONLY ON MALE SPECIES. THIS SPECIFIC PLANT WAS FIRMLY EATEN BY INSECTS, OR PROBABLY SNAILS.

Sorbus aucuparia (Mountain ash)

LOCATION: BOGGART HOLE CLOUGH, MANCHESTER

Chamerion angustifolium (Rosebay willowherb)

LOCATION: BOGGART HOLE CLOUGH, MANCHESTER

THE PLANT IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS A ROSEBAY WILLOWHERB AND IT IS SOMETIMES CLASSIFIED AS A WEED BECAUSE IT IS A GOOD COLONISER. I FOUND IT IN THE WETLAND AREA IN ONE OF THE PARKS. FROM MY OBSERVATIONS IT SEEMS LIKE THEY GROW IN GROUPS. ROSEBAY WILLOWHERB IS FAVOURED BY CONDITIONS AFTER WOODLAND CLEARANCE AND BURNED AREAS THEREFORE THE OTHER COMMON NAMES FOR THIS PLANTS ARE 'BOMBWEED' AND 'FIREWEED'. 

ROSEBAY WILLOWHERD CONSISTS OF A LONG STEM, NARROW LEAVES AND THEIR UNIQUE VEIN STRUCTURE AND FLOWERS - PINK IN SUMMER AND TURNING INTO FLUFFY WHITE SEED HEADS IN AUTUMN AS SEEN ON THE PHOTOGRAPHS. THE SEEDS HAVE SILKY HAIRS AN ARE VERY EASILY SPREAD BY THE WIND, IT GROWS IN THE OPEN SPACES WHERE IT'S WINDY AND THE SEED CAN REACH THE FULLEST SPEED. 

 

Sambucus nigra (Elder)

LOCATION: BOGGART HOLE CLOUGH, MANCHESTER

Platanus x hispanica (London Plane)

LOCATION: ALL SAINTS PARK, MANCHESTER

PLATANUS X HISPANICA IS KNOWN FOR ITS TOLERANCE FOR POLLUTION WHICH IS WHY IT USED TO BE PLANTED ON THE STREETS OF LONDON SINCE 1660's. 

FROM MY OBSERVATIONS, COMMONLY KNOWN LONDON PLANE, HAS LARGE PALMATE, LOBED LEAVES, WHICH ARE SLIGHTLY SHINY ON THE SURFACE. THE TREE IS USUALLY RECOGNISED FROM ITS ROUNDED FRUITS HANGING FROM BRANCHES MOST OF THE YEAR. LONDON PLATES ARE QUITE HIGH TREES AS THEY REACH OVER 20 METERS.

PLATANUS COMES FROM THE GREEK AND MEANS 'PLANE TREE', WHEREAS 'X' INDICATES THAT THE TREE IS A HYBRID, A CROSS-BREEDING OF TWO GENERES. LONDON PLANE IS THE TYPE OF TREE THAT PREFERS SOIL TO BE MOIST AND LOAMY, HOWEVER, ALL SAINTS PARK DOES NOT OFFER THAT KIND OF CONDITIONS. THE SOIL LOOKED HARDENED, PROBABLY FROM THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE PASSING IT EVERYDAY. I HAVE ALSO OBSERVED THAT THE TREE COEXISTS WITH THE IVY CLIMBING FROM THE GROUND. LONDON PLANES USUALLY REACH UP TO 8 METERS WIDE, IN THIS CASE IS RESULTED IN OTHER TREES TO SUFFER FROM LITTLE AMOUNT OF LIGHT AS THE BRANCHES ARE DISTRIBUTED DENSELY.

Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut)

LOCATION: PLATT FIELDS PARK, MANCHESTER

HORSE CHESTNUT IS A COMMON NAME FOR A LARGE DECIDUOUS TREE, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM. THE ONE I HAVE FOCUSED ON GROWS IN PLATT FIELDS  PARK WHERE I HAVE OBSERVED THE TYPE OF SOIL, HEALTH OF THE TREE AND GENERAL FEATURES. HORSE CHESTNUTS HAVE COMPOUND LEAVES WITH 5-7 LEAFLETS; THEY ARE VERY EASY TO RECOGNISE. HORSE CHESTNUT BELONGS TO A VERY TALL TREES AS IT REACHES UP TO 37 METERS AS THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH ON THE RIGHT SHOWS.

THIS PARTICULAR TREE HAD A DISEASE CALLED BLEEDING CONKER WHICH IS VERY POPULAR AMONG THAT SPECIES. THE DISEASE CAUSES THE BARK TO CRACK, RELEASING RESIN, WHICH CAN HAVE FATAL CONSEQUENCES FOR THE TREE. THIS CONKER'S SOIL LOOKED RELATIVELY HEALTHY, USUALLY THE GROUND IS QUITE BEATEN BY PEOPLE WALKING BY AND IS ALMOST LIKE A CONCRETE BUT HERE IT WAS OVERGROWN BY THE GRASS.

FROM MY OBSERVATIONS THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF CONKERS UNDER THE TREE WHICH CAN MEAN EITHER THAT THE TREE IS VERY ILL, BUT THAT USUALLY FOLLOWS THE LACK OF LEAVES, OR IT ALREADY LOST MOST OF THEM. CONKERS HAVE A FUNCTION OF PROTECTING THE SEED INSIDE AND AS IT COMES TO ITS MATURITY, THE SHELL BREAKS. YOUNG SEEDS ARE VERY SOFT AND WHITE, WHEREAS AS THEY GROW, THEY BECOME DARK BROWN WITH A BRIGHT SPOT. THE PHOTOGRAPH ON TH BOTTOM LEFT SHOWS HORSE CHESTNUT BUDS. THEY HAVE QUITE DARK COLOUR AND GROW RIGHT NEXT TO THE STEM OF A LEAF.

THE NAME HORSE CHESTNUT ORIGINATES FROM THE BELIEF THAT EATING THE FRUIT CURED HORSES OF CHEST COMPLAINS, DESPITE THAT, THE PLANT WAS POISONOUS TO HORSES.