TREES IN SPRING
In spring the deciduous trees
(trees that drop their leaves in
the winter) gradually and
beautifully come back to life.
The first signs will be the buds
from which come the leaves.
Some trees produce their leaves
and then their flowers. Some
produce flowers and leaves at the
same time and some have their
flowers (blossom) before the
leaves develop.
Take a spring walk around the
Park and Gardens and see what
signs of life you can see in the
trees.
OAK TREES
The leaves of an oak tree tend to
unfold in early May and at the
same time the catkins appear.
An oak tree makes a wonderful
home for many insects. The
caterpillars of many moths and
butterflies feed on young oak
leaves. Oak leaves do produce a
substance called tannin and this
becomes stronger in the leaf as
the seasons progress. By June
the leaves no longer taste good
for the butterflies and moths so
those who rely on the oak tree
tend to be active in the spring.
An oak tree in bud
BEECH TREES
Beech trees tend to produce
their flowers at the end of April
and the beginning of May along
with their leaves. The leaves on a
beech tree are covered with silky
hairs at first but once fully out
the leaves have no hairs. The
leaves are quite a bright green,
especially when they first come
out.
can be white or pink.
SYCAMORE TREES
The Sycamore tree produces
quite large, dark green leaves that
have 5 points. The flowers hang
in clusters and appear at the
same time as the leaves in April.
A budding beech tree
POPLAR TREES
Leaves unfurling from a Sycamore
Dangling catkins tend to appear
bud
in March and early April and the
leaves follow on quickly. The LIME TREES
leaves are mid-green (a light Lime trees produce heart shaped
greyish green).
leaves. These trees do not
produce flowers until the
summer, in June and July when
the flowers dangle in clusters
from the twigs.
Catkins and leaves from the
poplar tree
HORSE CHESTNUT TREES
The Horse Chestnut produces 57 leaves on the end of each stalk.
These leaves are large, oval and Lime buds
dark green and burst out from
dark brown sticky buds. The PLANE TREES
flowers are candle shaped and Plane trees produce leaves in the
distinctive shape you can see
below and these usually appear
in May. The flowers are
produced at the same time and
come in small round balls on
long stalks.
‘Sticky buds’ on a horse chestnut tree.
A Plane tree in bud