Magical Tree Trail! - The Ecology Centre · Magical Tree Trail! Let's adventure through the trees...
Transcript of Magical Tree Trail! - The Ecology Centre · Magical Tree Trail! Let's adventure through the trees...
Magical Tree Trail!
Let's adventure through the trees and learn
about their mysterious folklore and magical
uses!
Scots Pine
My needles
are bluish-
green
My bark is
orangey and
splits into small
‘plates’ when I
am older
I have small pine
cones which are
green when they
first come out, and
then turn to brown
Ecological Facts:
-Scots Pine is the most widely distributed conifer in the world
-If you look closely at my bark you may see my platelets which
make me look like a jigsaw puzzle! These pieces of my bark are
very important as they provide habitat and hiding places for lots of
different creatures such as spiders and insects, as well as mosses and
lichens!
-Imagine that a tiny Scots Pine seed, no bigger than your finger nail
and weighing about the same as a flea, is able to produce a majestic
old granny pine many million times heavier! Magic!
Folklore Facts and Uses:
-In the Highlands the Scots Pine tree was often used as a marker of a
burial site of warriors, heroes and chieftains.
-The resin and needles can be used to help with breathing problems
and has antiseptic properties.
Elder
My leaves
have jaggy
edges, so
they are not
smooth
My bark is very
ridged and the
thickness of my
trunk is usually
quite small
My buds are
purplish in colour
and grow on the
end of a stem
Ecological Facts:
-The Elder tree produces clumps of white sweet-smelling flowers in
Summer, which then change to form small, purplish-black
elderberries in Autumn.
- All parts of the plant (except for the flowers and ripe berries) are
poisonous if eaten.
Folklore Facts and Uses:
-One of the superstitions surrounding Elder was that if the wood of
Elder was burnt the Devil was said to appear!
-The elderflowers can be used to make cordial and champagne,
whilst the berries can be made into jams, jellies and syrups.
- The leaves have a fairly pungent smell (give them a whiff!) and
were once used to deter flies from livestock.
Willow
My leaves
are long and
thin, often
with jaggy
edges
My bark is
ridged when I am
older
My buds are
green in colour
and they only
have one scale to
protect the leaves
inside.
Ecological Facts:
-The Willow tree has very strong roots which spread widely and are
very good at findingwater.
-Willow leaves are eaten by the larvae of moths and butterflies, as
well as lots of different species of aphid. Ants will often be found
roaming on the trees, in search of the sticky honeydew food that
aphids produce.
Folklore Facts and Uses:
-180 years ago, scientists discovered that there was a special
chemical in the bark of Willow trees which could be used to treat
pain. This led to the development of aspirin!
-Since the branches of Willow trees are so bendy, they are perfect to
be used for creative crafts such as weaving baskets and making
fences. Willow trees have also been planted in school playground to
create living dens and tunnels!
Birch
My leaves are
almost triangular
in shape and
have very jaggy
edges.
My bark is white.
Look out for my
breathing pores,
which are the
horizontal lines on
my trunk. They help
me to breathe!
My buds are
green with a tinge
of red. Some of
my twigs have
little white spots
on them if you
look closer!
Ecological Facts:
- Birch trees form a special relationship with the red and white
mushroom called fly agaric, so can keep an eye out in Autumn and
you might see some nearby! Be careful though – they are poisonous
mushrooms!
-These trees are very important to ecosystems as they are often the
first trees to inhabit a new area and have deep roots which can reach
down into the earth to bring nutrients up to the surface when the tree
dies.
Folklore Facts and Uses:
-In Celtic mythology the Birch tree was a symbol of purification and
renewal.
-The sap of the Birch tree can be ‘tapped’ and extracted from the tree
in Spring. It can then be fermented and used to make cordial or
syrup.
Rowan
My leaf stem is made
up of many smaller
jaggy leaflets which
are opposite each
other, and with one
leaf at the end.
My greyish-brown
bark is smooth and
shiny when wet. I
also have breathing
pores like the Birch
trees!
My buds are purplish
in colour and have a
grey fur. They grow
on the end of my
stem and they also
look like they have
scales!
Ecological Facts:
-The strong sweet scent of the white flowers of the Rowan tree
attracts many pollinators such as bees, flies and beetles!
- The Rowan tree depends on birds to spread its seed as they eat the
Rowan berries and then carry the seed in their droppings, so it can
often be found growing in unusual places such as in the forks of
other trees!
Folklore Facts and Uses:
-The Rowan tree was known as a tree which protects against
witchcraft and enchantments. People would plant a rowan tree at the
entrance to their land for protection.
-The bark and berries were used by Druids to dye their clothing
black.
Beech
My leaves are oval
in shape and have a
wavy edge. They
have hairs on them
when they are
young, but these
are lost as they get
older.
My bark is very
smooth and grey.
I often have
crease marks or
wrinkles where
my branches join
the main trunk.
My buds are
orangey- brown
and narrow. They
are long and have
distinct scales on
them which have
a criss-cross
pattern.
Ecological Facts:
-The Beech tree has a very dense canopy of leaves, which means that
not much light can get to the forest floor, so not many other plants
can grow beneath a Beech tree.
Folklore Facts and Uses:
-The nuts of a Beech tree can be used to make a drink that tastes like
coffee!
-In Celtic tree mythology, it is known as the 'tree of wishes'. A fallen
beech branch was known as an invitation from the wishing fairies.
People would write on the branch and push the stick into the earth
where the wish would be taken to the underworld for the Fairy
Queen to consider.
Oak
My leaves are
lobed and
grow quite big.
My bark is ridged
and grey. There are
often lots of
lichens growing on
my trunk.
My buds are rusty
brown occur in
clusters with
many buds
together. My buds
have overlapping
scales.
Ecological Facts:
-In the UK, the Oak tree provides a habitat for more organisms than
any other tree!
- One particular fungus called Oak Mazegill (pictured below) grows
on dead oak stumps and branches and is the only home for the Rove
Beetle (pictured below)
Oak Mazegill Rove Beetle
Folklore Facts and Uses:
-The Great Oak is known as the ‘King of Trees’ because of its
extraordinary height and huge size.
-Of all the trees in the woodlands in the UK, the Oak tree is the one
that most attracts lightening!
Holly
My leaves have
spiky edges and are
shiny in the light.
They are dark
green on top, but
paler underneath.
They are visible all
year round.
My bark is stripy
green and grey
when I am
young, but
becomes grey
and ridged when
I am older.
My buds are dark
red in colour
Ecological Facts:
-The Holly tree does not form many special relationships with fungi,
although there is one, called the Holly Parachute fungus, which
grows on dead holly leaves – helping to break down the tough
leaves. If you look closely at the picture below you will see tiny hairs
on the top of the fungus!
Folklore Facts and Uses:
-The spines on the holly leaves can act as miniature lightning
conductors, so they can protect the tree and other objects nearby.
Sycamore
My leaves are
large (about the
size of an adults
hand!) and have
five lobes. They
feel quite like
leather.
My bark is smooth
and grey when I am
young, but becomes
rougher as I get
older, n splits into
‘plates’.
My big buds are
opposite each other and
occur together in
clusters. They look a
lot like snake skin!
Ecological Facts:
- One Sycamore tree can be home to 2.25 million aphids! (pictured
below)
Folklore Facts and Uses:
- The seeds of the Sycamore tree are often called 'Helicopters', as
they have two wings that help them to spin around in the air – just
like a Helicopter! Their shape helps them to fly in the air.