The Trees of Norsey Wood
The commonest of the large trees in Norsey Wood is almost certainly the
Sweet Chestnut.
There are many other large trees in the wood and these include
Oak(Pedunculate & Sessile),
Hornbeam,
Ash,
Larch,
Birch,
Sycamore,
Aspen,
Beech,
Crack Willow,
Goat Willow,
Holly,
Rowan,
Horse Chestnut, one
Crab Apple, one
Lime, one
Black Poplar
and two
Lombardy Poplars. Other smaller trees include
Elder,
Hawthorn,
Blackthorn,
Hazel,
Yew,
Alder Buckthorn,
Wild Cherry,
Wild Service,
Field Maple,
Guelder Rose,
Osier,
Wayfaring, and
Spindle tree.
Many of the trees have been photographed showing details such the bark, leaves, flowers and fruit. These can be seen along with more details of the species by following the appropriate links - in purple above.
Sweet Chestnut
- Castanea sativa
The Sweet Chestnut Tree is the dominant tree in many areas of Norsey Wood. It is not a native tree and was probably introduced from Italy by the Romans. It can grow up to 30m. It is regularly coppiced to produce small, straight poles used in hop-fields and for fencing. The wood has a natural preservative which makes it ideal for making garden furniture.
The bark is greyish-brown and often has spiral fissures. The long catkins have many yellowish male flowers in the upper part and female flowers grouped in threes towards the base. Ripe fruit are edible chestnuts.
More details are available in this PDF
Sessile
(Quercus petraea) & Pedunculate
(Quercus robur) Oaks
Hornbeam
(Carpinus betulus)
Hornbeams are handsome trees with a smooth, generally deeply fluted bark. In most trees a cross-section of the trunk is regular and almost circular. However, a cross-section of hornbeam has an irregular shape. Most of the hornbeams in Norsey Wood have been coppiced for a long time and one is possibly the oldest surviving tree in the wood.The fruits are very distinctive, each nut is half-enclosed by a three-lobed wing, which helps its distribution by wind. The nuts are longitudinally ribbed. Hornbeam leaves are alternate and oval in shape, 4- 10cm long, sharply pointed, rounded at the base with sharply double-toothed margins.
For more information see pdf.