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Small Native Trees

Our trees were planted over the winters of 2019 and 2020, after clearance of large areas of
invasive brambles, during visits by Sycamore class of St.Marybourne Primary School. They were
variously donated by Wessex Woodland Management, the School via The Woodland Trust or
bought with funds raised by the Sustainable Bourne Valley Group. They were chosen for their value
to wildlife. The dormant seeds in this cleared area are enthusiastically enjoying their new freedom,
but are mostly very invasive such as old mans beard, bindweed, cleavers, mugwort and dock and
need to be controlled. Nettles are being controlled at the moment. They do have wildlife benefits,
but are common and we want children to be able to explore this area safely. We hope to establish
more beneficial plants eventually. Look out for the wooden labels made by Nik Cross in the long
grass and see below for each trees wildlife value.

Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) 7-9 metres all thrush types of bird like the fruit and also mice, badgers
and voles. Bees love the early blossom.


Walnut (Juglans regia) 35 metres Good for lots of micromoths and nuts are eaten by mice, rooks and
squirrels. Self fertile.


Hazel (Corylus avelana) are strong growing trees which are often coppiced as ours probably will be.
Coppicing makes good cover for ground nesting birds such as nightingales. The catkins are a
precious source of pollen for bees and the nuts are eaten by many animals especially dormice.
Nuthatches feed on the nuts in winter and they will hide surplus hazlenuts in gaps in tree bark for
later. The habit of hacking at these nuts to retrieve them is thought to have earned the species their
name.


Hawthorn (Cratageus monogyna) 15 metres shield bugs and yellow hammers like the berries which
are very rich so good for birds about to migrate. Hawthorns can sustain 300 species of insect.
Flowers are eaten by dormice.


Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) 8-15 metres are quite spindly so don't take up much of the light. The
leaves are eaten by several moths, the flowers are very good for pollinators and the fruit eaten by all
thrush type birds.
 

Female Holly (Ilex aquifolium) very slow growing to 15 metres Only has berries and flowers if a
male tree is nearby. The berries are good for thrush type birds and the leaves provide shelter as well
as food for holly blue butterfly caterpillars. It's deep dry leaf litter is good for toads, hedgehogs and
small mammals in winter.


Guelder Rose (Viburnham opulus) 4 metres. It has white flowers loved by hoverflies and red berries
loved by mistle thrush and bullfinches.


Juniper (Juniperus communis) 5 metres is good for wildlife as well as gin, small but it forms a
bush. Loves dry chalk slopes. Fruit eaten by thrush types and several moths feed on it.Also now a
rare species in the wild.


Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) 6-7 metres has precious early nectar and can make good thickets for
nesting. Its foliage is a food plant for the caterpillars of many moths, including the lackey, magpie,
swallow-tailed and yellow-tailed. It is also used by the black and brown hairstreak butterflies. It's
early flowers are a valuable source of nectar and pollen for bees in spring.


Dog Rose (Rosa canina) 5 metres flowers have summer nectar for pollinators. Hips are eaten by small
mammals such as bank voles. Leaves are a food plant for several moth and butterfly caterpillars and
the leaf cutter bee uses circles cut out of the leaves to make a door for their overwintering eggs.


Spindle (Euonymus europa) 6 metres.The leaves are eaten by caterpillars of moths, including the
magpie, spindle ermine and scorched, as well as the holly blue butterfly. The leaves also attract
aphids and their predators, including hoverflies, ladybirds and lacewings, as well as the house
sparrow and other species of bird.The bright orange berries in pink pods provide food for all kinds
of creatures, including mice, birds and even foxes.


Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) 15 metres The leaves are white underneath and are food for several moth

caterpillars and the bright red fruit are called pomes and are greedily eaten by birds.
Silver Birch betula pendula 30 metres but not severely light excluding. It is one of the most
valuable trees for wildlife supporting 230 species of insect including buff tip moths and sawflies.
The leaves attract aphids which then attract ladybirds. The catkins are eaten by shieldbugs and the
seeds by siskins, greenfinches and redpolls. Many caterpillars eat the leaves and several funghi like
to live under birches.