What are your favourite tree species and why

[oldclaypaws]

Re Sweet Chestnut in Yorkshire Smojo, to quote from Scotty in Star Trek, "Ye canna defy the laws of physics!"

I suspect you're beyond the range of climate that SwC. will happily tolerate. Reality is it doesnt fruit well even in Southern England where its more common, better on the continent. In Yorkshire, it'll struggle. According to the following detailed SwC report, there are less than 50 hectares (nout) of SwC in Yorkshire. I think it get chewed by the Polar Bears. Surprising the difference that 3 or 4 degrees Centigrade makes to the flora, but if you drive from the South to North in a day in late winter / early spring, you do see a real visible change in the trees and general abundance of greenery. Bobby Robson once noted in frustration about the Newcastle United pitch, "grass can't grow up here !"

http://www.swog.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/627.pdf

[smojo]

Re Sweet Chestnut in Yorkshire Smojo, to quote from Scotty in Star Trek, "Ye canna defy the laws of physics!"

I suspect you're beyond the range of climate that SwC. will happily tolerate. Reality is it doesnt fruit well even in Southern England where its more common, better on the continent. In Yorkshire, it'll struggle. According to the following detailed SwC report, there are less than 50 hectares (nout) of SwC in Yorkshire. I think it get chewed by the Polar Bears. Surprising the difference that 3 or 4 degrees Centigrade makes to the flora, but if you drive from the South to North in a day in late winter / early spring, you do see a real visible change in the trees and general abundance of greenery. Bobby Robson once noted in frustration about the Newcastle United pitch, "grass can't grow up here !"

http://www.swog.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/627.pdf

Yeah, my foraging day yesterday bears that out. Rose who manages their wood told me she has had very poor results with it. And yes, the difference in areas is noticeable. Driving west from here near Leeds to Preston (similar latitude) I used to notice their trees were a couple of weeks ahead of us in spring. Probably they benefit a little from the gulf stream.

[The Barrowers]

big woody things with green tops in the summer

This was Dexter replying to me a while ago

Yes my favourite are as above

[Meadowcopse]

No particular favourite and a slightly unfair question - should I answer in the context of a specimen tree for its form or uses, or as a forest tree(s) and its (their) place in a wider woodland context / setting / habitat?

As an interest, I have a couple of young black poplar specimens, left with a bit of space around them as a feature and at least one will be pollarded.
I have a line of whitebeam type Sorbus tree varieties and then an orchard of mixed fruit trees.
As well as conventional and heritage Malus domestica apples, I have specimens of Malus sylvestris, Malus pumilla niedzwetzkyana and Malus sieversii - the latter is believed to be the progenitor of the modern domestic apple and grows as an entire forest community habitat in its native Tian Shan Mountains...
http://steppemagazine.com/articles/sweet-pilgrimage-two-british-apple-growers-in-the-tian-shan/

[SitkaSpruce]

This is so difficult
love birch- got huge one at home and lots in the wood, oak- splendid long lived trees, willows - grow like mad, good for wildlife, like my mature larch- deciduous- give nice open wood, beech - wonderful bark- lovely green canopy, scots pine - great form, good for red squirrels, rowan coppices and has berries for wildlife
probably would go for rowan.