Native British Trees

[Kentish Man]

I'm trying to compile a list of Native British Trees. I have obtained the following list from one site, but it says that some of them are naturalised, rather than native. Can anyone tell me which ones are naturalised from the following please?

Alder (Alnus glutinosa)

Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

Aspen (Populus tremula)

Bay Willow (Salix pentandra)

Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Bird Cherry (Prunus padus)

Black Poplar (Populus nigra)

Box (Buxus sempervirens)

Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris)

Crack Willow (Salix fragilis)

Downy Birch (Betula pubescens)

English Elm (Ulmus procera)

Field Maple (Acer campestre)

Goat Willow (Salix caprea)

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Hornbeam (Carpinus betula)

Large-leaved Lime (Tilia platyphyllos)

Osier (Salix viminalis)

Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur)

Purple Willow (Salix purpurea)

Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)

Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)

Silver Birch (Betual pendula)

Small-leaved Lime (Tilia cordata)

Smooth-leaved Elm (Ulmus carpinifolia)

Whitebeam - common (Sorbus aria)

White Willow (Salix alba)

Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

Wild Pear (Pyrus pyraster)

Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalias)

Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra)

Yew (Taxus baccata)

Also, if I have missed any Native British Trees (i.e, not shrubs or other naturalised trees), I'd be most greatful in learning what they are.

Many thanks.

[greyman]

Hello Kentish Man,

Well - I have one but it may be contentious as to whether it is considered a tree! I thing the Spindle Tree (Euonymus europaeus) should be listed - some list it as tree, some as a tall shrub. I am probably very blessed as we have numerous examples of this wonderfully pretty and enchanting tree - it seems to like our wood very much and we are just starting to coppice some of the poorer stems to provide a variety of artist's drawing charcoal. The French call it Fusain I think. As far as I can see it is native right across europe. Of course I may well be very wrong and others here will put me right if I am....

Greyman

[MartinD]

Depends where you in Britain - where I am beech is considered as an interloper, with a natural range south of a line between Bristol and the Wash. I assume that Scots pine would be the same in reverse, and a few other species on this list are also 'native' to only certain regions of Britain.

[Kentish Man]

I hadn't quite realised what a can of worms my simple hope of compiling a list would open! I've read variously the names of shrubs as trees and trees as shrubs, some as naturalised and some as native. I hadn't realised that some are native to regions within the country either - although, I should have known better with Scots pine! I guess as with humans, there is no such thing as truly native (considering that trees migrate and have migrated with time too), so perhaps I should give up on my silly list - it was only for fun anyway!

[RichardKing]

Without consulting any books the obvious omission would be the True Service Tree Sorbus Domestica.

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I think some people have cast doubt on the origins of the "English Elm"

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Some claim that the Sycamore Maple Acer Pseudoplatanus? should now count as native as in France its range has now naturally extended northwards to Calais & seeds are probably blowing across in storms.

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If you use the original (Roman) meaning of the term "British" to include Ireland then you should include the Wild Strawberry Tree "Arbutus"

[RichardKing]

Have just spotted you have left out Hazel "Corylus".

Ignore people who claim that it is a bush.

I have got one about 30 foot tall with a 15 inch diameter trunk & have heard of much larger.

Largely grown as stunted bushes due to demand for rods.

[RichardKing]

A third species of Birch called "Dwarf Birch" grows in Scotland

[tracy]

and we were told at the swog meeting last week that the English Oak is very probably grown from French acorns as we English cut down all the oak for our ships....

lol. Great list Kentish man, keep it coming!

[Kentish Man]

Gasp! That sounds like pure propaganda - like the tall tale I heard once that the dastardly French invented fish 'n' chips!

[RichardKing]

I thought that Rackham had dispelled the myth that "English cut down all the oak for our ships" in the same breath as the story "that the Weald was destroyed to make charcoal for the iron industry".