Love trees but don’t know what you’re looking at? Have trees in your garden but no idea what species they are? Well, to stop you barking up the wrong tree, here are some of the most common trees found in the UK that have been growing majestically here for 400 million years:

Common Lime

This is a distinctively tall, broad-leaved tree with bushy roots that protrude close to the ground. This is one of the trees most commonly found lining our streets and park areas. During the summer, they offer great shade and have pleasantly-scented flowers that bees love. The tree has broad, heart-shaped leaves.

English Oak

Otherwise known as the pedunculate oak due to its stalks or peduncles which bear the fruit or acorn. It is the most commonly found oak in the UK with a wide trunk, large, crooked branches and a vast crown. The female trees present flowering blooms on vertical stalks, while the males display hanging catkins.

Common Beech

Distinctive for its huge dome shape, it looks magnificent when it blooms bright-green in May. Due to the size of the canopy, only plants happy to live in the shade can grow under its shadow. In autumn is when this tree truly comes its own, when the leaves glow bright orange and then a deep red/brown colour. If you experience any problems with large trees on your property, contact a Dorset Tree Surgeon like Wimborne Tree Surgeon https://kieranboylandtreeservices.com/

Scots Pine

Scotland used to be covered by beautiful pine forests but sadly, only 50,000 acres of these trees can now be found. The Scots Pine can live for up to 700 years and grow to an impressive 115 feet tall. The needles of this evergreen have a blue-green tinge. The female flowers of this tree eventually become pine cones.

English Elm

Such a beautiful tree used to be linked to sadness and death, possibly due to the sudden falling of its branches with no warning. It was once a common sight but was badly destroyed by an outbreak of Dutch elm disease in the sixties. The leaves of the English elm have a round-tip and the flowers appear like tassels in late winter. On pollination, the tassels become fruits known as samaras that are then carried afar by the breeze.

Common Hazel

It was once thought that these trees held magical powers, living for up to 80 years and reaching heights of 40 feet. It grows yellow catkins before they shed and hairy leaves replace them. The small female flowers are red-tipped and mature into groups of up to four brown nuts in a spiky green case.

Field Maple

Surprisingly, Britain does have a native maple and the sap can be used to make delicious maple syrup. It can be found in hedgerows and is distinctive for its grouping of five, olive-coloured leaves, light flaky bark and thin twigs.