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List of trees of Great Britain and Ireland facts for kids

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Many lists of trees of Great Britain and Ireland have been written. There are a number of issues surrounding the inclusion of a species in such a list. As can be seen from the outline of debate below, there is no 'correct' list of trees of Britain and Ireland.

Rowan tree 20081002b
Rowan tree in Wicklow, Ireland

Issues of debate

Definition of species

There are a number of different opinions regarding the validity of some species, notably apomictic microspecies and whether some 'species' may actually be hybrids. In particular, the number and definition of species in the genera Sorbus (rowans, whitebeams etc.), Ulmus (elms) and Salix (willows) are open to debate.

Definition of native

Native species are considered to be species which are today present in the region in question, and have been continuously present in that region since a certain period of time. When applied to Britain and Ireland, three possible definitions of this time constraint are:

  • a species that colonised these islands during the retreat of ice at the end of the last ice age
  • a species that was present in these islands when the English Channel was created and the land bridge between Britain and continental Europe was flooded
  • a species that has colonised without human assistance; in some cases this is uncertain.

The only endemic tree species in Britain and Ireland (that is, that are native only to this region) are some apomictic whitebeams.

Species that were native in the region in prehistory before the last ice age, but not subsequently, are generally regarded as extinct and no longer native.

Many additional species have been imported by humans; the total list of all introduced trees numbers several thousand. A far smaller number of these have become widely naturalised, spreading by their own accord without recourse to further human assistance.

Definition of tree

A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant with secondary branches supported by a primary stem (compare with shrub). There is no set definition regarding minimum size, though most authors cite a tree species as being one which regularly reaches 6 m (20 ft) tall (see also tree).

List of species

Alnus glutinosa 011
Alnus glutinosa
Malus sylvestris 005
Malus sylvestris
Fraxinus excelsior tree
Fraxinus excelsior

Native trees

  • Alders
    • Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
  • Apples
  • Ashes
  • Beeches
    • European Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
  • Birches
    • Silver Birch (Betula pendula)
    • Downy Birch (Betula pubescens)
  • Box
    • Box (Buxus sempervirens)
  • Cherries and Plums
  • Elms
    • Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra)
    • Field Elm (Ulmus minor; extremely variable aggregate with many varieties)
  • Hawthorns
    • Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
    • Midland Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata; southern Great Britain only)
    • Crataegus × media - occurs as a natural hybrid wherever monogyna and laevigata overlap.
  • Hazels
    • Common Hazel (Corylus avellana)
  • Hollies
    • European Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
  • Hornbeams
    • European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus; southern Great Britain only)
  • Junipers
  • Lindens (Limes)
  • Maples
    • Field Maple (Acer campestre)
  • Oaks
    • Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur)
    • Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)
  • Pines
    • Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
  • Poplars
    • Aspen (Populus tremula)
    • Black Poplar (Populus nigra; southern Great Britain only)
  • Rowans and Whitebeams
    • European Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
    • Common Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) and several related apomictic microspecies
    • Service Tree (Sorbus domestica; recently discovered growing wild on a cliff in south Wales)
    • Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis)
  • Strawberry Tree
  • Willows (Salix spp.; several species)
    • Bay Willow (Salix pentandra)
    • Grey Willow (Salix cinerea)
    • Goat Willow (Salix caprea)
    • Purple Willow (Salix purpurea)
  • Yews

Native large shrubs

These larger shrubs occasionally reach tree size:

  • Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus)
  • Purging Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
  • Elder (Sambucus nigra)
  • Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)
  • Rock Whitebeam (Sorbus rupicola)
  • (Common) Sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)
  • Spindle (Euonymus europaeus)
  • Eared Willow (Salix aurita)
  • Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus)
  • Wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana)
  • Common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare)

Naturalised trees

  • From Europe
    • Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster; rarely)
    • European Black Pine (Pinus nigra; rarely)
    • Norway Spruce (Picea abies; rarely)
    • European Larch (Larix decidua)
    • European Pear (Pyrus communis; sometimes regarded as native)
    • Plymouth Pear (Pyrus cordata; sometimes regarded as native)
    • Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera)
    • Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
    • Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)
    • Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa; a Roman introduction)
    • Swedish Whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia)
    • Holm Oak (Quercus ilex)
    • Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris)
    • Common Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
    • English Elm (Ulmus procera; a Roman introduction)
    • Osier (Salix viminalis)
    • Crack Willow (Salix fragilis)
    • White Willow (Salix alba)
    • Almond-leaved Willow (Salix triandra)
  • From Asia
    • Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi)
  • From North America
    • Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta)
    • Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)
    • Black Spruce (Picea mariana; rarely)
    • Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
    • Grand Fir (Abies grandis)
    • Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
    • Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata)
    • Lawson's Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
    • Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa; rarely)
  • From Oceania

Endemic species

An endemic species is a plant only native to a certain area. Outside this area, unless spread naturally it is considered non-native, usually as a result of cultivation. Britain and Ireland have few endemic trees, most being micro-species of Whitebeam. But there are some interesting endemic trees nevertheless.

See also

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List of trees of Great Britain and Ireland Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.