Design Guide for Rural Northern Ireland
Appendix 3: Tree Species (Extract from Trees on the Farm)
Native Trees
| Species | Favoured site | Attributes | Hints on growing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alder Alnus glutinosa |
Streamside, damp woods, waterlogged sites | Fast growing. Flourishes in the wettest of places where little else grows, also on clay and fill | Will not flourish in stagnant water. Easily established and copies well |
| Ash Fraxinus excelsior |
Open woodland and hedgerows | Tolerant of cold and exposed sites, including windswept costal areas | Dislikes waterlogged sites. Best transplanted young |
| Birch Betula pubescens |
Pioneer species: open sites and woodland | Hardy and fast-growing. Shelters slower-growing species wide range of tolerance to exposure, damp ground and poor soils. | Intolerant of shade, grows best free of rank grass |
| Blackthorn Prunus spinosa |
Hedgerows and rough stony land | Dense thicket form makes ideal stock-proof hedge. Tolerates exposed and windswept coastal locations. Provides protection for saplings from grazing | Plant as whips or transplant suckers |
| Cherry (wild) Prunus avium |
Woods and hedgerows | Attractive blossom, foliage and fruit | Establishes easily |
| Crab Apple Malus pumila |
Hedgerows | Attractive hedgerow free in form, fruit and flower | Requires open situation, easily established |
| Elm Ulmus glabra |
Hedgerows and woodland | Important hedgerow tree. Fast-growing and tolerant of exposed locations | Cannot stand dry sites. Some species prone to Dutch Elm Disease |
| Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna |
Hedgerows and scrub | Prime hedgerow tree. Provides ideal protection for saplings | Dislikes acid soils and wet sites |
| Hazel Corylus avellana |
Woodland under-story, and hillsides | Excellent as low growth in woodland Coppices easily and prevents erosion of thin hillside soils. | Intolerant of acid soils. Establish by avoiding competition from grass |
| Holly Ilex aquifolium |
Woodland | Evergreen. Hardy, tolerant of exposure, attractive foliage and berries. Grows well in shade. | Intolerant of wet sites. Difficult to establish |
| Oak Quercus petraea & Q robur |
Individual trees, small groups, woodland | Tolerates shallow rocky soils and can grow well on clay. Very wind-firm | Grows best when `nursed' between fast-growing species |
| Rowan Sorbus aucuparia |
Open woodland, hillsides | Hardy, tolerant of exposure. Will grow on thin soils. Attractive flowers and berries | Prefers dry sites, transplants well |
| Whitebeam Sorbus aria | Woodland, rocky ground | Attractive form,foliage, fruit and flowers. Tolerant of coastal exposure | As Rowan but also tolerates damper sites |
| Willows Salix (many varities) |
Stream sides, damp areas plantations | Rapid growth, attractive form in larger species. Good shelterbelt and screen trees. Coppice readily | Cannot survive permanent water logging. Grow from cuttings |
Non-native Broadleaves
| Species | Favoured site | Attributes | Hints on growing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beech Fagus sylvatica |
Single trees, shelterbelts woodland and hedges | Saplings will grow in shade. Salt tolerant. Fine autumn colour. | Best on well-drained sites. Grows best with nurse species |
| Lime Tilia vulgaris |
Single trees, woodland | Attractive woodland and landscape tree | Needs shelter when young |
| Poplars Populus (many varieties) |
Shelterbelts, plantations, stream sides | Fast growth enables rapid establishment for shelterbelts or timber. White Popular salt resistant | Do not plant near to buildings or drains. Grow from cuttings. |
| Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum |
Woodland. single trees | Ornamental tree with attractive flowers and autumn colour. | Grows well on clay and exposed sites |
| Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa |
Woodland, plantations for coppicing | Rapid growth. Coppices freely in sheltered locations | Liable to suffer from cold and exposure. |
| Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus |
Hedgerows, woodland | Hardy, invasive species, tolerant of exposed coastal conditions. Shelterbelt tree around upland farms | Worth using in difficult places. Grows easily. |
Conifers
| Species | Favoured Site | Attributes | Hints on growing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris |
Single trees or groups on dry acid soils and rocky ground | Attractive foliage and bark. Previously native. | Grows easily. Dislikes lime or wet peat. |
| Black Pine Pinus nigra |
Single trees or groups on light soils, sand or limestone. | Good shelterbelt tree on lime rich soils and for stabilising sand dunes. Salt tolerant. | Not wind-firm on clay |
| Lodgepole & Shore Pines Pinus contorta |
Grow on windswept moors and damp soils | Rapid early growth. Wide range of soil tolerance. Good for shelterbelts. | Many varieties - choice of short heavy crown or tall light crown. |
| Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis |
Shelterbelts and plantations in damp situations | Rapid growth, exposure tolerant. Good for shelter in acid uplands | Prefers grassy to heathery sites.Needs high rainfall, prefers western counties |
| Norway Spruce Picea abies | Shelterbelts and plantations on wet sites, preferably grassy | Valuable 'nurse' tree for young hardwoods. Rapid growth and dense foliage makes good shelter | Dislikes dry sites |
| Larch Larix (several) |
Single trees or plantations on well drained soils. | Deciduous conifer. Deep rooting, withstands exposure, good nurse tree for hardwoods | Particularly suitable for bracken-covered soils |
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