Quercus robur; English Oak

They grow up to 36m tall. They prefer more heavier clay soils often found in woodlands especially in lowland areas as well as hilly areas. They are very old trees and live up to 700-800 years old. The branches often stick out at right angles and they often have dead branches on the top of the canopy. 

 The leaves are deeply lobed and with two auricles at the base on very short stalks. The first set of leaves are normally eaten by insects and then the second load come through in about midsummer.

Male and female catkins are produced around the time the first set of leaves are coming in and the male ones die off after pollination by which time the leaves are fully open. Acorns then come through normally in groups of about 3.

The bark  is grey and gets thick and deeply fissured in mature trees.

Platanus x. Hispanica; the London Plane

They grow up to 44m tall. It is a cross between Oriental and American Planes. Often used in towns and cities such as London, hence the name, as it is very resistant to pollution due to the fact it has peeling bark. It is also very resilient to disease and a very strong sturdy tree. 

The leaves grow up to 24cm long and are mostly 5 lobed and palmate. The degree of lobing may differ greatly.

The buds are small dark coloured things that stick off the sticks. The flowers are up to 6cm long and are composed of 2-7 rounded, yellowish flower heads. They ripen into fruits that are 3cm and ball like that contain seeds.

The branches are often tangled and twisted.

The bark is greyish-brown and thin. It flakes away to leave yellowish circular patches. 

There was a large amount of ivy creating ground cover at the base of this tree in All Saints park.

Hedera helix; Ivy

It is a climbing plant that can reach up to 30 meters tall. I found this ivy in Platt fields park and it has climbed up a fence and the surrounding trees as well as providing ground cover. 

It has aerial rootlets with matted pads that can stick strongly to help it grow upwards and stay attached to things.

The leaves grow to about 100mm long with a 20 mm petiole. They are alternate and cordate and slightly glossy. The fruit comes out in late winter and are purple, black colour and about 6-8mm in diameter. Birds often eat them as little other food is available in winter.

They are very shade tolerant but only stems in sunlight will produce fruit. The fruit has seeds inside which are then transported by birds.

These are the stems all crossing over forming ground cover. If a branch is broken off and placed somewhere else it can grow roots and continue growing separate to its main plant.

Cornus alba; Dogwood

The Dogwood is normally a shrub but can be a tree. The one I found in All Saints Park was in a shrub form. They are planted ornamentally and grown to a rough height of 3-4m. They are quick to colonise as birds spread their seeds very quickly.  

The leaves are oval and pointed and and grow on opposites of the stem. They have 3-4 pairs of prominent veins which when the leaf is split and the 2 halves pulled away they will stay joined by the veins. They have a reddish stem. The leaves are about 10cm long.

The buds are black coming off the reddish stem. They are about 2cm long. 

There was a variety of plants growing under and around the Dogwood such as:

 Creeping buttercup

Ivy

The common small puffball mushroom

Sorbus aucuparia ; Rowan/Mountain Ash

They grow up to 20 metres tall. They grow in woodlands and open spaces on a variety of soils but not on very wet ones. I found this ash in All Saints Park. They are often found in town squares and along roadsides. 

 The branches are quite evenly spread and ascending. They also have purple-tinged twigs. 

The leaves are compound and pinnate. They are made up of 5-8 pairs of toothed leaflets. They are all up to 6cm long. They are ovoid and markedly toothed. 

The buds are oval with curved tips. They are purple and covered with greyish hairs. The fruits are rounded and cm long and a bright scarlet colour. They are often eaten in winter by birds as not a lot of food is around. When they are planted in cities and towns they often attract birds such as waxwings.

Silvery grey and usually smooth but sometimes feels slightly ridged.

Ilex aquifolium; Holly

Holly trees grow to about 15m tall. Sometimes only grow into shrubs but also grow into trees. The leaves and shoots are often eaten by animals in mid winter as little else is green. I found this tree in Platt fields park where the ground was fairly damp and boggy in areas.

The leaves are up to 12cm long and alternate on a stalk. They are very tough and leathery with a waxy surface. This holly tree had variegated leaves. The leaf margins are wavy and spiny. Some of the leaves were much flatter and spineless.

On the inside of the tree where there is less light, the leaves are pale as they do not photosynthesis due to lack of sunlight. This means they grow into a whitey transparent colour.

 It grows fruit which appear as these bright red berries with a stalk and thin fleshy skin. They grow up to 12mm longs.

The bark is smooth and silvery grey in colour with fissures and tubercles appearing with age.

Fagus sylvatica; Beech

They grow up to 40 metres tall. They usually prefer slightly acidic dryer soils but are found on a variety of free draining soils. This beach I found close to the road on the edge of Platt fields park. The soil here was quite wet with a few boggy areas scattered.

The branches are often crowded and ascending but sometimes arch outwards. The trunk of this beach is long and straight and goes up at an angle. 

The leaves are long, oval and pointed with a wavy margin and a fringe of silky hairs. They grow to about 10cm long. The stalk that joins the leaf to the stem (the petiole) grows to about 1.5cm.

The buds grow up to 2cm long and they are smooth and pointed. They are reddish brown in colour.

The bark is often smooth and grey in colour but can become rough. This one feels rough and looks like it may have flaked off a bit.

Aesculus hippocastanum; ‘Horse Chestnut’

More commonly known as the conker tree. It usually grows between 14-28 metres in height. It produces large round seeds that are protected in a spiky case. These are called conkers. The case usually reaches 6cm in length. 

They prefer damp but not waterlogged areas. This one was found at Platt fields park which is a fairly damp area and the soil was wet when I visited but it was not overly waterlogged.

The leaves are large, long stalked and palmate. They are composed of up to 7 leaflets, each about 25cm long with the central one being the longest. They are all an elongated oval shape with toothed edges. The upper surface is mostly smooth and the lower surface slightly downy.

The buds are brown shiny, brown and sticky. They grow up to 3.5cm long. Below each bud is a shield-shaped leaf scar with raised bumps around the edges which slightly resembles a horseshoe.

The bark is a greyish brown colour that often flakes away in large scales.