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.