Betula Pendula; Silver Birch

A slender, fast-growing deciduous tree with a narrow, tapering crown. As they get older they form a weeping habit especially if growing in a open, uncrowded situation.

The leaves are up to 7cm long, triangular and pointed with large teeth separated by smaller teeth. Thin and smooth when mature.

The branches are ascending in young trees but twigs and shoots are pendulous, slender and smooth, mostly brown and pitted with many white resin glands.

The bark is a very pronounced silvery white colour but as the tree gets older it becomes deeply fissured and often flaking away from the trunk. A pattern of black diamonds is often seen on the trunks in older trees.

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.