Cotoneaster horizontalis

I came across this Cotoneaster in Longford Park, late winter. It is a stiff shrub with branches that divide and spread in a flat plane. Deciduous, but its leaves appear early. It is tolerant to most soils and thrives in sunlight. In May-July, it can be found to have pink, solitary flowers – and its fruits are bright red, spherical berries. The shrub is widely grown in gardens and occasionally naturalised, mainly on calcareous soils.

Ligustrum ovalifolium - Privet

This Privet was one I found in Longford park, late-winter – and can tolerate most soils and weather conditions. It is a much branched, semi-evergreen spreading shrub – which very rarely reaches the size of a small tree. In May/June it can be found to have creamy white, fragrant flowers, 4-5mm across. Its fruits are shiny, globular and poisonous, ripening black in the autumn – in clusters.

 

Picea abies - Norway spruce

I found this Norway Spruce early spring, along the Fallowfield loop. The tree is famously known for being commonly used as the Christmas tree. This evergreen is a narrowly conical tree on a slender, unbranching trunk – with rigid, needle – like leaves arranged singly all-round the shoots, and narrow, leathery – scaled cones borne near the ends of the shoots. Its male cones are small, yellowish, clustered near tips of shoots. Its female cones grow up to 18cm long, narrowly oval and pendulous. It thrives in sunlight, and acid or neutral well-drained soils.

Rhododendron ponticum

 

This particular Rhododendron was one I found in Longford park, late-winter. It is a popular, evergreen ornamental shrub, which thrives in acid, damp soils. If found in May – June, it can be seen to have flowers 4-6cm long, bell shaped and a pinkish-red colour. The shrub is often controlled due to its invasive nature towards native flora.

Prunus laurocerasus - Cherry laurel

I spotted this Cherry Laurel on the fallowfield loop, late-winter. It is an evergreen shrub or small, spreading tree. Its bark is dark greyish brown, made uneven due to its numerous lenticels. When blossoming, it can be found to have fragrant white flowers in an erect spike about 13cm long. Ots fruits are rounded and green at first, turning red and then finally blackish purple. However, if left unchecked, this colonising species can become a problem, swamping native plants and out-competing native shrubs of similar size.

Ulex europeaus - Gorse

I came across this ulex europeaus in Highfield, mid-winter. Ulex are spiny everygreen shrubs with very spiny branches, holding small leaves that soon fall – and often fragrant, yellow, pea-like flowers. Its spines are 15-25mm long, found on heaths and grassy places, mainly on acid soils – however, they can also tolerate neutral soils. Its flowers are 2cm long, bright yellow and are coconut scented – these blossom in January – December, but mainly February – May.

Populus tremula - Aspen

This image I took of an Aspen in Highfield has the leaves of a white poplar due to the fact that poplars hybridise naturally in the wild – which therefore makes it difficult to determine a true aspen in the natural setting. Populus are deciduous trees, mostly very fast growing and large, with male and female catkins on separate trees, opening before the leaves. The male catkins are the more ornamental, whereas the female catkins can be a nuisance from the cottony, wind-blown seeds. Aspen is best known for its fluttering leaves, which rustle in the slightest breeze. It has a smooth and greyish green bark which becomes brown, ridged and fissured with age.

Larix decidua - Larch

I found this Larch in Highfield, autumn. It is a deciduous conifer, forming a tall, narrowly conical tree if growing alone and thrives in well drained soils. The rough and greyish brown bark becomes fissured with age. It has needles in tight bunches of up to 40, with each needle up to 3cm long, fresh green when first opened, slowly becoming darker – and reaching a red through to yellow before finally falling off in autumn.  Its male flowers are small, soft, yellow cones, releasing pollen in spring.

 

 

Chamerion angustifolium - Rosebay willowherb

 

I found this Chamerion angustifolium, commonly known as Rosebay Willowherb, in Highfield park. It is a showy perennial  of waste ground, cleared woodland and river banks and can tolerate a wide variety of soil types. These photographs were taken in winter, and therefore no flowers are present. However in July-September, it can be found to have pinkish-purple flowers, 2-3cm across. It is a fast growing perennial which can sometimes be rather invasive.