Train Hugger Planting Projects

Trees not Brambles in Co.Tyrone

Tree Planting

Trees not Brambles in Co.Tyrone

The non-native spruce trees on this site were felled in 2013 and used for timber. Since this time the site has been colonised by weeds, such as brambles which will make it difficult for new trees to grow. The site has been properly weeded and then restocked with native broadleaf trees and conifers. This will improve the biodiversity value of the woodland and create visual improvements for the local landscape.

‍

This project is in partnership with:

Royal Forestry Society

Project Gallery

No items found.

Listed below are some of the trees planting on this site

Alder can be found across Europe and thrives in moist ground and damp cool areas, which is why you’ll often see alder trees planted near rivers and ponds. Moth caterpillars love alder leaves and the tree’s roots make an ideal nesting site for otters. For humans, the real value of alder wood is that it’s durable when wet, so is useful for making boats and sluice gates. The story goes that outlaws like Robin Hood would have used the green dye from alder flowers to camouflage their clothing!

Alder

The downy birch, or white birch, is a deciduous, broad-leafed tree which grows abundantly across the north of Europe and northern Asia. The outer bark can be stripped off without killing the tree, and its twigs and branches are flexible and make good brooms. The Sami people in Scandinavia use downy birch bark when making their traditional bread, while the tree’s sap can be collected in early spring and used to make a syrup or beer.

Downy Birch

The common hazel is native to Europe and western Asia and forms an important part of England’s hedgerows. We have all heard of hazelnuts, which are rich in unsaturated fats and protein, and an extremely popular ingredient in many of the world’s cuisines. Did you know that hazel trees were once seen as both magical and a symbol of fertility?

Hazel

Crab apple trees grow throughout Europe and can live for up to a century, reaching a height of around 10m. This tree is traditionally associated with love and marriage, and it is said that if you say the name of your lover while throwing crab apple pips into a fire, then your love is true if the seeds explode! Crab apples can be made into jelly, roasted and added to drinks, or served as an accompaniment to meat.

Crab Apple

The UK’s only truly native pine is Scotland’s national tree and can be found in abundance in the Highlands.The Caledonian Pine Forest is home to all sorts of wonderful species including the pine marten, red squirrel and rare Scottish wildcat. Scots pine has strong timber which is used for making fences, telegraph poles and other construction materials, and the bark can be tapped for resin to make turpentine.‍

Scots Pine

Also known as the common or English oak, this is the undisputed king of the woods, supporting more wildlife species than any other native tree in the UK. “Robur” in this oak’s Latin name means “strength” and “hard timber” because this tree produces incredibly durable wood which can be used to make many things, including furniture and flooring. The oak has been considered sacred by many gods in mythology throughout the ages.

Pedunculate Oak

Also known as the mountain ash, rowan trees grow well at high altitudes and are commonly found in the Scottish Highlands, as well as on streets and in gardens across the UK.Many birds eat their scarlet berries in the autumn, then disperse the seeds.Rowan used to be planted next to homes to ward off the threat of witches, as red was once believed to guard against evil.‍

Rowan

The grey willow has oval leaves that sit alongside the grey felt-like twigs and catkins which give it its name. The willow is often associated with sadness, but it wasn’t always so: it was a tree of celebration in the Bible. Aspirin is derived from salicin which is found in all willow species, and our ancestors would chew willow bark to relieve toothache and other pain.

Grey Willow

Other Train Hugger Projects

Continue reading more about our planting projects

Replacing Non Native Tres in Lough Neagh

Pembrokeshire Cricket Bat Willow

Storm Recovery in Berwickshire 2

Storm Recovery in Berwickshire 1

Spruce Replacement in West Sussex

Trees not Brambles in Co.Tyrone

Linking Woodlands in County Antrim

County Antrim New and Old

Case Study: County Down 3

Replacing Non Native Trees in NI

South Tyrone planting for biodiversity

Experimental Planting in Country Tyrone

County Armagh: Different Growth Rates for Better Biodiversity

Case Study: County Down 2

Case Study: County Down 1

Devon Gum Trees

Case Study: Planting for Resilience in Buckinghamshire

Case Study: Conversion of Conifer Plantation to Mixed Broadleaves

Hampshire Mixed Woodlands

North Yorkshire Spruce

Case Study: Saving a Hampshire Woodland from Disease

Devon Beech Trees

West Sussex Broadleaf Trees

Norfolk Oaks

Case Study: Storm Resilience in Northumberland