Trees

Juniperus communis (up to 7 m) Juniper Evergreen shrub, spreading and conical. Greyish-green needles with a white stripe on the upperside. Small yellow flowers from May to June. Male and female flowers are on separate trees. Cones resemble berries, in the first year green then turning bluish-black. Found on chalk and limestone hillsides, heathland and moors. Frequent in the Lake District, Scottish Highlandand south-east England. Image taken at Broughton Down, Broughton, Hampshire .

Taxus baccata (up to 20 m) Yew Evergreen tree with reddish-brown flaking bark. Linear dark green leaves present in two rows. Green flowers present from February to April; male flowers have yellow spores. Fruit is a distinctive red fleshy cup-shaped berry. Found in woods, scrub, screes and downs particulalrly on limestone. Image taken at Arnside Knott, Arnside, Lancashire .

Salix fragilis (up to 25 m) Crack willow Greyish bark and hairless twigs. Pale green, glossy, lanceolate asymmetrical toothe leaves. Long, slender, yellow catkins present with the leaves from April to May. Found near freshwater. Common and widespread. Image taken at River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Salix caprea (up to 10 m) Goat willow (Common sallow) The twigs are smooth when the bark is removed. Short oval leaves (5-12 cm). Leaves and twigs initially downy. Catkins are short, yellow with a small stalk and blackish-brown scales present from March to April. Found near freshwater in woods, scrub, hedgerows and marshes. Image taken at River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Alnus glutinosa (up to 22 m) Alder Deciduous tree found near water. Dark green roundish leaves with an indented tip (4-10 cm). Yellow hanging male catkins.Female catkins are initially purplish and short, before becoming cone-like. The catkins are present before the leaves from February to April. Fruit is a nut. Found near freshwater such as alongside rivers and lakes. Common and widespread. Image taken at Moors Valley country park, West Moors, Dorset .

Corylus avellana (up to 6 m) Hazel Tall deciduous tree. Roundish leaves (5-12 cm). Male catkins are yellow and hang down. Female flowers are small with bright red styles resembling buds, present from January to March. Distinctive nut (edible) that is encased in a jagged lobed husk. Found in hedgerows and woods particularly in coppiced areas. Widepsread and common. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire . Images of male catkins, leaf and unripe nut.

Fagus sylvatica (up to 40 m) Beech Large deciduous tree with smooth grey bark. Pale green pointed oval leaves (4-9 cm). Flowers are tangled in a green tassle during May. The nut is brown and three-sided encased in a bristly husk. Found in woods. Widespread and common. Image taken at Broughton Down, Broughton, Hampshire .

Quercus robur (up to 40 m) Pedunculate oak (English oak) Large well-known deciduous tree with greyish-brown trunk and broad crown. Oblong, lobed leaves (10-12 cm). Catkins are yellowish green and occur with the leaves. Acorn is stalked and has scaly cups. Found in woodland, hedgerows and parks. Widespread and common. Image taken at Fritham, New Forest, Hampshire .

Acer pseudoplatanus (up to 35 m) Sycamore Leaves are palmately lobed with blunt teeth. Yellowish-green flowers are present in hanging clusters from May to June. The fruit is a 'key', held in a pair at right angles. Found in parks, hedgerows and woodland. Widespread and common. Image taken at River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Acer platanoides (up to 30 m) Norway maple Leaves are sharply palmately lobed. Flowers are yellowish-green in clusters from late March to early May. Fruit is a 'key' present in opposite pairs. Found in parks, gardens, woodland and hedgerows. Image taken at ????, Warrington .

Aesculus hippocastanum (up to 40 m) Horse chestnut Large deciduous tree with smooth bark. White flowers with a pink spot present in 'candle-like' spikes (~30 cm) from May to June.Palmate leaves with 5-7 leaflets. Buds are very sticky. Fruit is a nut called a 'conker' encased in a thick green husk with thick soft spines. Found in parks, gardens and woodland. Widespread and common. Image taken at River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Malus domestica (up to 15 m) Cultivated apple Flowers are pale pinkish white (30-40 mm) present in clusters from April to May. Fruit is a characteristic apple (~120 mm). Found in hedgerows, scrub, wasteground and urban areas such as parks. Image taken at Noar Hill, Selborne, Hampshire .

Castanea sativa (up to 35 m) Sweet chestmut Large deciduous spreading tree. Broad lanceolate toothed leaves (15-20 cm). Flowers are yellow catkins produced in July (25-32 cm). Edible nut is enclosed in a green husk with soft spines.. Not native but widely planted for timber or as an ornamental tree - found in woods. Widespread and common. Image taken at New Forest Reptiliary, near Lyndhurst, Hampshire .

Fraxinus excelsior (up to 37 m) Ash Greyish smooth bark in young trees. Opposite pinnate leaves. Leaves are dark green, lanceolate and slightly toothed. Flowers lack petals but have purplish stamens present from late March to May before the leaves. Fruits are brown, narrow with wings on one side and hang resembling keys. Found on woodland, hedgerows especially on limestone. Widespread and common. Image taken at Gait Barrow, Silverdale, Lancashire .

Larix decidua (up to 46 m) European larch Deciduous conifer with greyish-brown bark. Pale green needles turn yellow in autumn (2-3 cm). Flowers from March to April - males are white with purple edges, turning yellow; females are pink, purple then green. The male flowers appear after the females. Cones are pale brown (2-3 cm), remaining on the tree for years. Introduced forest tree, widespread and common. Image taken at Dodds Wood, Bassenthwaite Lake, Lake District, Cumbria .

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (up to 65 m) Lawson's cypress Evergreen conifer with reddish-brown bark. Scle-like leaves are whitish underneath and are closely pressed to the flattened stems. The leading shoots droop downwards. Flowers from March to April. The male flowers are blackish, edged with red or white; female flowers are geyish-blue. Globular purplish cones (6-8 mm). Introduced and widely planted. Common and widespread. Image taken at ???????? .

Ilex aquifolium (up to 23 m) Holly Evergreen tree with distinctive dark green, glossy, waxy, prickly leaves. White four-petalled flowers (5-7 mm) are occasionally tinged purple from May to August. Flowers are present in cluster, often on separate trees. Fruit is the familiar red berry of christmas tradition. Found in woods, scrub and hedgerows. Common and widespread. Image taken at Fritham, New Forest, Hampshire .

Salix cinerea (up to 6 m) Grey willow Thick downy grey twigs. Oblong, pointed leaves with inrolled margins and dowy grey below. Male and female catkins present on separate trees - male catkins are ovoid and yellow with many protrusions; female catkins are similar but green. Widespread and common in wet habitats such as riversides, fens and damp woodland. Image taken at Ffrith beach, Prestatyn, Denbighshire .

Salix repens (up to 1.5 m) Creeping willow Low-growing creeping shrub with downy shoots that become shiny reddish-brown. Ovate, untoothed green leaves (~4 cm) with silky hairs on the underside. Catkin is ovoid with many protrusions and the fruit is covered in a silky mesh of hairs. Locally common. Image taken at River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Betulapendula (up to 30 m) Silver birch Peeling papery black and white bark when mature. Shiny brown hairless twigs. Pointed oval leaves with irregular tooths; turn yellow in autumn. Flowers from April to May with the leaves in yellowish catkins; females are erect, whilst the males are longer and hanging. Fruit is a two-winged nut. Found in woodland, heaths and moors. Common and widespread. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .