Blog - Royal Botanic Gardens

Native bluebells - not at risk of extinction

Native bluebells – not at risk of extinction

by Chris, 9 May, 2019, 0 comments

The native bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scipta, is also known as the common bluebell, the wood bell, the fairy flower and sometimes the wild hyacinth. It is protected in the U.K. under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. In a single (ancient) woodland, millions of bulbs may be found and they give rise to carpets of flowers usually in April or May. They take advantage of the sunlight before the canopy of leaves fully develops and reduces the incident light at ground level. Read more...

Ancient Oak Trees in the Countryside

Ancient Oak Trees in the Countryside

by Lewis, 4 December, 2017, 3 comments

In recent years, countryside oaks have been subject to a survey (co-ordinated by the Woodland trust - working with the Ancient Tree Forum, the Tree Register and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. This survey has identified some 1200 previously unknown veteran oak trees. In consequence, the total number of veteran / ancient oaks in England now stands at 3400. Approximately four fifths of these trees are estimated as being between 400 and 600 years old, and a tenth date back some 600 to 800 years - and a few may be a thousand years old. England is ‘rich’ in terms of its ancient or veteran Oaks - the whole of continental Europe has only two thousand such trees (approximately); most of which are in Sweden. Read more...

The Great Storm of 87

The Great Storm of 87

by Lewis, 18 October, 2012, 2 comments

Some twenty five years, the U.K. was battered by a storm – said to have been the worst that this country has experienced in three hundred years. Hurricane force winds raged across southern England and the Midlands before the storm finally exited via the Wash. It is often referred to as “The Great Storm” **. Millions of trees were uprooted, woodlands flattened, parks and gardens destroyed, the National Grid damaged, cars hit by falling branches and 18 people died. Places like Wakehurst Place, the Sussex outpost of the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew) had lost some 60% of their tree collection as a result of the storm. Read more...

Aspects of The Storm of '87.

Aspects of The Storm of '87.

by Richard, 7 January, 2012, 2 comments

On 16th October 1987, the Great Storm took away many mature trees from the landscape of southeast England, a great swathe of destruction was wreaked on our woodland and parkland trees. Many trees and overlarge coppice still lie where they fell, the coppice more often than not growing up again but from a much larger base. The mature trees have been gradually rotting. All the resources locked up in the wood being released and taken up by bacteria, fungi, invertebrates and so to higher organisms. It was a major ecological disturbance, that in some ways has been of considerable benefit to wildlife. Read more...

Wild Flower Guide

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Read our guide to wild flowers of woodland and hedgerow

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