Woodlands and hedgerows are important features of our countryside.  Just as woodlands vary across the country, so do hedgerows.  A hedgerow usually includes a number of tree and shrub species, but may also include walls, banks, fencing and gates.  They may have been planted recently or may be ancient, dating back to the time of the enclosures. It has been estimated that there are over half a million kilometres of hedgerow across England, and the majority are actively managed.  In a managed hedgerow, the trees and shrubs have their form and shape altered.   The trees and shrubs that form the basics of a hedgerow include hawthorn, hazel, oak, holly, blackthorn, ash and yew. These may form the main body of the hedge but there are many other plants that contribute to its structure, such as bramble, honeysuckle and ivy, many wild flowers plus mosses, bryophytes, fungi and lichens.  [In urban settings, species like  privet, yew, box and holly may form the basis of the hedge / hedgerow.] [caption id="attachment_42838" align="aligncenter" width="675"] Beech hedge in garden[/caption] Consequently, hedges come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can include many different species. Rural hedges are often a mix of shrub and tree species, such as hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, ash and oak. They were / are often planted to form boundaries around fields in managed agricultural landscapes.  Historically, many hedgerows were planted to keep livestock, such as sheep, cattle, pigs, chickens in specific areas. Other hedgerows were planted to define boundaries as in ‘who owned which bit of land’.  Hedgerows often surround fields.   The word ‘field’ comes from Old English ‘feld’, meaning 'an area of felled trees  or open country'.  Hedgerows are important as they offer habitats / niches for a variety of plants and animals. Not only do they provide ‘food and lodgings’ for many animals, they also act as biological corridors, supporting plant and animal connectivity across our landscape.  The flowers, fruits, berries and nuts are an important source of food for many invertebrates, birds and mammals. [caption id="attachment_24651" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Sloes on Blackthorn[/caption] Animals such the harvest mouse, the hedgehog and the vole may be found nesting in a hedgerow, and it offers food and / or homes for blue tits, and yellowhammers. They also support important insect pollinators, butterflies, hover flies, moths, bumblebees and bees. These insects may help with the pollination of crops in adjacent fields planted with oilseed rape, legumes or fruit trees. Other insects, such as ladybirds can help with crop yields by predating upon crop pests, such as green fly and blackfly (these aphids may spread viral diseases on crops such as sugar beet).  Sadly, hedgerows declined significantly in the last century, due mainly to intensification of agriculture. Fortunately, the destruction / loss has slowed since the 1990’s, though neglect and damage are significant threats even today.  Good management may involve planting of trees or shrubs to fill gaps, coppicing, laying a hedge or ‘considered’ cutting back.  However, there is no standardisation of the management of hedgerows and they can be harmed by excessive cutting back or flailing.   The effects of heavy pruning and cutting back during the nesting season can be disastrous. Whilst mechanical flailing of a hedgerow is fast and effective,  the regrowth is generally slower and its effects can be particularly bad for birds. [They may abandon their nests and / or  their eggs or chicks may be destroyed.] The pruning / flailing may also affect insect populations of the hedgerow (and / or other other food sources) on which the birds and other animals depend.  Another threat can be the use of agricultural chemicals [pesticides and herbicides] next to the hedgerow. [caption id="attachment_42843" align="aligncenter" width="675"] A managed hedge[/caption] For further and detailed information on hedgerows, visit : https://hedgelink.org.uk/guidance/importance-of-hedgerows/  

Blackberries are one of the best-known fruits in the rose family. They’re often collected in the wild from hedgerows and woodlands.  September and October are usually the peak months for blackberry forays, but this year blackberries [with the exceptional warmth of the Spring and summer months], they have been ripening early.  Some ripe fruits were spotted back in June!  The fruits start off green, but as they mature they become red and finally black from stem to tip. The bramble has a perennial root system with biennial stems. In the first year, the stems (sometimes called canes) grow vegetatively, but in their second year they produce flowers and fruit.   Then they die back but the dried stems together with their prickles / thorns can persists for some time.  It is a good idea to wear some protective gloves when rummaging for these fruits. The leaves of the bramble are compound, with 3 - 5 - 7 leaflets which have serrated edges.  Its flowers are white to a subtle shade of pink.  They have 5 petals and first appear in early Spring.  They are attractive to pollinators such as bumblebees. Blackberries are a nutritious fruit, rich in Vitamin C but also contain other nutrients, e.g. Vitamin K and manganese.  A cup full of blackberries can provide 7 grammes of dietary fibre.   The colourings of the fruits (anthocyanins and flavonoids) are a source of antioxidants. Blackberries are a food source for wildlife food, many birds, foxes, and many small mammals (for example the dormouse) feed on the berries.  However, this earlier appearance of autumnal fruits may cause problems.  For example, some birds feed upon insects in the Spring and summer months but by autumn they move over to seeds and fruits, like blackberries. But what if the fruits have come and gone, and there are just the shrivelled remains of once juicy fruits.  There could be a 'food gap', this would be especially series for animals trying to prepare for the relatively barren days of winter.  Deer may feed on bramble leaves. If large amounts of bramble are allowed to grow in a woodland, it can affect the microclimate of the ground  layers.  This influences the growth and development of other plants. Whilst brambles can offer protection from browsing by deer and / or rabbits of young tree saplings, they can also suppress the development of light loving species.  A thicket of brambles can also offer a home to some birds, like the nightingale. Further reading - see here

Many hedgerow plants come to our attention as they clamber over the other shrubs and plants.   Some like honeysuckle and old man’s beard (Clematis) create an attractive display, whilst others like the bramble are less attractive - though the individual flowers are a delight (as is the fruit). The dog rose (Rosa canina) is found in many hedgerows, and like the field rose (R. arvensis) it is a common plant.   Roses are often host to various species of fungi - especially the Rusts.   Bright orange / yellow patches may form on the undersides of their leaves and / or stems; these are the massed spores of the rust fungus as it begins another stage in its complex life cycle.   Read more...

Much has been written  recent in recent years about the ‘dangers’ posed to our native flora & ecosystems by ‘alien’ invasive species.  Introduced species such Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), and Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum) have been cited as ‘drivers’ of ecosystem change – alongside habitat loss, pollution and over-exploitation. However, voices have been raised to express concern over certain native species that can grow rapidly producing large amount of biomass (or indeed necromass – think bracken dying down in late autumn) and how they may be impacting on our flora, particularly plants of the woodland herb or field layer.  Read more...

The bramble is a common native species. It is found in many different types of plant communities from woodlands, to heaths and dunes though it is not found in native pine woodland, and is generally more common in lowland than upland woods. Read more...

This is your last chance to pick your blackberries. Michaelmas (29th September) is, by legend, the day the Devil spits on them, making them inedible. Another version of the story is that a bramble patch broke his fall from heaven. There is a lot of tannin in brambles and perhaps after the 29th, at the end of their season when they start to wither, they are too bitter. They are pretty much over, here in the south-east, but may have a week or two left further north. Read more...