Woodland features
Mistletoe
2014Baddesley Clinton
Mistletoe, a parasite, growing in the apple orchard at Baddesley Clinton, near Warwick.
Lichen
2014Farndale
Farndale is famous for its daffodils which is mainly why we visit, but there are lots of other delights by the river.
Stump
2011Dunstaffnage
Moss covered tree stump in the woods behind Dunstaffnage Castle, near Oban.
Beech roots
2016Newmillerdam
Massive beech roots exposed in the woodland at the east side of the lake at Newmillerdam, Wakefield.
Sycamore root
2008Brinkburn Priory
It is amazing where a tree will grow. This sycamore has planted itself in a vertical rock face.
Oak stumps
2021Acorn Bank
Oak stumps at Acorn Bank near Temple Sowerby.
Fungi
2021Thornton le Dale
Fungus growing on old yew trees in "Squirrel Wood", near the pond. Sometimes called chicken-of-the-woods.
Moss
2021Bowlees, Teesdale
Moss completely covering logs left in the valley near Bowlees Visitor Centre, Teesdale
Sycamore stump
2021Raby Castle
Sycamore stump by the entrance drive. The Tree Register says it stood 23.5m high, 212cm wide, and had girth 660cm.
Hedge escape
2014Levisham
An ash tree escaping from the restrictions of being cut as a hedge, regenerating almost as a coppiced tree.
Witches' Broom
2011Mull
Overcharged twiggy growth from single points on branches, known as "Witches' Brooms". Probably caused by fungal or viral infection.
Cloud pruning
2004Vitznau
Cloud pruning of conifers by the lake at Vitznau, Switzerland.
Pollarded lime
2013Wengen
Pollarding creates grotesque knuckles, but also encourages clusters of dense, larger than normal, foliage. Good for shade.
Custodians
2020Dalby Forest
A cluster of porcelain rabbits in Dalby Forest next to an old warren. "Custodians" artwork is by Layla Khoo, artist in residence 2020-1. .
Runaway hedge
2013Dunkeld
A runaway hawthorn hedge, left to grow free on the boundary of a deserted house garden at The Hermitage, Dunkeld.
Topiary
2015Levens Hall
People have been clipping box and yew into geometric and abstract shapes for centuries. One of the largest collections is in Cumbria.
Horse chestnut problems
2021Thornton le Dale
Early browning of leaves probably caused by leaf miner, a small grub of the moth cameraria ohridella. Causes shrivelling of leaves, early fall, and some weakening of the tree.
Perthshire amber
2014Aberfeldy
Multicoloured woodland in autumn at the Birks of Aberfeldy - Perthshire Amber.
Burrs
2014Azay le Rideau
Burrs are dense concentration of knots or other growths which show a pattern of swirls in the grain when sawn. They result from stress, possibly insect or fungal attack. More on burrs
Holly stumps
2016Wentworth Castle
Holly trunks severely cut back to regenerate as topiary, part of the restoration of the gardens at Wentworth Castle, near Barnsley.
Alder roots
2023Sinnington
Alder trees love to grow on river banks. Even if the bank is eroded away and the roots simply trail in the flow of the river.
Hedge laying
May 2023Tyntesfield
A length of old hawthorn hedge freshly laid, to regenerate growth and reduce gaps at the base of the hedge.
Swamp cypress burr
April 2024Yorkshire Arboretum
An unusual burr-type growth on the trunk of a swamp cypress, (taxodium distichum), probably as a result of some damage to the tree.
Root knuckles
September 2024Floors Castle
Roots of a large beech tree poke above ground level in 'knuckles' or 'knees', some of which look like small footballs.