Newtown Road Cemetery Trees December 2017

Twenty tree varieties labelled

In December 2017 a visiting forester, David Mackie, ex- Head Forester, Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, carried out a survey of all the trees currently found in our cemetery. Some have been there since the cemetery was opened, others were planted recently as memorials to relatives who have died since the cemetery re-opened in 2009.

The original survey by The Wildlife Survey Unit (2009, p9) lists six broad-leaved trees:

• Lime (Tilia x europaea)
• Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
• Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastaneum)
• Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur)
• Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
• Holly (Ilex aquifolium)

Three coniferous trees are listed (p10)

• Yew (Taxus baccata)
• Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani)
• Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana)

In this survey the following additional specimens (in no particular order) were found:

• Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
• Rowan (Sorbus)
• Purple Beech (Fagus sylvatica purpuria)
• Pussy Willow (Salix caprea)
• Silver Birch (Betula pendula)
• Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica glauca)
• Indian cedar (Cedrus deodara)
• Lawson Cypress (Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana)
• Irish Yew (Taxus baccata fastigiata).
• Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster)

December is not the best time of year for this activity as all deciduous trees are bereft of leaves and blossom so in the case of the Cherry (unidentified) (Prunus ?) firm identification will have to wait until next summer.

We have affixed labels to at least one specimen of each tree so the next time you visit the cemetery you will be able to identify 20 different examples.

Reference

The Wildlife Survey Unit (2009) Phase 1 Habitat, Protected  Species Scoping and Bat Survey Report.