Downy birch
(Betula pubescens)
A slender tree with a light canopy filled with diamond-shaped leaves and elegant, drooping branches.
Growth and size
Mature height: 25m.
Supplied as 20-50cm cell-grown saplings.
Can be planted all year round with proper care.
Value to wildlife
Eaten by aphids, which are in turn eaten by ladybirds and other predators.
Food plant for moth caterpillars, including angle-shades, buff tip, pebble hook-tip and Kentish glory.
Seeds eaten by siskin, greenfinch and redpoll.
Soil and conditions
Grows in most soils, except chalk.
Prefers damp sites.
Hazel
(Corylus avellana)
Downy leaves, springtime catkins (known as lambstails) and shiny brown nuts in autumn.
Growth and size
Mature height: 8m.
Supplied as 20-50cm cell-grown saplings.
Can be planted all year round with proper care.
Value to wildlife
Source of early pollen for bees.
Host plant for moth caterpillars such as the large emerald and barred umber.
Nuts are a favourite food of birds and mammals, including hazel dormice.
Soil and conditions
Tolerates shade in non-acidic, well-drained soils.
Can be planted as part of a native hedgerow.
Hawthorn
(Crataegus monogyna)
Produces white-pink blossom in May that becomes ruby-red berries, called haws, in summer.
Growth and size
Mature height: 10m.
Supplied as 20-50cm cell-grown saplings.
Can be planted all year round with proper care.
Value to wildlife
Supports more than 300 species of insect.
Flowers are eaten by dormice.
Source of pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinators.
Haws are eaten by migrating birds such as redwings.
Soil and conditions
Shade-tolerant.
Prefers non-acidic, well-drained, moist soils.
Can be planted as part of a native hedgerow.
Rowan
(Sorbus aucuparia)
Creamy-white springtime flowers transform into vibrant orange-red berries in autumn.
Growth and size
Mature height: 15m.
Supplied as 20-50cm cell-grown saplings.
Can be planted all year round with proper care.
Value to wildlife
Source of pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinators.
Host plant for moth caterpillars such as the larger Welsh wave and autumn green carpet.
Berries are eaten by thrushes.
Soil and conditions
Grows in most soils.
Prefers light, well-drained and humus-rich conditions.
Wild cherry
(Prunus avium)
Produces beautiful blossom in spring and bright fruits in summer.
Growth and size
Mature height: 25m.
Supplied as 20-50cm cell-grown saplings.
Can be planted all year round with proper care.
Value to wildlife
Early source of nectar and pollen for insects including bees.
Cherries are eaten by birds.
Soil and conditions
Grows best in full sun and fertile soil.
Won't tolerate waterlogged soil.
Best planted in a sheltered spot.
English oak
(Quercus robur)
Also known as common or pedunculate oak. this tree is known for its size, age and acorns.
Growth and size
Mature height: 20-40m.
Supplied as 20-50cm cell-grown saplings.
Can be planted all year round with proper care.
Value to wildlife
Supports more than 2,300 species of insects, birds, fungi and mammals.
Acorns are eaten by squirrels, deer, badgers and birds.
Food plant for caterpillars including purple hairstreak butterfly and many moths.
Soil and conditions
Prefers well-drained, fertile soils.
Thrives in full sun, tolerates light shade.
Needs plenty of space for roots and canopy.
Sessile oak
(Quercus petraea)
A hardy oak that differs from English oak with its upright trunk, straighter branches, longer stalked leaves and stalkless acorns.
Growth and size
Mature height: 40m.
Supplied as 20-50cm cell-grown saplings.
Can be planted all year round with proper care.
Value to wildlife
Provides a habitat for more than 280 species of insect, which feed birds and other predators.
Bark is a habitat for moss, lichen and liverwort.
Deadwood provides nesting cavities for birds and bats.
Acorns are eaten by birds and mammals, including jays, badgers and squirrels.
Soil and conditions
Does well in most well-drained soils.
