Helen Harris

Latin name:   Viscum album (can translate as white goo!) Common name: Churchman’s Greeting, Kiss-and-go, Masslin, Misle and Mislin-Bush. Habitat: Native to the UK, lives in the canopies of broadleaf trees and apple trees. Mistletoe is relatively common but declining as more and more established orchards are cut down. With climate change it is thought to be on the move from its traditional counties on the English Welsh border and in the South of England.  The Tree Council is running a...

Latin name:   Clematis vitalba Height: Low-growing, scrambling plant Conservation status: Common Origin: Native to southern UK Habitat: Hedgerows and low scrub, preferring chalky soil Appearance: Old Man’s Beard, part of the buttercup family, has compound leaves with three to five toothed leaflets. The white flowers, about 2 cm wide, appear to have petals but are actually sepals with large stamens. Its silky, feathery seed clusters, or achenes, give the plant its distinctive flowing look...

Scientific name:   Corylus avellana Habitat:   Hazel is widespread in Northern regions of Europe and Western Asia. It thrives in hedgerows the dappled woodland shade, often present in ancient woodlands as part of the understorey alongside oaks and field maples. Description:  Hazel typically produces multiple stems at ground level, so technically is categorised as a shrub rather than a tree with a base area of up to 2m diameter and a dense low level understory. It is a short-lived tree,...