Norway Spruce (Picea Abies)
The Norway spruce grows in acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained and clay soils. It has some drought tolerance.
Can be planted on a wide variety of sites
They are tall and straight and of a triangular appearance, with a pointed crown.
Overview: can grow to 40m and can live for up to 1000 years.
Leaves: needle-like leaves are square-shaped and pointed, with fine white speckled lines and a rich, sweet smell.
Flowers: male flowers consist of clusters of stamens, which turn from red to yellow in spring when laden with pollen. Female flowers are red, upright and oval, and tend to form at the top of the tree.
Fruits: once pollinated by wind, female flowers turn green and enlarge to become red-brown cones with diamond-shaped, rounded scales. Seeds are released in spring.
Estonian: Kuus, Nõglapuu, Kuusepuu
Where to find: Norway spruce is widespread in the UK, having been planted for forestry particularly in the lowlands in the 1800s. Native to mountainous areas of Europe, including the Pyrenees, Alps, Balkans and Carpathians, and originally from Scandinavia, Norway spruce was primarily grown for timber and became famous as the traditional 'Christmas tree'.
How we use: Timber is a pale cream and is strong with a straight grain and a fine texture. It is often used to make joists, rafters and flooring, as well as furniture and box making. It is also pulped to make paper, though less commonly now, as Sitka spruce is more commercially viable.
It is also grown widely and used as a decorative Christmas tree.
Norway spruce can be susceptible to green spruce aphid, as well as a variety of fungal diseases.
Silver Birch (Betula Pendula)
Interesting facts: Silver birch can be used to improve soil quality for other plants to grow. Its widely spread roots bring otherwise inaccessible nutrients into the tree, which are recycled on to the soil surface when the tree sheds its leaves.
Leaves: Light green, small and triangular-shaped with a toothed edge, which fade to yellow in autumn.
Overview: Mature trees can reach 30m in height, forming a light canopy with elegant, drooping branches. The white bark sheds layers like tissue paper and becomes black and rugged at the base. As the trees mature, the bark develops dark, diamond-shaped fissures. Twigs are smooth and have small dark warts
Flowers: Silver birch is monoecious, meaning both male and female flowers (catkins) are found on the same tree, from April to May. Male catkins are long and yellow-brown in colour, and hang in groups of two to four at the tips of shoots, like lambs' tails. Female catkins are smaller, short, bright green and erect.
Fruits: After successful pollination (by wind), female catkins thicken and change colour to a dark crimson. Masses of tiny seeds are borne in autumn, which are dispersed by wind.
Where to find Silver Birch: Silver birch is a popular garden tree and often hybridises with our other native birch, the downy birch, Betula pubescens which is more common in Scotland. Tolerant of a range of temperatures, it grows as far south as Spain and as far north as Lapland. It thrives in dry woodlands, downs and heaths.
How we use Silver Birch: Birch wood is tough and heavy, making it suitable for making furniture, handles and toys. It was used to make hardwearing bobbins, spools and reels for the Lancashire cotton industry. The bark is used for tanning leather.
Silver birch wood is of little commercial value in Britain because the trees do not grow as large as they do in other parts of Europe.
Threats: Naturally regenerated birch (grown naturally from seed) appears to be less prone to this disease. Planted birch appears to be susceptible to birch dieback, which is caused by two fungal pathogens: Marssonina betulae
Estonian: arukõiv, maarjakask, raudkask, õmmik
Unfortunately, birch roots are susceptible to oak root fungus disease.
The root system of spruce is however sensitive to any dislocation