Sycamore why is it?

[Tengu]

noticed some sycamore seedlings, as usual they seem very common.

It it just me or do you notice mass seedlings of other trees? I only ever seem to find the sycamore ones?

 

[jon r]

strange you should mention this today because i was out for a walk in the woods and quite a big area was smuthered in Ash seedlings! You could'nt walk without stepping on them! Great to see lots of trees for the next generation.

We do get thousonds of sycamore seedlings too.

Jon

 

[Eric_Methven]

Sycamore is a weed. It's a prolific spreader which is why it's everywhere. Most local authorities are actively removing sycamore from broadleaf woodlands primarily because it's not a native hardwood (it was introduced by the Romans) but also to give other slower growing native species a chance.

Global warming might also be contributing to an abundance of saplings, like they know in a woody sort of way that things are going to get tough, so they're spreading their genes as far an wide as they can so some may survive when times get hard.

Eric

 

[Tengu]

I have an ash tree in my garden but have never seen any seedlings

maybe I should look harder

sycamore are more intrusive because the seeds `fly` I have seen seedlings a hundred yards from the nearest tree

 

[Pignut]

Been mooching around a bit lately and have to say though there are thousands of Sycamore there are tones of others also.
Though they tend to be smaller than the sycamore as these are faster growing

 

[rich59]

When I see a mass of tree seedlings I often look out for the variations and might collect some to grow on for practical or ornamental use:-

In elder you can see different leaf patterns at that stage. The cut leaf varieties are very ornamental.

In sycamore, in towns you can sometimes spot variegated varieties.

In beech you can spot beautiful leaf colour variations if there are purple or copper beech parents about.

 

[Alchemist]

I have 5 oaks at the bottom of my garden. We have only been here a year so my gardening antics are producing perfectly turned soil for acorns. I am pulling hundreds of them out at the moment.

If I had the space I would plant some more but 5 big oak trees is enough in one garden.

It is interesting what Eric says about the trees throwing out more seeds this year. The acorn drop was huge last autumn according to the neighbours who also have protected oaks in their garden. Maybe they are indeed reproducing more in preparation for some bad weather.

I also pulled up a mini oak the other day which had grown from a broken and buried twig, not an acorn. Very interesting.

 

[demographic]

On a slight tangent, I heard on radio 4 a couple of weeks ago that many forestry departments/woodland parks are not planting beech trees anymore.

They said its because their root bowl is very shallow (remember the storm of about 87 where it was mostly beech trees that blew down?) and they say that due to global warming and lack of water near the surface that they have a far lesser chance of survival than they once would have.

Seems a shame.