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Trees woods and wildlife

Lime, common

At home on a country estate or deep in the wild, this lime is common in name only. It’s a hybrid between the small-leaved and large-leaved lime, and is a particular favourite of aphids and their many predators.

Trees woods and wildlife

Lime, large-leaved

Towering, romantic, sticky. Large-leaved lime is a handsome broadleaf tree that is a rich home for wildlife. Find out more.

Trees woods and wildlife

Lime, small-leaved

Charming, sturdy, pollinator-magnet. Not only does the small-leaved lime’s blossom produce a sweet scent and pleasantly minty honey, its leaves support the caterpillars of moths such as the lime hawk, peppered and vapourer.

Trees woods and wildlife

Whitebeam, rock

Rugged yet charming, rock whitebeam clings to areas of rocky woodland and fissures in limestone cliffs. A parent species of the rarer Arran whitebeam, the rock whitebeam is becoming increasingly hard to find.

Blog

Common tree identification: top 10 beginner's trees

Our top ten trees to give you a crash course in common tree identification.

Helen Keating  •  26 May 2021

Support us

Hucking Estate appeal, Kent

Your support helped us extend and secure this slice of Kent countryside. Now we have a unique opportunity to create a larger site with limitless potential.

Press centre

Groundbreaking scientific research project at Snaizeholme will tackle the impacts of extreme weather

One of the biggest pieces of scientific research ever undertaken in the English uplands will tackle the impacts of extreme weather.

Blog

Top 10 woods to enjoy autumn colour

Take a look at our top 10 woods to visit for autumn colour, with sites in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

Hannah Vickers  •  10 Nov 2021

Blog

9 rare and beautiful wild UK orchids

Orchids are some of the most beautiful and unique wild plants you'll see in the UK. They are rare but well worth finding if you are up for the challenge.

Laura Cottam  •  29 May 2019

Blog

12 uncommon and rare woodland flowers

Woodland is home to some of the UK's rarest flowering plants. Some are weird. Some are mysterious. And all have fascinating stories to tell. You'll be lucky to track down some of these beauties, but they're worth it if you do.

Amy Lewis  •  26 Jan 2018

Blog

What’s the difference between nuts and seeds?

When it comes to nuts and seeds, it’s easy to get confused by name, size and other factors. Here’s our guide to work out which is which, along with some handy examples.

Charlie Mellor  •  29 Aug 2019

Press centre

Bugs on planes: volunteers hunt for new insect threat to iconic trees

Hardy volunteers are scouring trees across the UK in search of a hitchhiking bug that has made its way to our shores.

Blog

SSSI definition: what is it and what does it mean for conservation and development?

A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a formal conservation designation. Learn how they are determined, why we have them and where to see them in the UK.

Laura Cottam  •  01 Mar 2019

Trees woods and wildlife

Plane, London

A real city slicker, the London plane is the capital’s most common tree. As a hybrid of American sycamore and Oriental plane, it was first discovered in the 17th century then widely planted in the 18th.

Trees woods and wildlife

Wild service tree

A true springtime stunner, it’s not so long ago that you could find wild-service fruit at a market. These days it’s rare and hard to find but it’s still a favourite with wildlife like the wood pigeon, whose gut softens its seeds for propagation.

Blog

What are the most common trees in the UK?

Ever wondered which trees species are most common in the UK? Check out our top ten.

Laura Cottam  •  21 Dec 2018

Visiting woods

Gillian's Wood

We are restoring this ancient woodland site to its former glory. 

Blog

Autumn leaf ID quiz: can you identify 10 trees?

Test your tree knowledge. As autumn sets in, many of the trees around us change colour, but do you know what they are?

Helen Keating  •  21 Sep 2020

Trees woods and wildlife

Beech, common

Monumental, majestic, home to rare wildlife. Beech is an enchanting species and known as the queen of British trees. To wander beneath the leafy canopy, its cathedral-like branches spreading upwards, is an awe-inspiring experience.

Trees woods and wildlife

White admiral

Found exclusively in woodland, the white admiral is a stunning butterfly with a delicate gliding flight. Unlike its sun-loving peers, this black and white beauty prefers shady spots to relax in.

Video

Abi Reader, dairy farmer in Vale of Glamorgan

Abi explains the farm's experimental short rotation coppice system with a high protein arable crop between rows of native trees. The aim is to meet a universal goal: food production and a sustainable planet.

00:03:06

Trees woods and wildlife

Lily-of-the-valley

Charming, sweetly scented and highly poisonous, lily-of-the-valley is a romantic woodland stunner.

Blog

UK moth identification and facts: 12 common species for beginners

There are more than 870 species of large moth in the UK, many of which can be tricky for beginners to tell apart. Get to know some of the UK's most familiar and easily-identified species with our quick guide.

Amy Lewis  •  02 Jun 2021

Blog

What do moths eat? Feeding, life cycle and other facts

Explore how some of the 2,500 species of UK moth develop and what they eat. 

Julia Lock  •  09 May 2022

Plant trees

Types of woodland management

A detailed look at how and when to carry out the techniques of coppicing, pollarding, formative pruning and thinning.

Blog

Broadleaf spring issue: a fresh new dawn

Spring has sprung and the world is waking up. In this issue of Broadleaf, we celebrate the new season, explore natural regeneration, and hear from Pam Ayres and Liz Bonnin.

Elisabeth Crump  •  11 Mar 2025

Blog

Summer tree identification: can you name these nine trees?

Which trees do you recognise? Test your knowledge and see if you can get top marks!

Helen Keating  •  13 Jul 2020

Trees woods and wildlife

Broadleaved woodland

Sun-dappled and ever-changing, broadleaved woodland across the UK provides ideal conditions for more species than you can count! We fight to protect it, and make much more, but, the UK is still one of the least wooded countries in Europe.

Blog

British trees and shrubs to plant: 14 native garden trees

British trees pack a big punch in your garden. Make space for one or two you’ll have year-round interest and be supporting wildlife too. Here's our top 14 native trees to plant in your garden.

Helen Keating  •  08 Nov 2021

Blog

Wander through history: fascinating ruins and relics in 10 UK woods

Walk back in time and discover heritage sites and historical ruins in some of the UK’s most enthralling woodlands, from ramparts and barrows to abandoned buildings and bomb shelters.

Chris Britt-Searle  •  01 Mar 2024

Blog

11 must-know facts about woods and forests in the UK

Woods and forests are mysterious, beautiful and fascinating places. Here are 11 amazing must-know facts about our woods and forests in the UK.

Chris Britt-Searle  •  02 May 2024

Support us

Snaizeholme appeal, North Yorkshire

Thanks to your support, we have the chance to turn a tree-less landscape into a thriving haven for red squirrels and declining woodland birds in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. 

Trees woods and wildlife

Meadowsweet

Sweet by name, sweet by nature. Meadowsweet might not be to everyone’s taste, but you’re unlikely to mistake the sickly sweet and frothy flower in damp woodland and bubbling out of damp ditches.

About us

Research projects we are funding

We have awarded conservation research grant funding to research projects that address issues facing the conservation of the UK’s native woods and trees.

Blog

UK hawk-moth identification and facts

Hawk-moths are some of the largest and most recognisable moths in the UK. Learn to tell which is which with our visual guide to 10 of the most commonly encountered UK species.

Amy Lewis  •  21 Jun 2021

Blog

What is the difference between butterflies and moths?

When the two look so similar, is there actually a difference between a butterfly and a moth? Find out how to separate the two and discover the truth behind some common myths about moths.

Charlotte Varela  •  21 Jul 2023