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Trees woods and wildlife
Wayfaring tree
A welcome sign you’re homeward bound, the wayfaring tree is so named because it grows close to paths. Look for them in hedges and woodland edges, with full bloom in the spring and heavy with berries in the autumn.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Turtle dove
Named after its 'tur tur' call, the turtle dove is romantic, enigmatic, and at risk. It nests in shrubs and trees and feeds on the seeds of crops and woodland plants.
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Southampton City Council Wood
Un-named area
Hampshire
4.68 ha (11.56 acres)
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Trees woods and wildlife
Deadly nightshade
Attractive, psychoactive, dangerous. Found in scrub and woodland, the deadly nightshade lives up to its name. Though highly poisonous, it feeds woodland animals and even has medicinal properties.
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Trees woods and wildlife
King Alfred’s cakes
Tiny fungi with an embarrassing story, King Alfred’s cakes are named after the king’s poor baking skills.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Coal tit
The tiniest of tits with dull grey feathers to match its name. The coal tit is a frequent visitor to bird feeders across the UK.
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Press centre
Dalkeith named heritage tree hotspot as experts record 500 “living legends”
Dalkeith Country Park in Midlothian has been revealed as a heritage tree hotspot after experts recorded 500 ancient, veteran and notable oaks over the last year.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Willow, crack
Scruffy and loud, the crack willow is named after its habit of splitting with cracks and fissures, and how noisy its branches are when they break. It’s one of the largest willows and its leaves are popular with moth caterpillars.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Pear, Plymouth
Rare, charming, foul-smelling. Plymouth pear was named after where it was found in the 1800s. Its fruit feeds wildlife, and its blossom, though beautiful, has quite a smell.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Hawthorn
Named after the month in which it blooms and a sign that spring is turning to summer. The pale green leaves of this hedgerow staple are often the first to appear in spring, with an explosion of pretty pale-pink blossom in May. It simply teems with wildlife from bugs to birds.