Search our site

Trees woods and wildlife

Aspen

Trembling, fluttering and shimmering in the slightest breeze. The rippling leaves of this beautiful tree give it its name: quaking aspen.

Blog

Wildflower quiz: name these 10 common wildflowers

Can you name these ten common British wildflowers? Test your wildflower knowledge with our quiz.

Helen Keating  •  11 Apr 2019

Trees woods and wildlife

Oak bracket

Though it oozes a honey-like liquid, the oak bracket has a few less tantalising names. It lives off the heartwood of living trees as well as on deadwood. Also known as weeping conk and warted oak polypore, they belong to a group called butt rot fungi.

Trees woods and wildlife

Box, common

A native evergreen that’s at home in your garden. Box is so special it’s got a hill named after it. Box Hill in Surrey takes its name from the ancient box woodland on its steep chalk slopes.

Trees woods and wildlife

Gatekeeper

Named for its rigorous patrol of hedges and woodland rides, the gatekeeper butterfly is a prime pollinator. Look for them sipping nectar on sunny days in the summer.

Trees woods and wildlife

Redwing

Named after its rouge underwings, the redwing is the smallest thrush in the UK. A social nomad, this berry-loving bird only visits over the winter months, with just a handful of breeding pairs staying here all year round.