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Trees woods and wildlife
Wild garlic
A delicious sign of the old, wild garlic is also known as ramsons. Look for them in shady woods where they coat the woodland floor in spring.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Deathcap
Silent assassin and killer of kings. The deathcap has been used as a murder weapon for millennia.
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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
Penny bun
Weighty, fat and delicious with a cap like a crusty, well-baked bun. Penny buns, or ceps, are prized for their taste and benefits to woodland, tree and human health.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Shaggy parasol
Elegant and shabby-chic. Good to eat – unless you’re one of the one in 25 people whose stomach can’t tolerate it.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Velvet shank
A burst of sunshine in wintry woods, the bright orange of velvet shank fungus is a treat for the eyes on a dark day. Not only are they a cheery sight but they are also edible.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Dothistroma needle blight
This fungal disease can have a serious impact on our native Scots pines. It could spell trouble for our rare, ecologically invaluable Caledonian pine forests.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Oak lace bug
An insect pest which attacks oaks, the oak lace bug can reduce growth and weaken trees. With number of other diseases already affecting oaks, the arrival of the oak lace bug would pose a serious threat.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Pine processionary moth
Feeding on the needles of pine trees, the pine processionary moth is seriously destructive. They can rapidly strip trees of their needles in forests in Asia, Africa and southern Europe, leaving them vulnerable. Now, there are fears it’s heading north to the UK.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Red-necked longhorn beetle
The red-necked longhorn beetle is native to eastern Asia and is a serious threat to trees in the genus Prunus like cherries and plums. Its larvae tunnel and feed under the bark and in the wood causing low fruit yield and possible death.