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Brueton Tree Trail
Different Trees Along the Trail
Trees are a major feature of our landscape. They are far more than just nice to look at, they clean our air, produce the oxygen we need to breathe, absorb noise and provide homes for thousands of different animals and plant.
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Maidenhair - Start your walk near the information hut, adjacent to the car park. A small, straight tree stands near the rockery, this is a Maidenhair. Fossils of this species have been found from the time that Dinosaurs roamed the earth! This particular specimen was rescued from a rubbish tip.
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Common Alder - Follow the path, keeping the lake to your left. At the waters edge is a Common Alder. This has been cut down in the past and has re-grown several stems (coppice). Notice the small "cones". Compare this tree to the other specimens in this area and you should notice that some of them have larger cones and glossy leaves (Italian Alder) or dull, pointed leaves (Grey Alder). Follow the map and pass by the Parkridge Centre. To your left opposite the Centre is a small Cedar of Lebanon, with its typical flat top.
Indian Bean Tree
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Indian Bean Tree - On the right of the path is a tree which resembles a giant runner bean. This is an Indian Bean Tree. In early summer it produces beautiful flowers, which are followed by the unusual seed pods in the Autumn.
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Giant Redwood - Straight ahead from here is an enormous conifer. This is a Giant Redwood, belonging to a family of trees known to be the tallest of all the worlds living organisms - the Sequoias.
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Tulip Tree - Pass-by the dell area and leave the path to the right. Tucked away in the hedge is a Tulip Tree, the leaves of which look most attractive during the Autumn.
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English Oak - This area also holds many species of Oak including the English Oak with it's familiar acorns on long stalks (pedicles). Another common Oak species is the Turkey Oak (See 10).
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Chestnut-leafed Oak - Chestnut-leafed Oak, as it's name suggests, has leaves which look more like those of sweet chestnut than those of Oak (an English Oak leaf is shown in the picture for comparison) and acorns like those of the Turkey Oak.
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Holme Oak - At the edge of this group is a tree which really looks nothing like an Oak, with evergreen leaves and an Oak, with evergreen leaves and a bushy habit. In the Autumn it produces small acorns and is a Holme Oak.
Scarlet Oak
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Scarlet Oak - In the Autumn, several other Oaks become obvious with their brilliant coloured leaves, including the Scarlet Oak. In this area are also several cultivars of the Common Ash. This species normally has leaves divided into several, smaller leaflets but one of these specimens has just single leaves (Single-leafed Ash). Some of the other Ash trees here have yellow bark and these are Golden Ash.
Notice that a few branches have contorted, weeping branches and these are another cultivar known as Weeping Ash. With all of the Ash trees the buds are black which makes their identification fairly easy, even in the winter.
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Turkey Oak - Similar to the English Oak, but with more glossy, regular toothed leaves and acorns with bristly, unstalked cups.
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Horse Chestnut - Follow back along the path to the Redwood and walk off the path to your right. In this area are several Horse Chestnuts (Conker Trees). Several species can be found in the park including those with red flowers.
Bold Cypress
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Bold Cypress - Also in this area are two Bold Cypress'. These are unusual amongst the conifers in that they are deciduous and their leaves change colour in the autumn.
- Conservation area - The conservation area is worth exploring, to look at more native species. There are many dead specimens on the left of the path, and these have probably drowned in the wet marsh. The term "dead wood" is not a good description as there is a lot of life in this kind of timber. Many species of insects live in and feed on the wood and birds and small mammals make their homes in the many holes and cracks.