This year I'm joining in with Lucy's 'Tree Following' meme. I'm ashamed to admit that I really don't know much about trees and am unable to identify most of them once they loose their foliage. So this year I'm hoping to get to know one tree more intimately. The tree in question is a willow. It sits just outside our garden with its toes dipping in water as do many willows. One of our garden boundaries is a small stream and the willow is just on the far side of the stream. At the moment its trunk is nestled in ivy, brambles, nettles and ferns. I'm not sure of what sort of willow it is so will have to do some research, although I do know that it's definitely not a weeping willow. As for wildlife I think that I probably scare off any larger visiting creatures when I'm nearby, although I did see a blackbird flying out of the willow yesterday as well as a grey squirrel who was tenaciously clinging upside down to the main trunk.
The tree was here when we moved to our present house when it was much bigger than it is now. Himself tells me it was about seventy feet high until it suffered some serious damage from a gale in early January 2012, which I described here. A tree surgeon came to inspect the damage subsequently performing major surgery. I was most upset at the time as I could not envisage it growing again but sure enough later that spring green shoots sprouted. In one respect the willow is much improved. Although I did love listening to it creak on windy nights the overhanging branches were rather too near our house for comfort, so it is now an easier tree to live with.
So that is a brief introduction to my tree which I'm looking forward to getting to know better this coming year. Thanks to Lucy over at Loose And Leafy for coming up with such a brilliant idea.
How lovely to have this willow as close companion - nice silhouette, catching the sun. Coincidentally was looking up types of willow the other day and came across crack willow - in reference to the noise of brittle, breaking twigs. Yours looks more substantial!
ReplyDeleteWelcome and thanks for your comment. Crack willow sounds like a most apt name :)
DeleteIt's odd to think of a tree growing smaller instead of higher! I too like the noise of creaking branches - as long as I don't have to lie awake thinking they might fall on me! I wonder if you know iSpot. You can load photos there which can be used by the Open University in its teaching and research in return for help with identification. I often upload pictures and nearly always get an ID. You might have to wait until the leaves emerge before anyone can tell what it is . . . but not necessarily.
ReplyDeleteShades of 'Alice in Wonderland' Lucy. Thanks muchly for the information about iSpot. It rings vague bells at the back of my mind. I will upload a photo of the willow tomorrow.
DeleteI look forward to reading more about your willow ... and its stream.
ReplyDeleteWelcome and thanks so much for your comment Caroline :) Will be over to visit you soon.
DeleteI remember the damage to the tree. It's certainly sprung back to life after its major surgery. I'm the same with trees, I'm not very good at identifying them. I should really make more of an effort to learn more about them.
ReplyDeleteIt does indeed seem to be bouncing back Jo. I'm glad that I'm not alone and I'm hoping that I will at least know more about willows by the end of the year :)
DeleteWillows seem to be very resilient when we had ours cut right back little green shoots appeared everywhere even sprouting out of the trunk.
ReplyDeleteI've come to the conclusion that willows are tough customers Elaine :)
DeleteInteresting choice, it will be fun to follow your willow through the year.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Christina and hope that you continue to willow watch along with me.
DeleteIt may be Salix fragilis, difficult to say with the amputated limbs. It'll help when the leaves start to unfurl.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion Annette - will investigate forthwith but as you suggest it's difficult to identify for sure whilst it is still leafless.
DeleteYou have a lovely big willow, Anna. I love the bark. Willows can be cut right back and they always grow again.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you've joined the tree following meme.
This is my first experience of an injured willow Chloris so I was most relieved to see it grow back:) I'm glad that I've joined in with the tree following meme too.
DeleteI love the sound willow leaves make and look forward to seeing yours turn green!
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely sound isn't it Cathy? Somehow silver rather than green comes to mind when I think of the foliage. Will be watching it like a hawk now until the leaves unfurl.
DeleteI'm impressed that you chose a willow. Here (USA) we have many and they can be hard to tell apart, I'm curious as to how your identification effort will go. But whatever we might call them, they're beautiful trees! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment and welcome Hollis. Willows are certainly beautiful trees :)
DeleteWhat a lovely choice - this meme is obviously going to be fascinatingly diverse. That willow is beautiful - got a really interesting form, even if it has suffered from tree surgeons...
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Kate. It was a shame that the tree surgeons had to operate on the willow but it was a necessary evil :(
DeleteIt will be interesting to see how your willow progresses after what looks like an unpromising start. There is a willow we can see down our lane which has been butchered and although it lost its beautiful shape it is reshooting - I think it was interfering with electricity cables. How nice to have a stream on your boundary - does it gurgle enough for you to hear it?
ReplyDeleteThe willow was quite majestic until the the damage caused by the gales Cathy but at least we enjoyed it for over 20 years. We hear the stream if there has been a lot of rain otherwise it's fairly quiet :)
DeleteExcellent choice! I need to contact the people in charge of the park next door about the stand of willows there, they keep losing (quite big) branches, and I am sure one of these days one will demolish our fence, if not the power lines and our extension! I'd much rather see them pollarded each year, the fresh growth is gorgeous and the wildlife still love them grown that way, plus no large branches. I shall enjoy watching your willow through the year and comparing it to our near neighbours.
ReplyDeleteOh Janet fingers crossed for your fence and extension. I wish you joy in your conversation with the park managers.
Deletewhat a lovely tree!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you for your kind comment CGP :)
DeleteI have trouble identifying trees, too, Anna, especially when they have lost their leaves. How wonderful that your tree survived the storm; looking forward to seeing it when it leafs out.
ReplyDeleteIt's reassuring to know that it isn't just me Rose when it comes to tree identification :)
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