Queen of the forest
Now is the ideal time to plant trees and shrubs, and magnificent beech has a royal nod of approval
WITH our climate coming under attack on all fronts, whether that be unusually hot or remarkably cold weather, flooding or prolonged drought, I’ve begun to think about the plants that have been on these islands for thousands of years. Among these is the magnificent beech tree, which arrived here after the last Ice Age and is considered native across southern and central England.
It grows very happily on well-drained soil, including limestone and chalk, and is a familiar sight in our woodlands and parklands across the UK. There is a tree-lined avenue of beech in Northern Ireland that has gained iconic status worldwide due to featuring in the HBO hit Game of Thrones. The Dark Hedges in County Antrim were planted in the 18th century to line the avenue leading to a country mansion and today visitors flock to view these epic trees.
Recently I received a delightful request from the British Ambassador to Ireland, Paul Johnston to, along with his wife Nicola, choose a tree for the Embassy residence in Dublin. It’s to mark the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC), a nationwide tree planting initiative to mark the late Queen’s Jubilee. And while it was due to conclude in December, it has now been extended to March 2023 to allow people to plant a tree in memory of Her Majesty and take advantage of the bare root planting season while deciduous trees are dormant.
We mulled over our decision and the majestic oak was one of our top choices. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and the then Prince of Wales planted an oak tree in the grounds of Windsor Castle in March 2021, to mark the launch of the QGC initiative.
However since then there have been heavy restrictions on the importation of oak trees from Europe due to a serious biosecurity threat to our native oak.
This comes in the form of the oak processionary moth, whose caterpillar feeds on oak tree leaves, weakening them and making them more susceptible to disease. So as that ruled out the king of the forest, our next natural choice was beech, fittingly known as the queen of the forest. Together we planted a young beech in the lawn in front of the Embassy residence and over time this memorial tree will grow into a statuesque beauty.
Of course most of our domestic spaces cannot host such a woodland giant, which can grow to more than 40 metres. However it is a good hedging choice and does well in most soils, in sun or partial shade though it doesn’t like to be in overly wet soil. It requires regular pruning to keep to a manageable size. Although it changes leaf colour in autumn, the coppery leaves tend to cling on to the branches until the following spring, when fresh foliage arrives; a process called marcescence and botanists haven’t figured out why some trees, such as beech, and hornbeam do this.
One theory is that the leaves provide some cover for emerging buds which protects them from foraging animals. From an aesthetic point of view it’s a bonus, providing multi-seasonal interest.
So whatever your choice is, it’s a great time to plant bare root trees and shrubs – just make sure the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
If it’s friable and workable, then you’re good to go!