During September the trees on The Campus are just beginning to show the first signs of turning to their autumn colour palette. A wide variety of trees can be explored and identified within a small area using the map in the City of Trees The Campus leaflet, and also available on the website.
Hornbeam
(Carpinus betulus)
The hornbeam is the stalwart of many woodlands and it is both useful and ornamental. In autumn the winged fruit, samaras, can be seen. The shape of the samara lets the wind carry the seed far from the parent tree. They have lots of common names –keys, wingnuts, helicopters or whirlybirds
English Oak
(Quercus robur)
There are over a dozen examples of this quintessential tree of England on The Campus. It supports more life than any other native tree species. The oak carries easily identifiable lobed leaves and they feature in the emblems of many environmental groups, including the Woodland Trust and the National Trust. In autumn it forms acorns which sit in cupules (the cup-shaped base of the acorn). In time the green acorn turns brown, loosens from the cupule, and falls to the ground.
Wild Service Tree
(Sorbus torminalis)
The green-brown fruits of this deciduous broadleaf tree, which start to appear in the autumn, are traditionally known as ‘chequers’. These are relatively rare trees and are often the remnants of ancient woodland. Once the trees lose their leaves in late autumn, the fine structure of the branches can be seen, as in the picture. The props which are supporting this specimen are also visible.
Crab Apple
(Malus‘Director Moerlands’)
These are the trees that sweep around the outer arc of The Campus. The leaves are showing signs offading to a dark bronze. The small dark-red fruits last a long time on the tree and are a wonderful source of food for birds in the autumn and winter.
Download the leaflet from the website here:
Or pick up from bookshops in town.
