Native Irish Trees --- List of Trees Native to Ireland

GPI · Last edited by GPI on Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:35 pm; edited 4 times in total

Native Irish Trees --- List of Trees Native to Ireland
by GPI

Click on the links to our native trees below...

The native oaks, Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea) and Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur).

Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra)

The native birches, Silver Birch (Betula pendula) and Downey Birch (Betula pubescens)

Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa)

The native cherries, Common/Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) and
Bird Cherry (Prunus padus)

Aspen or Trembling poplar (Populus tremula / tremuloides)

The native willows, Goat Willow (Salix caprea), Grey Willow (Salix atrocinerea), Bay Willow (Salix pentandra) and Eared Willow (Salix aurita)

Mountain Ash or Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)

Whitebeam (Sorbus hibernica)

Crab apple (Malus sylvestris)

Yew (Taxus baccata)

Juniper (Juniperus communis)

Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Blackthorn/Sloe (Prunus spinosa)

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Killarney Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo)

Plant trees native to Ireland.
Do you have a wish for the upcoming gardening year?
Perhaps you would like a warm summer for your roses or maybe you would prefer a sharp cold snap in autumn to ignite the fire within your trees leaves. Personally, if I could have one wish for the upcoming gardening year I would wish for every garden owner to plant a native tree. Planting a tree native to this country of ours would be great addition to any garden, however, planting a tree native to your own particular region would be the horticultural equivalent of preserving an endangered species.

So, what is a native tree?
It is a tree which occurred naturally in an area without being introduced by man. Our native trees grew wild here and evolved naturally prior to outside contact. They have developed in conjunction with the surrounding plant life, animals, fungi and microbes. This creates an ecosystem, sort of like a happy town filled with the townspeople of the animal, plant, and insect kingdom, all slotting into their individual places in natures hierarchy. In fact, a native tree is the ideal candidate to provide food and shelter for our native wild animals, all the while manufacturing oxygen for animal and human alike.

The native advantage
During its evolutionary period, a native tree will have adapted to the climate, exposure and soil type particular to your area. Imagine that, a tree that actually prefers your locations possibly sticky soil and windy rain-swept location, when all the while you may have been struggling in vain to force some foreign trees to grow in a position they despise.

Native trees from our past
Our native trees provided the early Irish with fuel, food, shelter, building materials and on occasion certain trees became elevated to level of deity due to their supposed magical attributes. The native tree became a gift from Mother Nature to these early gardeners.

Which trees are native, which are blow-ins.
Now I know there are many people out there including gardeners who may not be able to pick out which trees are native and which trees are blow-ins, so I have a plan. My plan is to introduce you to these native trees, they have survived invaders, famine, battles and storms to become the original Irish trees, which our ancestors knew.

Joshua · Hazel Tree Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 2

Hi folks !

How about the Alder Buckthorn ( Frangula Alnus)? It is an often overlooked tree which should be planted more often because it is becoming rare.

Black Poplar ? Another rarely planted native tree.

Also you are missing Hazel and Holly or are these considered shrubs?

Is there anywhere on the web with a definitive list of Irish native trees ?

Thanks for the great post though, lots of great info here.

GPI

Joshua · Hazel Tree Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 2

Is there a list available of all the native trees ?
Or is there a book you could recommend that has this info ?
I have been looking online but can only find incomplete lists or conflicting information.
This is the best source of infomation I have found and GPI realy knows his stuff !

Geranimus · Hazel Tree Joined: 09 May 2007 Posts: 1

I don't know about a comprehensive list, but the Tree Council of Ireland have an excellent booklet (beautifully illustrated too) which they will post to you if you send them just 2 euros and a stamped envelope. I asked for extra info in my covering letter and they returned a package with a veritable feast, as well as the book.

They're in Dublin:

Tree Council of Ireland

The Park, Cabinteeley,
Dublin 18.
Ph. 00353 1 2849211
Fx. 00353 1 2849197
Email trees@treecouncil.ie

I think this is a must-do step for those starting out growing trees. But I'm in my third year now and need more help myself so more suggestions are welcome.

Tom.
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