Tree Characteristics – Reference

Botanical name	Common name	Average Ultimate Height	Soil Type	Tolerance	Growth Rate	Wildlife Value	C/D	Suitability	Notes
Acer campestre	Field Maple	Hedge / Small / Medium	All	Shade	Medium	Medium	Deciduous	Countryside	Good autumn colour
Acer pseudoplatanus	Sycamore	Large	Poor	All	Medium / Fast	Low	Deciduous	All	Must be carefully sited, very invasive
Aesculus hippocastanum	Horse Chestnut	Large	All	All	Fast	Low	Deciduous	Urban	Flowers and conkers
Alnus glutinosa	Common Alder	Medium	Poor / Wet	All	Fast	Medium	Deciduous	Urban	Inland wet valleys by streams
Araucaria araucana	Monkey Puzzle	Medium / Large	All	Exposed	Slow	Low	Evergreen	Countryside
Atriplex halimus	Shrubby Orache	Hedge / Small	Sandy	Soastal / Exposed	Slow	Low	Semi - Evergreen	Coastal	Semi-evergreen
Betula pendula	Silver Birch	Medium	Sandy	All	Fast	High	Deciduous	Countryside / Urban
Carpinus betulus	Hornbeam	Hedge / Medium / Large	All	Shade	Medium	Medium	Deciduous	Countryside	Not suitable as hedging in countryside
Castanea sativa	Sweet Chestnut	Large	Sandy	All	Medium	Medium	Deciduous	Countryside / Urban	Good for red squirrels
Cordyline australis	Cabbage Tree	Small	All	All	Slow	Low	Deciduous	Urban	May be susceptible to cold and frost
Corylus avellana	Hazel	Hedge / Small	All	Shade	Fast	Medium	Evergreen	Countryside	Good for red squirrels
Crataegus monogyna	Hawthorn	Hedge / Small / Medium	Poor / Shady	Coastal / Exposed	Medium	High	Deciduous	Countryside	May suffer from fireblight
Cupressus macrocarpa	Monterey Cypress	Hedge / Small / Large	Poor / Sandy	Coastal / Exposed	Fast	Low	Evergreen	Coastal	Not suitable in many country locations
Euonymus japonicus	Euonymus	Hedge / Small	Shady	Coastal	Medium	Low	Evergreen	Coastal
Fagus sylvatica	Beech	Hedge / Large	All	Shade	Slow	Medium	Deciduous	Coastal / Urban	Not suitable as hedging in countryside
Ficus carica	Fig	Medium	Poor	All	Medium	Low	Deciduous	Urban	Often found on old farms
Fraxinus excelsior	Ash	Large	All	Coastal / Exposed	Medium / Fast	Medium	Deciduous	All
Ilex aquifolium	Holly	Hedge / Small / Medium	All	Shade / Coastal	Fast	Medium	Evergreen	All	Good as woodland understorey
Mespilus germanica	Medlar	Small	All	All	Medium	Medium	Deciduous	Countryside / Urban	Seen occasionally in hedges & woods
Pinus radiata	Monterey Pine	Large	Sandy	Coastal	Fast	Low	Evergreen	Coastal / Urban	Can become large and dominating
Pinus sylvestris	Scots Pine	Large	Poor / Sandy	Exposed	Medium	Medium	Evergreen	Countryside / Urban	Good for red squirrels
Populus alba	White Poplar	Medium	Sandy	Coastal	Fast	Medium	Deciduous	Coastal	Must be carefully sited in countryside
Populus tremula	Aspen	Medium	Wet	Coastal / Exposed	Fast	High	Deciduous	All
Prunus avium	Wild Cherry	Medium	All	All	Medium	Medium	Deciduous	Countryside / Urban
Prunus spinosa	Blackthorn	Hedge / Small	Poor / Sandy	Coastal / Exposed	Medium	High	Deciduous	Countryside / Coastal	Fruits are used to make sloe gin
Quercus cerris	Turkey Oak	Large	Sandy	Exposed	Medium	Low	Deciduous	Coastal / Urban	Must be carefully sited, very invasive
Ouercus ilex	Holm Oak	Hedge / Large	Sandy	All	Slow	Low	Deciduous	All	Not suitable in many country locations
Quercus robur	Common Oak	Large	Poor	Exposed	Slow / Medium	High	Deciduous	Countryside / Urban	Becomes stunted in exposed conditions
Salix cinerea	Common Sallow	Small	Wet	All	Fast	High	Deciduous	Countryside	Inland wet valleys by streams
Sambucus nigra	Elder	Hedge / Small	Poor	Shade / Coastal	Fast	Medium	Deciduous	All
Tamarix gallica	Tamarisk	Hedge / Medium	Shady	Coastal	Medium / Fast	Low	Semi - Evergreen	Coastal	Semi-evergreen
Taxus baccata	Yew	Hedge / Medium	All	Shade / Exposed	Slow	Medium	Evergreen	Coastal / Urban	Most parts of the tree are poisonous
Tilia x vulgaris	Common Lime	Large	All	All	Medium	Low	Deciduous	Countryside	Aphids produce sticky honeydew
Ulex europeaus	Gorse	Small	Sandy	Coastal / Exposed	All	Medium	Evergreen	Coastal	Flowers nearly all year round
Ulmus spp.	Elm	Large	All	Coastal / Exposed	Medium	Medium	Deciduous	All	Only consider disease-resistant varieties

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