The Endangered Trees of Sheffield and Other UK Cities

Save Sheffield's Trees

The endangered trees of Sheffield are a big concern for me, and a growing number of people from all walks of life. Not just local residents, but celebrities, such as Bianca Jagger and Jarvis Cocker, have joined the campaign to save the trees. Even Michael Gove, who is  Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, spoke out and accused Sheffield City Council of committing “environmental vandalism.”

What is happening in Sheffield, where thousands of trees have been felled, is bad enough but it is happening in many other UK cities too. Cardiff, Swansea, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Brighton, and London, are some of the ones I have heard of where trees are being so needlessly felled. I keep hearing of more places where trees are under threat or have been destroyed. A report in The Guardian, states that, over the last three years, as many as 8,414 trees were felled in Newcastle, 4,778 were removed in the county of Wiltshire, and a massive 4,435 got the chop in Edinburgh. The more I have got involved in the battle to save Britain’s city street trees, the more I have found out, and the more concerned I have become.

As it is, I often worry about what is happening to the countryside and wildlife of the UK. I keep reading of the declining numbers of so many species of flora and fauna, and sadly it doesn’t surprise me. The habitats animals and plants need are rapidly being destroyed. Among these habitats are forests, and now city trees are in danger too, and many have already been lost. City trees provide homes for wildlife, nesting and roosting places for birds, food for caterpillars of moths and butterflies, and nectar for bees. City trees help to clean the air, as well as providing the natural beauty of their greenery.

White Letter Hairstreak (Photo: Public Domain)

In Sheffield, there was the threat to a surviving elm tree and an entire colony of the endangered white letter hairstreak it supports. This little butterfly has caterpillars that can only feed on elms. After much protest about this potential eco-crime, there was even talk of relocation efforts and a scheme in which butterfly eggs were going to be looked for an moved to other elms. I was not alone in not having much faith in this plan working.

So why is this destruction of British trees happening? Making money and saving money appears to be the answer. Development companies make money by destroying what is there and putting something new in its place. Corrupt city councils save money by not having to pay for the maintenance of established trees. It is much easier to maintain a road with no trees or few trees than one with lines of mature trees. It is much easier to say trees are being replaced, and then plant some saplings, many of which will actually die. It is easy for city councillors to say they care about the health of residents and that they want to see a green city and improve air quality for the future, but then take actions which betray their words, which are just political lies.

The story of Sheffield’s trees is a tragic one. Its main players are Labour councillors and Amey plc versus campaigners who are doing all they can to stop mature and healthy trees from being killed and removed. Police and security forces have been called in to enable the tree killers from Amey to be able to get on with their destructive work.  Bizarre but true news stories have been reported, for example, of over 30 police on duty to enable one tree to be chopped down. The situation has become so crazy it is almost unbelievable, almost surreal. A woman protester was arrested for playing a toy trumpet and a priest for playing a tambourine! Campaigners, who are the true heroes and heroines when it comes to the plight of Sheffield’s trees and efforts to save them, are treated as criminals and ending up in court, while the true crooks walk free.

The public have been lied to by politicians that claim to care about their communities, and many people have learned from this that Labour councillors they voted for did not live up to their image, and were no better than their Tory counterparts after all.

The tree-felling in Sheffield has got worse and worse with respect to how the public have been treated. It has got so bad that not only are protesters being arrested on nonsensical charges by heavy-handed police but operations to fell the trees are being carried out under cover of darkness and several trees have already been killed this way.

Save Roath Trees

Save Roath Trees Sign (Photo: Steve Andrews)

It was in Cardiff that I first got involved when I went along to the parks in Roath where trees along Roath Brook had been felled or marked for future felling. Here it was not Amey plc to blame for the destruction but Natural Resources Wales, that had approved a flood defense scheme, even though there had been no flooding. Residents were rightly annoyed and saddened to see trees that provided part of the beauty of the park, and homes for wildlife, being callously marked as targets for removal. Roath Brook supports all sorts of wildlife, including kingfishers, and there have been reports of the endangered water vole living here too.

Disappearing Trees of Roath (Photo: Steve Andrews)

This haven for wildlife is not far from bustling city streets and should surely be looked after and treasured? Removing a large number of its varied tree species can only damage the site. To find that an organisation, supposedly in charge of looking after the Welsh environment was backing this eco-vandalism is shocking. But perhaps not if we think about what the word “Resources” means to these people. To my mind, this is where a great deal of the world’s problems have their source. The natural world is so often viewed as “resources”, that can be bought and sold, resources that can be used or abused by people, who so arrogantly think themselves superior to nature, not part of it and dependent on it.

Fortunately, the ‘work’ in Cardiff has been put on temporary hold, but it is by no means a victory for campaigners yet, and elsewhere in the city other trees and wildlife habitats are under threat. Redrow plc/Redrow Homes is a housing construction company that have started work on the Plasdwr development project, covered in another of my blogs. Campaigners in Liverpool are hoping to stop this company from destroying trees and parkland at Harthill and Calderstones Park.

Redrow Danger Sign (Photo: Steve Andrews)

I actually had a tweet from someone at Redrow after I had been talking about these matters at Twitter: "Hi Steve. We are translocating existing hedgerows as well as planting new native trees at our PlasDwr development. We are currently developing a new biodiversity strategy which focuses on ensuring net gains for biodiversity on our developments.  Kind regards, Nicola" My response to this was asking how can destroying established trees help ensure biodiversity when it destroys existing habitats and species that depend on them, and pointing out new trees take a long time to grow to the size of those replaced. It remains unanswered.

Stand By Tree

Singing and standing by Tree

So what can we do to help save our trees? My answer, as a singer-songwriter and performer was to sing about it. I changed the lyrics of Stand By Me to “Stand By Tree,” and “All we are saying is give peace a chance” to “All we are saying is give TREES a chance.” And also I have changed the lyrics to "Everybody's talking 'bout Jarvis Cocker, he's a rocker, celebrities, saving trees. All we are saying..."

I have been active on social media reporting on the subject of the protest campaigns to save the trees of the UK. I was made into a poster-boy for the campaigns and was interviewed by Jonathan Downes for his GONZO Weekly too.

Other activists have held public demonstrations or put themselves in the way of the tree-fellers. Many have signed petitions, and like myself, used the social media and news-media to have their say. Some brave but unlucky protesters, including poet, singer and musician Benoit Benz Compin, have found themselves under arrest. But we must carry on doing whatever we can.

I am writing a new song and it contains the lines:

"Who will stop the destruction of so many trees?
Who will save the birds, the butterflies, and bees?
It comes down to the protesters,
To campaigners, like you and I,
We cannot let them kill our world,
We cannot let it die."

Here Be Dragons

The Mysterious Dragon Tree Produces Dragon's Blood

Dragon Tree (Photo: Pixabay)

The dragon tree (Dracaena draco) is a very weird-looking plant that grows to the size of a tree and can live a very long time. One known as the “Drago Milenario,”  that grows in Icod de los Vinos in Tenerife, is said to be 1000-years-old or more, though other estimates put it at more like 650 years.

Drago Milenario (Photo: Pixabay)

Dragon's Blood

The dragon’s tree is the source of a resinous substance known as dragon’s blood, which is formed when the tree is cut. The sap that oozes out dries a dark red colour. Dragon’s blood is said to have magical and medicinal properties. It has been used in varnish and also as an ingredient in incense.

Dragon trees are native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Madeira but are very rare in the wild, though extensively planted in parks, gardens, and public squares. Having lived in Tenerife for many years, I was used to seeing them around the island, so was very pleasantly surprised to find specimens of the dragon tree growing well here in Iberia too. I have seen them in Gibraltar and there are some rather splendid examples in the botanical gardens of the University of Lisbon. The dragon tree has also been introduced to the Azores.

The dragon tree grows very slowly and can take around 10 years just to reach 1 metre in height. It can flower for the first time then but will not branch until it has flowered. Each branch then takes a long time before it flowers and branches again. As this process continues the dragon tree produces a characteristic umbrella or mushroom-shaped crown of branches. Dragon trees produce spikes of perfumed whitish flowers which develop into orange-red berries, each one containing one or two very hard and almost globular seeds.

Dragon Tree Berries (Photo: Steve Andrews)

The dragon tree seed takes a month or even longer to germinate from seed and first of all produces a rosette of spiky and leathery evergreen leaves. The silvery and scarred trunk gets formed as the plant grows bigger and the lower leaves die and get removed.

The lower branches produce aerial roots which hang down and have been likened to a dragon’s beard. These roots can fuse with the trunk as they descend and reach the soil and in this way very broad and curious-looking trunks get formed in very old specimens.

Dragon trees are monocotyledons in the Asparagaceae or asparagus family, and do not produce annual rings inside their trunks. Because counting these rings is the usual way of discovering the age of a tree, it is very hard to work out how old a dragon tree actually is. It is done by counting the branching points and estimating how long it has taken to form these.

La Orotava Dragon Tree (Photo: Public Domain)

There was once an enormous dragon tree in La Orotava in Tenerife that was even bigger and older than the Drago Milenario, mentioned earlier. The naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt was amazed when he saw its height and girth. This dragon tree was 70 feet (21 m) tall and 45 feet (14 m) in circumference, and was believed to be 6000 years old. It was destroyed by gales in a terrible storm in 1868.

Heads of a Dragon Tree (Photo: Pixabay)

In Greek Mythology

Not surprisingly there is much folklore and myth built up about this strange tree, and the story goes that the first dragon trees grew when the legendary hero Hercules of Greek mythology killed the hundred-headed dragon Ladon, who was guarding the Garden of the Hesperides. Where the blood of the monster fell little dragon trees sprouted.

Dragon trees are easy enough to grow from seed but you need a lot of patience to wait for them to germinate and to produce much growth, although this plant will make a very interesting houseplant when young and a wonderful addition to the subtropical garden when bigger. They are drought resistant, and in the wild they often grow on rocky hillsides and cliffs.

Ready-grown dragon trees are sometimes available from gardening centres and ornamental plant suppliers and buying one this way could be the easier option for getting hold of one. However you get your own dragon tree, it will certainly make a great talking point, and the plant could still be alive hundreds, and maybe thousands of years, from now!

NB: Originally published in Mediterranean Gardening & Outdoor Living, July 2015.

The Ancient Herbalists Assigned Herbs to Planetary Rulers

Why the Ancient Herbalists Assigned Herbs to Astrological Rulers

Nicholas Culpeper (Photo: Public Domain)

As far as we know, there are no more planets in this Solar System that have plants growing on them, though some people have suggested there may be vegetation of some sort on Mars. Ancient herbalists, however, had a system of assigning herbs to planetary rulers; in other words, they claimed that deities linked with the heavenly bodies held dominion over herbs that grow on Earth. Let us take a look at a selection of herbs that were placed under the astrological ruling of other planets, and see why it might have been that herbalists, like Culpeper, decided to assign them to specific heavenly rulers.

Herbs of Mars

Dragon Tree (Photo: Public Domain)

Nicholas Culpeper was one of the most famous herbalists who believed that medicinal and culinary plants could be grouped in this way, according to their various characteristics that were linked to those of a specific god or goddess. For example, because Mars was regarded as the god of war, herbs that had something aggressive about their physical appearance or something that resembled blood, were candidates for being ruled by this planet. The strange Dragon Tree (Dracaena draco) is a perfect example of a herb ruled by Mars because it has sword-shaped leaves, reddish-coloured berries and it bleeds a resinous sap that goes a dark red when dry and is known as dragon’s blood. The Dragon Tree comes from the Canary Islands, and a specimen in the town of Icod de los Vinos is thought to be 1,000-years-old or more. It is known as the "Drago Milenario," has its own park, and is a tourist attraction nowadays.

Steve Andrews explains why the Dragon Tree is a herb of Mars

Mistletoe (Photo: Public Domain)

Herbs of the Sun

Herbs of the Sun include the Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and the Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis). These two plants have petals that radiate out from a central disk like the rays of the Sun, and the Sunflower is, of course, a bright yellow, which is a colour linked with the central star of our Solar System. The St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is another herb in this group. It has yellow star-shaped flowers and is harvested in midsummer when the Sun is at its strongest and the days are at their longest. St John’s Wort has become well-known as a herbal antidepressant, and one of its alternative names is Sunshine Herb. Mistletoe (Viscum album) is an herb of the Sun because it was traditionally harvested by Druids at the time of the Winter Solstice. It was cut down from an oak tree using a golden sickle.

White Water Lily (Photo: Public Domain)

Herbs of the Moon

Herbs ruled by the Moon were often ones that are associated with water, because the Moon is linked with the oceans because it causes the tides. White flowers or a silvery colour on the foliage are other characteristics linked with the Moon, and plants that have something to do with the night might also be thought of as herbs of the Moon. The White Water Lily (Nymphaea alba) is a herb ruled by the Moon. This is because of its white flowers, rounded leaves, like full Moons, and because it grows in lakes and ponds. The Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) has white blooms and its perfume is strongest at night. The White Willow (Salix alba) is another herb under the dominion of the Moon. Willows, of course, like to grow by water. The Lettuce species (Lactuca spp.) are ruled by the Moon too. This is because they have a white milky sap if cut. This sap is known as "Lettuce opium" and has similar sedative effects.

Fennel (Photo: Public Domain)

Herbs of Mercury

Mercury was thought of as the messenger of the gods, so herbs ruled by this planet have to really communicate to us in some way. Strongly aromatic herbs were often chosen as herbs of Mercury. The Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a great example of a herb in this group. It communicates to our senses with the visual appeal of its tall graceful stems and ferny foliage, to our tastes with its sweet and spicy flavour like aniseed, and with its scent like anise when crushed. It is used both as a culinary herb and in herbal medicine.

Periwinkle (Photo: Public Domain)

Herbs of Venus

Herbs ruled by Venus, not surprisingly include the Rose, which is a symbol of love and passion, and, of course, Venus is the Goddess of Love. The pretty blue-flowered Periwinkle (Vinca spp.) is another herb in this group, and this is because it has been used in love potions and spells. It was thought that merely sprinkling this herb under the bed of a couple of lovers would increase their passion. In fact, the Periwinkle is a poisonous plant but that never stopped it being linked with love.

Lime Tree (Photo: Public Domain)

Herbs of Jupiter

Jupiter is a giant planet and expansion is one of the characteristics associated with it as a planetary ruler. Various trees come under its dominion because of their spreading branches. One of them is the Lime Tree (Tilia spp.), a tree which gives us lime flower tea, which is known to help relaxation and is very popular in many parts of Europe. It was once thought that anyone suffering from epilepsy would be healed by merely sitting under a Lime's branches. The Oak (Quercus) is a very important and sacred tree for Druids, and it too comes under the rulership of Jupiter.

Deadly Nightshade (Photo: Public Domain)

Herbs of Saturn

Saturn is another gigantic planet and famous for its rings. To the Ancient Herbalists it was associated with the passing of time and with old age and death. It symbolises the “Grim Reaper.” Many poisonous herbs come under its dominion. The Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna), the Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger), Hemlock (Conium maculatum) and Monkshood (Aconitum napellus) are all very dangerous herbs that were once used by witches as ingredients for their “flying ointments.” The Morning Glory (Ipomoea violacea) is another herb under the dominion of Saturn. Its flower has a circular mouth to a funnel-shape and could remind us of the Rings of Saturn. Its seeds, especially in varieties like "Heavenly Blue," contain lysergic acid amide, which as hallucinogenic effects and has often been used by hippies and shamans because of this. This flower looks so beautiful it could be from another world, and its psychoactive effects could make you feel like you were on one.

Morning Glory (Photo: Steve Andrews)

In Conclusion

Thinking about how the herbalists assigned various herbs to the rulership of planetary deities, according to their characteristics, certainly makes for a fascinating study and something for us to think about. My new book Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets (Moon Books) explores this subject in greater detail.

Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets explained by author Steve Andrews

A day out in London exploring nature

A day out in London exploring nature

Magpie in tree in Regent's Park  (Photo: Ashley Coates)

London is a massive and bustling city in the UK, but surprisingly, despite all its shops and streets, and traffic and buildings, it is a good place for exploring nature if you know where to go. As a matter of fact, as much as 47% of London is actually green space, though this may not be evident if you are just looking at all its building developments, housing and roads.

If you are a naturalist with a special interest in a particular area of study, you can come to London and spend an interesting time there seeing what you can find. For example, a botanist can see how many wildflowers they can find growing in the urban environment, and see what trees they can discover in the city’s streets, parks and gardens. If you are a bird-spotter, you can be on the lookout for different species, and it is possible to get some surprises.

The very rare bittern is a species that has been seen in wetlands just a few km from the city centre. The American robin made national news and excited twitchers when it was seen in London in the Peckham Rye station area back in 2006.

American Robin (Photo: Tim Sackton)

Regent’s Park

It is the parks that are the obvious place to look for nature and the city of London has a wonderful selection of parklands, which are home to all sorts of incredible wildlife. Regent’s Park not only supports an interesting flora and fauna in the wild, including frogs, toads, common newts, herons, cormorants, bats, hedgehogs, foxes, and as many as 21 species of British butterfly, but is also home to London Zoo, which is worth a visit to see many exotic species.

Urban fox (Photo: brett jordan)

Where to stay on a Day Trip to London

Perhaps you have already heard about what a great place the big city can be for connecting with nature, and have decided to make a day trip to London? Perhaps you are planning to take a look at some of its parks but fancy somewhere to be able to rest between morning and afternoon explorations. There are plenty of hotels by the hour on DayBreakHotels site, where you can book a room for your use just for the day. Having such a hotel room can be convenient as a place to leave any baggage you brought with you and also for any shopping you may have done while in London. Even though your day trip is to discover nature and urban wildlife you may well be tempted by the incredible range of shops on offer in London. Convenience is important for you to get the most out of your day in the big city and Hyde Park is in convenient distance to Regent's Park.

Hyde Park

Heron and spring flowers in Hyde Park (Photo: Sarah Castillo)

Hyde Park is a popular park in the heart of London that is a great place for spotting wildlife, and on a day trip to the city perhaps you could visit this park in the second half of your day.  Hyde Park has plenty of wildflowers in its meadow and the these plants attract lots of butterflies and pollinators in summer. The Serpentine Lake attracts many waterbirds including great crested grebes. The park has a great variety of birds, including long-tailed tits, dunnocks and robins, and buzzards have been sighted here too.

Go Wild In the City

There are also organisations in London that provide services that help introduce residents and visitors. Wildinthecity is one such non-profit organisation that provides guided walks in the green spaces and natural areas of the London area, and includes foraging, bushcraft and camping in the wild as skills you can learn. Wildinthecity shows people how to connect with nature and teaches about the pleasures to be gained outdoors, as well as how to identify edible fruits and plants, for example.

Foraging for berries (Photo: Simon James)

London may be a busy metropolis but is still a wonderful place for discovering the natural world.

Why are Portugal's Pines and Palms Dying?

Portugal’s Palm and Pine Trees are under attack

Dead Pine (Photo: Steve Andrews)

As you travel around in Portugal you can’t hope but notice the dead palms and dead and dying pine trees, but what is causing this disaster? It is a combination of drought, disease, and in the case of the pines, because of a tiny nematode worm and species of beetles that transport it. The pines and palms of Portugal are under attack. Let’s take a look at the two problems, starting with the pines.

Male Pine Wilt Nematode (Photo: A. Steven Munson, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org)

Pine trees, which are a very common tree in the forests of Portugal, are under threat from a very tiny worm known as the pine wilt nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), which causes “pine wilt,” as well as from a fungus known to science as Fusarium circinatum, which causes pitch canker disease. The worm’s name is often abbreviated to the letters PWN.

The nematode worms are spread to healthy trees by bark beetles and wood borer beetles that have become infested with the worms in a dead and decaying tree. After a tree is infected the needles become brown and the tree can die within a matter of months. The early stage of this nematode does not feed directly on the pinewood but on fungi in the decaying wood. Once the worm is in a healthy tree it feeds within the resin canals and spreads throughout the roots, trunk and branches. It reproduces rapidly in summer. It first caused terrible and noticeable tree loss in Japan in 1905, but is found in and has spread in many other parts of the world, including America, Canada, Mexico, China and Korea. In Europe it has become a problem in Portugal, and there are serious concerns that it could spread to other countries, including the UK, where it would be a threat to the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).

Monochamus galloprovincialis (Photo: Siga)

In Europe, the pine wilt nematode is known to be spread by the Timberman Beetle (Monochamus galloprovincialis). In Japan the epidemics have been particularly bad in hot, dry summers, and the problem appears to be spreading in drought conditions experienced in Portugal. Drought weakens the trees and they become prone to attack by beetles.

I have become alerted to the pine wood nematode by witnessing the dead and dying pines near where I live in the Quinta do Conde area. The authorities here are chopping the trees down and then cutting up the trunks in an effort to deal with this threat to the forests. The wood can be fumigated or kiln-dried to kill the worms and beetles or it can be burned or chipped.

Infected pines (Photo: Steve Andrews)

Some species of pine appear to be more resistant to attacks by PWN than others. This can be seen in forests where there are stands of dead trees and others surviving.

Red Palm Weevil

Destroyed Palm Crown (Photo: Kuchenkraut)

The threat to the palms of Portugal, and to those in many other countries around the world, is being caused by an insect known as the Red Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus). The grub of this weevil eats the crown of the tree and burrows into the palm trunks making a long tunnel and killing its host as it does so. The adult insects are quite attractive and large, reaching a size of between 2 and 4cm.

Red Palm Weevil (Photo: Luigi Barraco)

The females lay their eggs on palms, especially in the crowns, and on recently pruned leaf scars and in lesions in the trunks. They can lay as many as 500 in total and an infestation of these weevil larvae will kill the host palm. After eating their fill the grubs pupate in a cocoon they weave of palm fibres and usually make in leaf litter.

The insects attack many species of palm, although a favourite for this weevil is the Canary Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis), a very popular ornamental palm that is frequently planted in gardens, parks and in city streets and squares. The Date Palm (P. dactylifera) is also a victim of this pest. Fortunately the Washingtonia palms seem to be resistant to attacks by the insect. The weevils can fly and this is how they invade new territory but they can also be transported in infested palms.

In Portugal, most of damage caused by Red Palm Weevils has taken place in the Algarve and south of the country, but over the years this insect pest has spread to other parts as well. In the heart of Lisbon you will see what’s left of palms that have been killed by the Red Palm Weevil.

In some parts of the world, including Borneo, Vietnam and Indonesia, the grubs are regarded as a delicacy, and are eaten alive or cooked. In countries, like Spain and Portugal, they are a very serious problem that are destroying ornamental palms.

There are various ways of treating infested palms, and insecticides injected into the trunk is a method that has often been used. It is possible to save palms under attack by these insects but often the damage has become to severe and a very beautiful tree will die and get removed.

Both palms and pines add to the beauty of Portugal and it would be tragic if they were lost from many parts of the country.