Oaks

An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus, of which about 600 species exist.  The genus is native to the Northern Hemisphere, and includes deciduous and evergreen species extending from cool temperate to tropical latitudes in Asia and the Americas.

Oaks have spirally arranged leaves, with lobed margins in many species; some have serrated leaves or entire leaves with smooth margins. Many deciduous species are marcescent, not dropping dead leaves until spring. The flowers are catkins, produced in spring. The fruit is a nut called an acorn, borne in a cup-like structure known as a cupule; each acorn contains one seed (rarely two or three) and takes 6–18 months to mature, depending on species.

In Ireland the most common oaks are:

Sessile - Quercus Petraea

Peduncular Oak (Irish) - Quercus robus

The oaks are one of the most valuable biodiversity plants. They can support over 300 species of wild life (insects and birds mainly).

Pines can also support a handful.

Araucaria - Monkey puzzle

Latin plant name Araucaria Common plant name Monkey puzzle Plant type Conifer evergreen tree Size (meters) < 40 m Distinguishing features Because of the species' great age it is sometimes described as a living fossil. Araucaria araucana is the national tree of Chile. The leaves are thick, tough and scale-like, triangular, 3–4 cm long, 1–3 cm broad at the base, and with sharp edges and tip. They persist for 10–15 years or more, so cover most of the tree except for the older branches. It is usually dioecious, with the male and female cones on separate trees, though occasional individuals bear cones of both sexes. The male (pollen) cones are oblong and cucumber-shaped, 4 cm long at first, expanding to 8–12 cm long by 5–6 cm broad at pollen release. The tree is wind pollinated. The female (seed) cones, which mature in autumn about 18 months after pollination, are globose.

Leylandis

Latin plant name Cupressus x leylandii Common plant name Leylandii Plant type Coniferous evergreen tree Size (meters) < 15 m Distinguishing features Rapid and thick growing. Leyland Cypress is light-demanding but is tolerant of high levels of pollution and salt spray. A hardy, fast-growing natural hybrid, it thrives on a variety of soils and sites are commonly planted in gardens to provide a quick boundary or shelter hedge, because of their rapid growth. Although widely used for screening, it has not been planted much for forestry purposes.

Myrthus - Myrtle

Latin plant name Myrtus Common plant name Myrtle Plant type Evergreen shrub Size (meters) <1,5 - 3 m Distinguishing features The leaf is entire, 3–5 cm long, with a fragrant essential oil. The star-like flower has five petals and sepals, and numerous stamens. Petals usually are white. The fruit is a round berry containing several seeds, most commonly blue-black in colour. A variety with yellow-amber berries is also present. The flower is pollinated by insects, and the seeds are dispersed by birds that eat the berries. It flowers in the late summer. It is used in the islands of Sardinia and Corsica to produce an aromatic liqueur called "Mirto".

Arbutus unedo - Strawberry tree

Latin plant name Arbutus unedo Common plant name Strawberry tree Plant type Evergreen shrub Size (meters) < 5 - 10 m Distinguishing features The leaves are dark green and glossy. The hermaphrodite flowers are white (rarely pale pink) The fruit is a red berry, 1–2 cm diameter, with a rough surface, maturing 12 months at the same time as the next flowering. The fruit is edible, though many people find it bland and meally; Grows well in limy soils. Arbutus unedo is widespread in the Mediterranean region, western France, western Ireland, southern Portugal and western Turkey. Its disjunct distribution, with an isolated relict population in southwestern Ireland, notably in Killarney, is a remnant of former broader distribution during the milder climate of the Atlantic period It is the symbol of Madrid city. It is the only plant that is native (it survived the ice age) to Ireland and not to the UK.

Berberis

Latin plant name Berberis Common plant name Plant type Evergreen shrub Size (meters) <1,5 - 3 m Distinguishing features Many deciduous species are noted for their attractive pink or red autumn colour. In some evergreen species from China the leaves are brilliant white beneath, a feature valued horticulturally. The flowers are produced singly or in racemes of up to 20 on a single flower-head. They are yellow or orange, 3-6 mm long. The fruit is a small berry 5-15 mm long. They work very good for hedging. Very thorny.

Magnolia

Latin plant name Magnolia Common plant name Magnolia Plant type Flowering plant Size (meters) < 2 m Distinguishing features The flowers evolved to encourage pollination by beetles. To avoid damage from pollinating beetles, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are extremely tough. It is a suitable plant for schools gardens.

Choisya ternata

Latin plant name Choisya ternata Common plant name Mexican orange Plant type Aromatic evergreen shrub Size (meters) < 2 m Distinguishing features Choisya species are popular ornamental plants in areas with mild winters, grown primarily for their abundant and fragrant flowers. The foliage is also aromatic, smelling of rue when bruised or cut.

Photinia fraseri - Red robbin

Latin plant name Photinia fraseri Common plant name Red robbin Plant type Evergreen shrub Size (meters) < 2 m Distinguishing features Photinias typically grow from 3–15 m tall, with a usually irregular crown of angular branches; the branches are often (not always) thorny. The leaves are alternate, entire or finely toothed. The majority of species are evergreen but several are deciduous. The flowers are produced in early summer in dense terminal corymbs; each flower is 5–10 mm diameter, with five rounded white petals; they have a mild, hawthorn-like scent. The fruit is a small pome, 4–12 mm across, bright red and berry-like.

Buxus sempervirens - Boxwood

Latin plant name Buxus sempervirens Common plant name Boxwood Plant type Woody evergreen shrub Size (meters) < 35 m Distinguishing features Arranged in opposite pairs along the stems, the leaves are green to yellow-green. Slow growth of box renders the wood ("boxwood") very hard (possibly the hardest in Europe) and heavy, and free of grain produced by growth rings, making it ideal for cabinet-making, the crafting of clarinets, engraving, marquetry, woodturning, tool handles, mallet heads and as a substitute for ivory. It was used for the propellers in I World War. The biggest boxwood trees (35m) are found in Ireland because they were not cut down during the war.

Thuja

Latin plant name Thuja  Common plant name Thuja Plant type Evergreen tree Size (meters) < 3 m Distinguishing features The leaves are arranged in flattened fan shaped groupings with resin-glands, and oppositely grouped in 4 ranks. The mature leaves are different from younger leaves, with those on larger branchlets having sharp, erect, free apices. Several species are widely known as cedar but because they are not true cedars (Cedrus) it has been recommended to call them redcedars or whitecedars.

Aucuba japonica - Spotted laurel

Latin plant name Aucuba japonica Common plant name Spotted laurel Plant type Evergreen woody shrub Size (meters) < 1,5 m Distinguishing features The leaves are opposite, broad lanceolate. Aucuba japonica are dioecious, they have separate male and female plants. The flowers are small, 4-8 mm diameter, with four purplish-brown petals. The fruit is a red berry approximately 1 cm in diameter, which is avoided by birds.

Laurus novelis - Bay laurel

Latin plant name Laurus novelis Common plant name Bay laurel Plant type Hedge evergreen shrub Size (meters) < 1,5 m Distinguishing features Dark ornamental leaves. Yellow flowers in spring followed by green and then black fruits. It is idea for shapping but needs to keep trimming it. Bay is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is used to create single erect stems with ball-shaped, box-shaped or twisted crowns; also for low hedges. Laurel oil is a main ingredient, and the distinguishing characteristic of Aleppo soap. Aleppo soap is revered worldwide for its skin care properties. The plant is the source of several popular spices used in a wide variety of recipes, particularly among Mediterranean cuisines.

Prunus laurocerasus - Cherry laurel

Latin plant name Prunus laurocerasus Common plant name Cherry laurel Plant type Evergreen shrub Size (meters) < 2 m Distinguishing features It flowers in April, with white spiky florets growing along stems up to 10 cms long. These are followed by small black fruits. The fruits are poisonous for dogs. This is a very useful shrub for hedging and screening since it is dense and fast-growing. Although the common names of Prunus laurocerasus refer to the similarity of foliage and appearance to bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, the true laurel, in the Lauraceae family), the two plants are in fact unrelated, being not only in different genera but also different families.

Viburnum davidii

Latin plant name Viburnum davidii Common plant name Viburnum Plant type Woody evergreen shrub Size (meters) < 2 m Distinguishing features The flowers are produced in corymbs 5–15 cm across, each flower white to cream or pink, small, 3–5 mm across, with five petals, strongly fragrant in some species. The fruit is a spherical, oval or somewhat flattened drupe, red to purple, blue, or black, and containing a single seed; some are mildly poisonous to people.

Crocosmia - Montbretia

Latin plant name Crocosmia Common plant name Montbretia Plant type Perennial herbaceous bulbous Size (meters) < 0,5 m Distinguishing features Orange flowers, long green leaves. These flower from early summer well into fall. The fertile flowers are hermaphroditic. They are pollinated by insects, birds (hummingbirds) or by the wind. When the plant does not give flowers, it means that the bulbs have gotten to tight and need to be split.

Ilex x meserveae - Blue holly

Latin plant name Ilex x meserveae Common plant name Blue holly Plant type Woody evergreen shrub Size (meters) < 2 m Distinguishing features Cultivated holly from Germany. It doesn't have berries and the leaves are not prickly. Low maintenance. It can stand very low temperatures. Ideal for hedging. When the leaves are very light it means that they are not doing the photosynthesis.

Ilex aquifolium - Common holly

Latin plant name Ilex aquifolium Common plant name Common holly Plant type Woody evergreen shrub Size (meters) 1-10 m Distinguishing features Holly is dioecious, meaning that there are male plants and female plants.  In male specimens, the flowers are yellowish and appear in axillary groups. In the female, flowers are isolated or in groups of three and are small and white or slightly pink, and consist of four petals and four sepals partially fused at the base. has bright red berries. It is a slow growing shrub.

Hebe - Green globe

Latin plant name Hebe Common plant name Green globe Plant type Woody evergreen shrub Size (meters) 50 - 100 cm Distinguishing features Low maintenance. Its leaves arrange around the stam in a square fashion. No flowers.

Taxus baccata - Yew tree

Latin plant name Taxus baccata Common plant name Yew tree Plant type Conifer tree  Size (meters) 10 - 20 m Distinguishing features The trunk can be up to 2 metres (exceptionally 4 m) diameter. The bark is thin, scaly brown, coming off in small flakes aligned with the stem. The leaves are lanceolate, flat, dark green, 1–4 centimetres long and 2–3 millimetres broad, arranged spirally on the stem, but with the leaf bases twisted to align the leaves in two flat rows either side of the stem, It is relatively slow growing, and can be very long-lived, with the maximum recorded trunk diameter of 4 metres probably only being reached in about 2,000 years. It is considered by several authors that the oldest yew tree in Spain is located in Bermiego,Asturias. It is known as 'Teixu l'Iglesia' in the Asturian language. It is 15 metres tall with a trunk perimeter of 6 metres and a crown diameter of 10 metres. It was planted around 1160. It was declared Natural Monument on April 27, 1995 by the Asturian Government and is protected by the Plan of Natural Resources. Most parts of the tree are toxic, except the bright red aril surrounding the seed, enabling ingestion and dispersal by birds. The major toxin is the alkaloid taxane. The foliage remains toxic even when wilted or dried. Horses have the lowest tolerance, with a lethal dose of 200–400 mg/kg body weight, but cattle, pigs, and other livestock are only slightly less vulnerable. Symptoms include staggering gait, muscle tremors, convulsions, collapse, difficulty breathing, coldness and eventually heart failure. However, death occurs so rapidly that many times the symptoms are missed. Fatal poisoning in humans is very rare, only occurring after eating a lot of yew foliage. The lethal dose is reported to be between 50 and 100 grams.The wood is also poisonous. There aren't weeds beneath the yew trees because the roots are also poisonous. In the ancient Celtic world, the yew tree (*eburos) had extraordinary importance; a passage by Caesar narrates that Catuvolcus, chief of the Eburones poisoned himself with yew rather than submit to Rome (Gallic Wars 6: 31).  The yew is often found in churchyards in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and France. In Ireland it is called the death tree. Yew is the wood of choice for longbow making; the bows are constructed so that the heartwood of yew is on the inside of the bow while the sapwood is on the outside. This takes advantage of the natural properties of yew wood since the heartwood resists compression while the sapwood resists stretching. In latin the termination 'xus' gives the indication of its use in medicine. Taxol is a medicine use to treat cancer and it is extracter from the yew tree.