Native Tree Guidance

Native Trees and their Importance to Wildlife

Native tree species have been embedded within our landscape since the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago. They have co-evolved with our wildlife and environment, forging alliances that span time, and as such, they support and enrich our local biodiversity in a way that is unrivalled by ‘naturalised’ tree species.

It is well recognized that our two native species of oak support over two thousand species including mammals, birds, insects, fungi and mosses and 326 of these have adapted to rely solely on oak for survival.

However, they are not the only native trees that should be celebrated. Our humble Hawthorn supports over 300 insects as well as the wider ecosystem that relies on them, providing food and shelter to a myriad species. Buckthorn too, is the only foodplant of the Brimstone butterfly caterpillar and Blackthorn for the exceedingly-rare black-hairstreak butterfly.