Can you guess what trees these leaves come from?








Tree of little knowledge (or how most of us are unable to tell our ash from our elder)

By Sophie Borland
27th February 2009

They are an integral part of Britain's green and pleasant land.

But just one third of us can correctly identify our most famous trees, a survey has revealed.

It found that one in 20 of those questioned admitted to not being able to name a single species.

They found that the oak was the most easily recognisable, with 67 per cent being able to spot one.

However, only 31 per cent of those questioned could identify a horse chestnut tree - despite its providing generations of children with conkers.

At the same time, only four in ten were able to recognise a beech tree or a silver birch, while a mere 30 per cent could identify a sycamore.

Just 5 per cent of those questioned were able to name a hazel tree, compared with 16 per cent for a yew and 20 per cent for a hawthorn.

The survey also revealed that while three-quarters knew that an acorn comes from an oak, only 38 per cent realised that conkers come from horse chestnut trees.

                                    

                               Many people have never learnt the names of trees or taught them to their children

The researchers found that older people were more likely to recognise Britain's native species - but warned that this knowledge is not being passed down to younger generations.

 

Some 70 per cent of parents admitted that they have never taught their children the names of trees, nor asked them if they had learned the information at school or elsewhere.

Yet more than half the adults said they would like to be 'more in touch' with the nature around them, while 57 per cent wished that they had a better knowledge of tree species such as oak, ash and elder which have shaped our landscape over the centuries.

A spokesman for Forest Holidays, which conducted the survey, said: 'It is disappointing to learn that people know very little about British trees.

'It's our job to impart our knowledge and show our passion for Britain's magnificent forests.

'It's a truly authentic taste of life among the trees and a great de-stresser to boot.'

Last year, concerns were raised that thousands of healthy trees in city parks and the countryside were being chopped down because of controversial health and safety rules.

Under guidelines being proposed by the British Standards Institution, each tree would have to be inspected every three years to make sure that they do not pose a threat to passers-by.

However, experts have warned that the rules could lead to healthy trees being axed needlessly.