Sussex trees and how to identify them
Identifying Sussex trees is one of the activities that you might like to try while camping or glamping at Wild Boar Wood Campsite. Our off-grid campsite offers the chance for woodland camping and glamping within easy reach of London, Brighton and the south coast. The campsite is within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and set in a 5-acre copse of lowland, mixed deciduous woodland.
Although it is not officially recorded as an ancient woodland, ecological studies state that indicator species, such as yellow archangel and bluebell, suggest it is ancient in origin. This means it has been wooded since at least 1600, and is an important habitat supporting many species. The woodland is primarily hornbeam with some birch, hazel and ash under a canopy of oak. There is also some silver birch, wild cherry, alder, willows, hawthorn and elder.
Take a look at our guide to help identify trees by their leaves |
Here’s our guide to some of the Sussex trees you might spot around the campsite.
Common species you might spot
English oak
Also known as a pedunculate oak and probably the easiest to identify, these oaks can grow up to 45 metres and live for a long time. Leaves have 5-7 lobes and are 100-120mm. The tree flowers in May to June with acorns forming later in clusters of 1-5 on a stalk.
Beech
Growing up to 40m and forming a dense canopy with the oval 40-90mm leaves with 7-8 pairs of parallel veins. The bark is grey-brown and smooth. Yellow flowers bloom in April-May. The female flowers are paired in spiky, four-part cases which protect the nut if it fruits.
Sweet chestnut
This tree grows up to 30m and has a greyish bark. In summer the flowers (yellowish catkins) are often highly visible. Leaves are 100-250mm and have sharp teeth around the edges. The fruit is a brown shiny edible chestnut contained in a soft but spiky case.
Scots pine
An evergreen tree with a small, flat, often lopsided crown and reddish bark which grows up to 35m. Young trees are conical but older ones only have branches at the top. Needles are 25-80mm, paired and grey or blue-green. Pine cones are pinkish-purple and later dull grey-brown and 20mm-80mm. Cone scales are flat on the ends. Seeds have a 15mm wing.
European larch
A conical deciduous pine tree which grows up to 35m. The bark is grey to pale brown and needles are 12-30mm, pale green, flattened and grow in whorls. Pine cones are oval, 20-30mm with close pressed scales. Male cones are yellow and female cones are red when young.
Hornbeam
The trunks and branches of hornbeam, which can grow up to 30m, are often twisted and fluted. Bark is pale grey and smooth. Leaves are oval but rounded at the base and sharply pointed at the tip with sharp-toothed edges and 15 pairs of parallel veins. Flowering in April-May, the hornbeam has 50mm male catkins which are yellow and female ones which are green and about 20mm – growing to 50-140mm in fruit. Pairs of nuts are attached to a leaf-like three-lobed involucre.
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