Four years ago, I met a gardener who proudly told me they were growing Black Poplars from cuttings from a tree on the estate where they worked. I knew nothing of this tree. But, as I’d just volunteered to lead Trees for Wimborne, I thought I ought to try and find out what made a gardener looking after the national collection of Oak trees talk about cuttings of an unheard-of tree.
Since then, I’ve come to realise that the Native Black Poplar is a truly magnificent and undoubtedly Britain’s grandest native tree: its straight but leaning trunk often reaches 100 feet tall and can be six feet across, making it iconic in the landscape. On closer inspection, the trunk is thickly fissured and often covered with massive bosses and burrs. And, if this impact was not enough, the leaves shimmer in the breeze, creating
a beautiful sound.
This is no garden or street specimen; rather, this titan of the tree world belongs next to rivers and streams, and in wetlands at the edges of rivers. I was fascinated and began to search around Wimborne for these specimens. I asked all those naturalists whom I thought would know, but I was met with either blank stares or sad nods. There were no Black Poplars in Wimborne.
Thinking naϊvely that I would just replant the river valley of Wimborne with this tree, I, along with Trees for Wimborne, set out to do this. It is an unfinished journey – and a much larger destination than I ever imagined. I have now met many interesting and dedicated people across the country who are all doing their bit to put these beleaguered trees back into the landscape and onto the environmental agenda.
Even so, the Native Black Poplar remains the UK’s most endangered timber tree. Growing alongside willows, it would have once provided an incredibly rich habitat and a haven for insects, birds, and mammals. But those riverine habitats have long gone, drained, farmed, or developed. In the Middle Ages, it was highly valued for its timber and its unique properties of fire resistance and flexibility. But times and requirements changed, and the American Cottonwoods became the Poplars of choice. The species then became almost solely dependent on human intervention for its continued survival – they were imported and grown in plantations across the wetter areas of the landscape.
And that is where we are today. It is now 150 years since Black Poplars were planted and, since they live for only 200 years or so, the clock is ticking; for many, time has run out and a valuable genetic resource has gone.
We are now recognising that losing one more tree species – and one that is so valuable – would be a terrible loss. Our landscape is poorer, and, from an environmental perspective, these trees are not just a rich habitat for an assortment of wildlife, but their rapidly growing dense wood is wonderful at sequestering carbon, while the roots can stabilise banks and prevent loss of soil – a feature of great importance in times of increased flooding.
From a stuttering beginning, Trees for Wimborne have now been building up a stock of trees, both male and female. Many will be ready to plant out this coming year. We have already provided some trees for planting in the Stour catchment, but we still have the ambition for this tree to be a familiar and prominent sight along the Stour, Allen, and Tarrant rivers.
If you are a landowner (or know of one) who might be interested, please get in touch with treesforwimborne@gmail.com
