The Founding Platinum Supporter: The Queen’s Green Canopy

Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) – A hardy and quick growing tree, it is thought to have been introduced to the UK by the Romans or in the Tudor era around the 1500s. Attractive to aphids and therefore a variety of their predators, such as ladybirds, hoverflies and birds. The leaves are eaten by caterpillars of a number of moths, including the sycamore moth, plumed prominent and maple prominent. The flowers provide a good source of pollen and nectar for bees and other insects, and the seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals.

Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) – A native tree, hardy and slow growing, the hornbeam keeps its leaves all year round, providing shelter, roosting, nesting and foraging opportunities for birds and small mammals. Hornbeam is the food plant for caterpillars of a number of moth species, including the nut tree tussock. Finches and various other birds and small mammals eat the seeds in autumn.

Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur)– A traditional Native Oak Tree, hardy and on which lots of other species depend on. the wise old English oak holds a special place in the UKs culture, history, and hearts. It supports more life than any other native tree species in the UK; even its fallen leaves support biodiversity. They are host to hundreds of insect species, supplying many birds with an important food source. In autumn, mammals such as squirrels, badgers and deer feed on the acorns. Flower and leaf buds of English oak are the food plants of the caterpillars of purple hairstreak butterflies. The leaves break down in autumn to form a rich leaf mould beneath the tree, supporting invertebrates such as the stag beetle, and fungi, like the oakbug milkcap. Holes and crevices in the tree bark are perfect nesting spots for the pied flycatcher and other birds. Bats also roost in old woodpecker holes or under loose bark, as well as feeding on the rich supply of insects in the tree canopy.

A Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur)– A traditional Native Oak Tree, hardy and on which lots of other species depend on. the wise old English oak holds a special place in the UKs culture, history, and hearts. It supports more life than any other native tree species in the UK; even its fallen leaves support biodiversity. They are host to hundreds of insect species, supplying many birds with an important food source. In autumn, mammals such as squirrels, badgers and deer feed on the acorns. Flower and leaf buds of English oak are the food plants of the caterpillars of purple hairstreak butterflies. The leaves break down in autumn to form a rich leaf mould beneath the tree, supporting invertebrates such as the stag beetle, and fungi, like the oakbug milkcap. Holes and crevices in the tree bark are perfect nesting spots for the pied flycatcher and other birds. Bats also roost in old woodpecker holes or under loose bark, as well as feeding on the rich supply of insects in the tree canopy.