As the leaves are turning colour and starting to fall from the trees, brambles really come into their own. Brambles are so important to birds and animals for shelter and food, especially in the winter months.
Some say that brambles are an awful nuisance in a woodland, and I know they can be in some circumstances. But very often we think they mean trouble, when often they are acting as the pioneer species that helps to bring in the trees.
Here are ash saplings growing up through brambles. Notice the spear-shaped leader bud of the young ash tree. It is hard and well protected and pushes through the tangle of tough brambles. The bramble offers an effective deterrent to animals, including humans, who might threaten the young sapling.
The tough, spear-like bud of an ash sapling
Even oak can work its way through the brambles. There is such predation on both the acorn and the oak sapling that bramble often offers the oak the solution it needs to germinate and grow big enough to survive.
Oak sapling growing through brambles.
So before you go too mad with the slash hook in a manic frenzy of ‘tidying up’ – why not look to see what nature, the greatest teacher of all, is doing to grow a forest, and follow along similar steps. Often good forestry is about doing less and having patience.
Related posts:
- Fiona’s Forest
- Trees for Free!!
- Stings, Scratches and Prickles
- Helping Hands
- Some Images From a Snowy New Year
Tags: Brambles
