• Question: What is your favourite tree?

    Asked by anon-218016 to johnpaterson, Anna, Richard, Emma on 14 Jun 2019. This question was also asked by anon-218026, anon-218018.
    • Photo: John Paterson

      John Paterson answered on 14 Jun 2019: last edited 14 Jun 2019 12:27 pm

      In the UK I love yew trees. They can live for hundreds or thousands of years – in the UK we have several trees that people think are anywhere from 1,000-2,000 years old and they’re still alive. They have also played a big part in our history. They used to be used by druids thousands of years ago who used them in rituals and religious ceremonies to do with death and rebirth. This is because yews are evergreen, staying green in the winter, to symbolise life but their berries are poisonous, symbolising death.

      Yew trees were also used to make longbows, which were a weapon used by British armies during the 13th-15th centuries. So many yew trees were chopped down for their wood to make bows that England had to start buying in yew wood from other countries. We might have a lot more yew trees in the UK today if so many hadn’t been cut down to make weapons!

    • Photo: Anna Gardner

      Anna Gardner answered on 14 Jun 2019: last edited 14 Jun 2019 3:05 pm

      I really like Oak trees- these have also been voted Britains favourite tree!. They can be ancient (over 1,000 years old) and each tree can produce up to 10,000 acorns in one year!. Oaks remind me of really wise old owls (as they can live in the tops of old oaks).
      Oak trees have been a favourite for many carpenters, builders and ship makers- this wood has been used to make many famous ships (e.g. for the Royal Navy). Even Robin hood likes oak trees- once he had to hide in one called ‘Major Oak’.

      Another really great thing about oaks it that they are very important for our wildlife, over 2,300 different animals and insect need these trees to survive.

      My favourite tree from around the world is the Giant Sequoia tree from California (America). They can grow up to 115 meters tall – that’s taller than Big ben!

    • Photo: Emma Markham

      Emma Markham answered on 21 Jun 2019:

      That’s a great question. There are several trees I have always loved since I was a kid, including Oak trees and Japanese Maple. I would say my favorite would be cherry trees, because I love their blossom. In Japan there is a whole festival dedicated to cherry blossom!

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