About an old Oak tree
We do not have many Oak trees in Crow Wood compared to other areas within Old Park Wood and sadly one of the largest is not looking too healthy. It is losing leaves in the canopy and one side the branches are largely bare. Like all trees, oaks are prone to a variety of diseases and fungal infections and this one has always had two or three bracket fungi growing out of it in the Autumn, which suggests that the core may be rotting. We think the tree is likely to be 100+ years old and probably planted after the first world war. It will take many years dying and in the meantime it will continue to provide a home and larder for many birds and insects. Oak trees produce a sticky, sweet sap, which is a good source of food for many invertebrates and on this particular tree the sap weeps out of many small cracks in the bark. On a recent sunny day there were several butterflies and other insects e...
