This has been a pretty unusual spring, weatherwise. Apart from the unseasonal cold, the serious lack of rain week after week has been bad news for our newly planted trees. The Heathrow weather station recorded only 7.2mm of rain last month - 31mm less than in April 2020 and just a sixth of the 30-year average for the month. That followed a dry March, with barely half the normal rainfall. You can see the effect on trees like this very sad-looking Photinia on Hollingbourne Road, shrivelled and wilting only 10 days after planting:
We have a round-up of watering advice here. Please have a look and make sure you and your nearest tree are on your street’s watering rota. And do get in touch with your street leaders about watering. Our list of names has three welcome additions: Tom on Herne Hill, Stephen on Sunray Avenue and James on Stradella Road.
New arrivals
After a burst of activity in April the council’s contractors have now planted 39 new trees since the season began at the end of November. It’s a terrific achievement so far and there are still 20 more to come before the end of May.
You’ll certainly have seen some of the saplings on your walks, but you can find details of all their locations and species here on the website. The online table also shows the remaining trees due in the couple of weeks, but in the meantime here’s a quick list of the latecomers for those of you waiting:
Burbage Road, at side of 44 Half Moon Lane: Himalayan birch
Carver Road, no. 36A: tassel cherry
Casino Avenue, opposite no. 8: ginkgo
Casino Avenue, outside no. 36, in garden square: common hornbeam
Casino Avenue, outside no. 87, on grass verge: golden Indian bean tree
Elfindale Road , along wall of 77 Herne Hill (1 of 2): species not known
Elfindale Road , along wall of 77 Herne Hill (2 of 2): species not known
Elmwood Road, opposite flats at nos. 76-86: species not known
Elmwood Road, at side of 96 Frankfurt Road: London plane
Frankfurt Road, no. 2A: Himalayan birch
Half Moon Lane, no. 29: London plane
Half Moon Lane, no. 37: London plane
Hollingbourne Road, nos. 3/5: Yoshino cherry
Red Post Hill, nos. 42/44: Henry's lime
Red Post Hill, no. 56: Henry's lime
Sunray Avenue, outside nos. 49-71, in garden square: common quince
Sunray Avenue, outside nos.49-71, in garden square: almond
Sunray Avenue, outside nos.49-71, in garden square: almond
Winterbrook Road, opposite church: Yoshino cherry
Winterbrook Road, opposite church: Yoshino cherry
Tree pits, cages and watering bags
Some of you pointed out that a few tree pits have recently been tarred over, like this one on Elmwood Road, and wondered whether this meant the new trees scheduled for those locations had been cancelled. The explanation from Southwark’s tree officers was in fact health and safety. Some people had tripped in the empty pits, but as soon as the tree is ready to plant the tar will be removed.
You may also have noticed that some of the new trees have been planted without wire cages. That may make them more vulnerable to damage from people and vehicles, but as long as there’s a green bag around the stem you can still water them.
In one or two cases, the bag itself has been taken away from a fragile young tree, which does create a problem. If you can roughen up the soil in the tree pit with a fork and maybe take away any grass and weeds, you might be able to pour on water slowly with a bucket and let it percolate through. We’ve asked Southwark why the bags were removed and await a reply.
Observant volunteers
We’re always grateful when our members report tree damage and disease. Clare Carter, our street leader on Wyneham Road, has been keeping us up to date with regular bulletins on a sickly rowan (mountain ash) outside no. 15. It’s suffering from a fungal disease known as silver leaf and has also had a big branch torn off, opening it up to more infection. This was once a lovely Sorbus aucuparia Joseph Rock, with big yellow berries, but now there are only a few twigs left with leaves on them.
Over at Holmdene Avenue street leader Angie Craft and her neighbours recently spotted a hawthorn at no. 9 that had been felled because of decay, and also told us about a big mysterious hole that had appeared in the tree pit of a newly planted Japanese pagoda tree (Sophora japonica) at the bottom of the road. It turned out to be the work of a fox, which residents are now trying to deter with buried chili and clumps of dog hair. We watch with interest. There are a couple of new Sophoras on Danecroft Road too, the one below at no. 61 and another two doors down.
Late spring blossom
After their award-winning performance in March, the Winterbrook Road Yoshino cherries are taking a quiet break from show business until they start letting off fireworks in the autumn. Their Japanese ornamental relatives hogged the limelight in April, with a striking display of deep pink blossom all along Burbage Road and the short stretch of Stradella where the two roads meet. Even before the showy flowers had fully unfolded, the young red leaves made a beautiful backdrop for the unfolding buds.
Southwark plants 39 types of flowering cherries so it's hard to be certain which is which, but as a rule of thumb any medium-sized street tree with double blossoms like pink pompoms is probably an Japanese Kanzan cherry (Prunus Kanzan). There are five on Stradella and eight on Burbage between Half Moon Lane and Turney Road, including this young specimen outside no. 110:
Upright when young, the Kanzans spread in later life, like this beauty in the front garden of no. 87:
If you’re walking along Burbage don’t miss the apple blossom either. There are native crab apples at no. 52 and 62, with pretty white flowers, but also two gorgeous crabs outside Royston Court, just before you get to the railway bridge if you’re coming from Half Moon Lane. One is classic pink and white and very subtle...
...while its neighbour is vivid red - possibly a Malus x purpurea 'Lemoinei':
The larger of the two garden squares on Sunray Avenue has also a pretty line of apple trees outside nos. 51-53:
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