Buds Bursting

Despite almost two weeks of freezing temperatures and constant snow, we found these fresh new leaves sprouting from elder Sambucus nigra twigs in Durham city yesterday. Unlike most trees and shrubs, common elder doesn't form closed winter buds gripped by tough bud scales. Instead it forms open leafy buds, that can sprout into new growth at the first available opportunity.

Nearby we found Sambucus racemosa, a relative of our native elder that has been introduced from mainland Europe into North East England and is more commonly found in Scotland. You can see a  photo of the plant in flower by clicking here. Unlike our native elder, which produces deep purple, almost black fruit, this species carries bunches of larger scarlet fruits. It also differs from the native species in producing these rather attractive winter buds, whose bud scales are already beginning to loosen.

A Tree-Spotter's Guide to Flowers: 5

This is Sambucus racemosa, an introduced relative of our native elder Sambucus nigra that's quite commonly naturalised in Scotland but not seen very often further south. This is one of several large specimens on the edge of Blaid's Wood in Durham. It flowers much earlier than our native elder and the flowers are produced in dense conical inflorescences rather than the familiar flat 'plates' seen in elder. The ripe fruit is scarlet, not black.

Hawthorn or May blossom. If the flowers have a single stigma in the centre it's Crataegus monogyna, if there are two it's C. laevigata (but check several flowers because this can be a bit variable on the same plant). The flowers have a distinct fishy smell that's attractive to flies.

Beech Fagus sylvatica - dangling tufts of stamens produced alongside the fresh new foliage.