More tree silhouettes in winter

Graceful silver birches Betula pendula

Sweet chestnut Castanea sativa

Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna. A tough, impenetrable tangle of branches, often with a twisted, fluted trunk when it is given time and space to grow into a tree.

Common lime Tilia europaea. Often has burrs at the roots with a mass of twigs, which have been trimmed in this specimen.

The mass of twigs growing from the burrs at the base of an untrimmed common lime

Beech Fagus sylvatica. Slender twigs with pointed buds.

Elder Sambucus nigra usually grows as a large hedgerow shrub that'sseverely cut back annually and only has a short life span but if it's left alone and given space it will grow into a small, densely-branched tree like this. Old elders have deeply fissured corky bark and twigs covered in yellow Xanthoria parietina lichen.

For more on winter tree silhouettes click here

Bishop Auckland's magnificent Spanish chestnuts

Some more pictures of the wonderful Spanish chestnuts Castanea sativa in Auckland Park, Bishop Auckland, County Durham that were described in the Guardian Country Diary yesterday.

Not dead yet! Still has living branches that will sprout leaves in spring.

There's a small bird-sown holly tree growing amongst the branches of this one.

The largest bole of a venerable but healthy tree. Spanish chestnuts can live for 400 years.

Winter buds





Flowers and foliage.



Shiny, edible seeds with spiny husks.