The stately sycamore may grow to be 400 years old. Hated by the badly-informed and terminally ignorant, who seem to feel subconsciously threatened by anything that's more successful than them, this majestic tree is in fact a grand friend to the ecosystem.
It provides vital food for many wild animals, including bees, hoverflies, caterpillars, birds, and insects. The leaves are eaten by caterpillars of a number of moths, including the sycamore moth, plumed prominent and maple prominent.
The seeds are eaten by various bird species, including greenfinch and goldfinch. Sycamore bark is eaten by insects, including sycamore lacewing and sycamore aphid. Aphids also attract ladybirds, which in turn bring in more feeding birds.
The flowers give a wonderful source of pollen and nectar for bees and other insects.
Sycamore also provide shelter for bat species and nesting sites for numerous bird species.
This tree also featured favourably in the mythology and folklore of many ancient cultures, including Celtic, Norse and Greek, etc.
We hear a lot too about the sycamore not being a native tree and having been introduced via Tudor or earlier Roman influence. I personally have never bought into this popular narrative myself.
One BIG clue is that this tree is a great survivor and very successful, as well being incredibly adaptable to diverse climates.
Until the middle Pleistocene, (Ice Age) Great Britain was a peninsula of Europe. Because we were all connected back then it seems highly probable that the tree was 'always' here and not just 'introduced' in a later period. I feel that the evidence for this claim will turn up in due course.
So the next time that 'expert' gardener expresses his/her bizarre psychotic hatred for the noble sycamore, because its seedlings are spoiling his pretty cultivated flower borders, remind him of the essential help it's actually providing for the native environment and the great story of survival behind its ancient heritage.
No comments:
Post a Comment