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Wednesday, 29 October 2014

Fern Leaved Beech

Fern Leaved Beech, Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia', is a grafted tree first cultivated in 1804 that often has both the common beech leaves and the cut-leaved 'fern' shaped ones on the same tree. 

You may know the one in the park at Todmorden but my photos also show one near Dobroyd Castle. It was planted about 1869 by Edward Kemp (who probably planted the one in Todmorden park). Notice the huge bulge near the base where the tree was grafted.

                                                Dobroyd, Todmorden

                                
                                        Centre Vale Park
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2 comments:

  1. Steve Blacksmith31 October 2014 at 22:49

    I've not noticed the normal leaves mixed with the fern-like ones. I'll have to look again next year. Maybe there are different clones.

    I know specimens at Shibden Park, near the Hall and a roadside garden at Bradshaw, just above the Primary School.

    Grafting is an amazing phenomenon. It seems a mystery how people found out they could do it. If anyone is interested in learning it there is a course coming up in the Calderdale Wildside Booklet. I've done a little, just picked up off colleague, but hope to go on this "Apple Grafting" course. It costs £20 on 7th March. Tickets from www.calderdale.ticketsource.co.uk

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  2. Steve Blacksmith31 October 2014 at 23:24

    The tickets appear not to be available yet.

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