All hail the (winter) King

Kingdom: Plantae

Family: Rosaceae

Species: Crataegus viridis

Crataegus viridis is known as the Winter King hawthorn tree, due to its berries being present all throughout winter, right up until March. The fruits are around half an inch in diameter, and start out green, then ripen from orange to bright orange-red in early winter and remain attractive until late winter. Birds do not care much for the berries, and therefore they tend to avoid them until food sources are running scarce. 

For a hawthorn tree it actually has relatively few thorns and in winter it displays an exfoliating bark which is of interest. These trees have clearly been recently planted and therefore the bark is not a highlight of the tree's appeal yet. Compared to other hawthorns, the Winter King is relatively resistant to common diseases such as scab and rust. It is also tolerant to most soil types and city pollution, which makes it a popular choice in urban landscaping. At maturity, the tree stays fairly small at up to 25 to 30 feet tall, with a rounded vaselike shape. This short stature makes it ideal for tight spaces, in the small green spaces within the UEA campus rather than the surrounding grounds. The grey backdrop of the buildings allows the foliage to stand out in all seasons.

The tree is a four-season tree, with white flowers in spring, which show up nicely against the green foliage. The flowers have five petals and are meladorous (a bit smelly!). It bears a clean summer foliage of a dark green colour with a leathery texture, and golden-yellow fruits in fall and winter, which cheer up an otherwise bleak and blank winter canvas. To top it all off, in autumn the leaves undergo a beautiful transformation thanks to senescence, turning gold with traces of red, purple and maroon. When they fall, they reveal the exfoliating bark which reveals a warm copper-cinammon colour. Due to being a young tree, this is more a silvery-green colour.

This tree is clearly worthy of its royal appointment as Winter King. However, it deserves credit for the other seasons too, as it retains its beauty in different forms throughout the year.

The Oregon Grape - An early bloomer

Kingdom: Plantae

Family: Berberidaceae

Species: Mahonia aquafolium

The flowering plant Mahonia aquafolium (is it just me or does that sound a bit like a Harry Potter spell?) is also known as the Oregon grape, due to it being native to North America and the blue-purplish berries it produces in late spring and summer. These berries are edible by humans, but not on their own due to their tart taste, so they are instead often used in jelly. The shrubs look very different now compared to how they will in a few months when the berries have been produced! The Oregon grape is an evergreen shrub, with spiky pinnate leaves (appear in pairs either side of the stem) and clusters of yellow flowers which form in racemes and bloom in early spring. These flowers attract pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds. These flowers appear very early in the spring, I took these pictures in mid-January, so it attracts pollinators before most other plants have flowered!

It is easy to see why UEA have decided to choose this plant to brighten up their campus in the area in front of the shop - they are easy to grow and to establish they require only a small amount of water. Once established, they are fairly drought resistant. They are also resistant to disease and the leaves are tough and insects are unable to mess with them. However, the leaves can become chlorotic in soil that is too alkaline and can suffer leaf-burn in winter winds. Luckily they are quite protected where they are situated on campus, so winds are minimal. They provide all-year round green appeal, combined with their golden flowers and blue berries. They are also easy to maintain with just a small amount of trimming required. They can grow in mostly shaded areas, so have been planted in an area near several trees. They are most popular in urban landscaping due to their high chemical pollutant tolerance, although hopefully this isn't why it has been planted at UEA!

Aren't you sweet?

Kingdom: Plantae

Family: Violaceae

Species: Viola orodata

The English violet, or sweet violet (Viola odorata) has recently appeared outside my accommodation right next to the daffodils which seem to completely cover the UEA campus lately. They are characterised by 5 purple flowers (or blue or white) with pinnately shaped leaves arranged in a basal rosette. They grow to a height of 4 to 6 inches, often at the edges of forests or in clearings. Or outside Britten House. They are aromatic, although this smell is mysterious as it seems to disappear after a single sniff. This is because the flowers contain iodine which desensitizes the sense of nose and therefore the sense of smell! However, because the scent is so well-liked it is widely used in perfumes and oils. I don’t know why you’d want a perfume that you literally can’t smell after the second you put it on? I know I wouldn’t pay for it.

There are hundreds of different species of violets (around 400-500), which happen to be the birth flower of February (although sweet violets are technically “violas”, not true violets). They symbolize loyalty, fertility and love, and have been around since Ancient Greece – around 500 B.C. Greeks used violets in their wines, foods and medicines, even in love potions! The scent also suggested sex, and so the violet was an emblematic flower of Aphrodite. In Greek mythology, Iamus, son of Apollo, was abandoned at birth. She left him lying in the Arkadian wilds on a bed of violets where he was fed honey by serpents. He was discovered by pass shepherds who named Iamus after the violet bed.

They were loved so much it became the symbol of Athens. Pliny recommended that a garland of violets be worn above the head to ward off headaches and dizzy spells. They were also used by the Romans for herbal remedies, wine and for festivals.

They can also be used in cooking as they do have some nutritional value – the petals are often coated with sugar and be used to decorate cakes or in chocolate. However, they contain vitamin C (more than most vegetables actually!) which is an antioxidant which can improve the immune system. They should not be taken in in large doses though, and are a laxative in medicine. It can also be used in treating respiratory ailments, insomnia, and skin disorders, but there is little evidence to support their effectiveness of any of these treatments.

Pine trees and their leaves

Kingdom: Plantae

Family: Pinaceae

Genus: Pinus

Pine trees are trees with evergreen leaves – they are green even in the middle of winter, adding a bit of colour to a forest that would otherwise appear bleak and dreary. They often grow to great heights. All species in the Pinaceae family have distinctive needle shaped leaves arranged in bundles, it is their most defining feature. The leaves have all the usual features of a leaf despite a different appearance – they have a waxy cuticle and stomata for gas exchange. Pine oil can be extracted through steam distillation of the needle-like foliage, and is popularly used in aromatherapy.

There are two types of pine leaf. Needles are arranged in bundles called fascicles, and there are 2 or 3 in diploxylon pines and 5 in haploxylon pines. Diploxylon (Pinus) and haploxylon (Strobus) are subgenuses within the genus Pinus. There is actually a third subgenus, containing only one species called Pinus krempfii, which has flat un-pinelike needles and is found in Vietnam. This is clearly an example of a diploxylon pine, also known as the hard pine.

Diploxylon pines are stiffer and have stomata on both the ventral and dorsal surfaces. The basal sheath lasts the lifetime, whereas it is shed or curves to form a rosette in haploxylon pines. In haploxylons, there is one fibrovascular bundle whereas in the diploxylons, as observed here, there are two fibrovascular bundles. This is the feature which sets them apart taxonomically. Fibrovascular bundles connect with the xylem and aid in transport of nutrients, sugar and water.

The trees symbolise longevity and wisdom, and legend says that its needles can protect people from illnesses and witchcraft. Some Native American tribes regard the pine tree as sacred. Different cultures from all around the world use the pine tree for different purposes and consider it valuable for different reasons. For example, in Korea it represents virtue, and is viewed as being honourable, strong and wise, and is revered. Traditional Korean people even pray to a sacred pine tree for good luck, prosperity and health. Pine branches are left on the doorsteps of homes who have just had a baby to congratulate the couple, and the branch may be tied to a rope made of straw with charcoal if the baby is a girl, to keep evil spirits away. The Korean pine tree is also regarded as a messenger that transports the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Many coffins are made of pinewood which helps facilitate transportation of the deceased's soul to Heaven.