Shaun Haddock's blog

Abundant rain in southwest France in the early part of this year has fostered a bumper seed crop at Arboretum de la Bergerette, some (such as Quercus emoryi) already ripe: thus my thoughts turn once again to the seed exchange forum I mooted, which is at present under construction – many thanks to those of you who have already contacted me on the subject, confirming that the idea is worth pursuing.

Bees are thieves! It’s official! After my recent note pointing out that bees were seemingly harvesting pollen from a Quercus suber without any commensurate benefit to the tree, serendipitously the latest issue of the magazine The Plantsman contained an article giving a synopsis of research into "bee plants" by the National Botanic Garden of Wales, prompted by the alarming dip in global bee numbers.

It was a mast year in 2017 here in southwest France, spreading acorns so thickly under some trees they formed a solid carpet. So Quercus pubescens is evidently not in danger for now, but what of less plentiful species elsewhere? 

Many readers will have seen the reference on the IOS website to the publication online of the 8th edition of W.J. Bean’s Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles under the auspices of the International Dendrology Society (IDS), and many, particularly those who are members of the IDS, will be aware of the publication, with the cooperation of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, of New Trees, which, in effect, brought “Bean” up to date by covering trees introduced to cultivation after Bean’s publication in the 1970s.