WE only have one big tree in the garden, a sycamore, but we have planted more. The sycamore is well known for its winged seeds, beloved toys of schoolboys in my era, that distribute widely on the wind.

Sycamores were introduced into Britain from their southern European home by the Romans - or was it the Tudors, there is a difference of opinion amongst clever people.

Anyway, the reason this was relevant was I was standing under said tree and looking at the lawn, which is looking a bit sorry for itself after this rain, and noting a plethora of small green shoots. After thinking this was a strange weed, I realised it was tiny sycamore trees sprouting from the seeds cast off the tree from last autumn. As I cut the lawn, it will take care of them but have to say there are dozens and dozens, all from one tree.

In fact, sycamores are one of the most successful trees when it comes to the spread by seed, partly because of the effect of the wind on the aerodynamic seeds. In fact, the trees do push out other species, and there is debate about if they are a true native plant.

Anyway, they are very pleasant trees, they live about 400 years and host quite a wide variety of wildlife; the leaves are a popular food source for moth and blackbirds, blue tits and robins like to nest in the branches.

There are several uses of the pale wood that is hard enough for carving into furniture, but a key use is for making spoons and other implements, as it does not stain or taint the food. All in all, it's a pretty useful tree.

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