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Native trees
Quiz: Can you recognise these native Irish trees from their leaves?
Ireland has 28 species of native tree, can you tell them apart?
IT’S THAT TIME of year again, when the leaves turn and start to fall from the all the trees in the forests, fields, parks and roadsides across the country.
But how well do you know the trees in your local area? Can you tell a beech from a birch? Or an ash from a rowan? Or a yew from a horse chestnut? (surely that last one…)
More specifically, can you recognise Ireland’s native trees? According to the Tree Council, Ireland has 28 native tree species. These are species that came to the island naturally thousands of years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age.
People are often surprised to learn that some of our most common trees (like sycamore, beech and horse chestnut) aren’t actually native, and were introduced by humans at some stage.
So, let’s see if you know your oak from your oak.
1. Let's start with an easy one. This is one of Ireland's most well-known trees. You're likely to see its wood held in the hands of shouting men.
Birch (Beith Gheal)
Ash (Fuinseog)
Sessile oak (Dair ghaelach)
Yew (Iúr)
2. Don't eat the stone inside the berries or the leaves! They might just kill you.
Alamy
Scots Pine (Péine Albanach)
Holly (Cuileann)
Rowan (Caorthann)
Yew (Iúr)
3. This hardy tree is most recognisable by the colour of its trunk (which you can't see here).
Cormac Fitzgerald
Silver Birch (Beith gheal)
Sessile Oak (Dair ghaelach)
Alder (Fearnóg)
Elder (Tromán)
4. The nuts of this tree have a deep association with wisdom (and tastiness).
Alamy
Ash (Fuinseog)
Elder (Tromán)
Hazel (Coll)
Aspen (Crann creathach)
5. Think big goblets and lots of ice.
Alamy
Juniper (Aiteal)
Hawthorn (Sceach gheal)
Blackthorn/Sloe (Draighean)
Wild Cherry (Crann silín fiáin)
6. This tree was far more common when Ireland was colder, and before humans came to impact the environment.
Alamy
Yew (Iúr)
Wych Elm (Leamhán sléibe)
Hawthorn (Sceach Gheal)
Scots Pine (Péine Albanach)
7. If I stopped giving clues would you shake with fear, or would you weep?
Alamy
Aspen (Crann creathach)
Hazel (Coll)
Wych Elm (Leamhán sléibhe)
Willow (Saileach)
8. Last clue: You'll be seeing a lot these leaves around the place soon enough.
Rowan (Caorthann)
Holly (Cuileann)
Alder (Fearnóg)
Elder (Tromán)
9. Hmmmm.
Silver birch (Beith gheal)
Downy birch (Beith chlúmhach)
Pendunculate oak (Dair ghallda)
Sessile oak (Dair Ghaelach)
10. Hmmmmmmmmm.
Alamy
Pendunculate oak (Dair ghallda)
Holly (Cuileann)
Hazel (Coll)
Sessile oak (Dair ghaelach)
Alamy
You scored out of !
Humans c.6,000 BC - Present Day
Thousands of years of human intervention and a lack of understanding has destroyed the vast, vast majority of our native trees.
Alamy
You scored out of !
The last wolf in Ireland
There's no hiding for you without our native trees :( Awooooooo.
Alamy
You scored out of !
Ogham albhabet
You're the ancient Irish tree alphabet. You haven't got all the trees but you know most of them. Hooray!
Alamy
You scored out of !
Fionn mac Cumhaill
You ate the fish that ate the nuts, so you know a lot!
Alamy
You scored out of !
The Tree of Life
Your extensive knowledge of Ireland's native trees can help save them from extinction. Maith thú!
*Update: The images for Questions 9 and 10 have been edited to give a better picture of the leaves, and 7 has been changed.
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