The black poplar can be identified by its triangular leaves and spreading branches [CRT]
Conservationists are calling for people to use cuttings from one of UK’s rarest native timber trees to help save the species.
Cuttings of the black poplar have been cultivated at Bere Marsh Farm, near Shillingstone, Dorset.
The farm, which is owned by the Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT), said there were only about 7,000 black poplar trees in the country.
Jenny Ashdown, from the trust, said saplings were “ready to be shared with those eager to help”.
The black poplar catkin flowers are found on separate trees, and only about 600 of the trees that are left are female [CRT]
The black poplar can be identified by its triangular leaves and spreading branches.
Its catkin flowers are found on separate trees, with males being red and the females yellowy green.
The flowers are pollinated by the wind and female catkins then develop into fluffy cotton-like seeds that fall in late summer.
The trust said it was taking “an important step” towards the “crucial” preservation, as only about 600 of the trees were female.
Bere Marsh Farm has one male and one female black poplar on site, with others nearby across the road and along the River Stour.
With support from Trees for Wimborne, who tested the tree and found it to be native, CRT volunteers made 35 cuttings ready to plant from the male tree.
Ms Ashdown said the cuttings would be distributed to people around Dorset and further afield, who are interested in growing their own black poplars.
“The saplings we have now… are a vital part of the project, and they’re ready to be shared with those eager to help,” he said.
Jenny Ashdown said cuttings were available to people around Dorset and further afield, who are interested in growing their own black poplars [CRT]
The trust said that the key to saving the black poplar lies in spreading them across the country and increasing the genetic diversity of the population.
Those interested in planting them should keep in mind that the trees thrive in wet, boggy ground and can grow to be quite large.
CRT added that it was essential to plant them “in a space that can accommodate their size, which could reach 50 metres (98ft) in height.
It added that each cutting costs £10 to cover the costs of compost and potting.
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