Get to Know Your Conifers - Woolley Firs, Saturday 7 February

Needle clumps, needle shapes, scales, colour or cones; how do you identify the conifers in streets, parks and gardens?  Native ones are very easy since we only have 3, but there are hundreds of different species and hybrids grown across Britain to give winter colour and structure or provide shelter, shade or privacy with more being bred all the time.

This course will provide an overview of the seven conifer families and their evolution, but concentrate on the essential points for identifying those species in the Pine, Cypress and Redwood families that are commonly planted across the UK.

We will be using vegetation samples as observation material and then we'll wander around the arboretum at Woolley Firs to check your ID skills before finishing.

Please bring a packed lunch. Hot drinks and biscuits provided.