FORESTRY COMMISSION BULLETIN No. 30 Exotic Forest Trees in Great Britain Paper prepared for the British Commonwealth Forestry Conference Australia and New Zealand 1957 LONDON: HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE PRICE 17s. 6d. NET Forestry Commission ARCHIVE FORESTRY COMMISSION BULLETIN NO. 30 FORESTRY COMMISSION — BULLETIN No. 30 EXOTIC FOREST TREES in GREAT BRITAIN ERRATA Page 5. Second column, penultimate paragraph : For: “Quercus ilex” read: “Quercus cerris” P age 25. First column, last paragraph, fourth line from fo ot : For: “pseudofibrous” read: “fibrous” As above but third line from foot : For: “fibrous” read: “pseudofibrous” LONDON: HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE 1957 FORESTRY COMMISSION BULLETIN NO. 30 EXOTIC FOREST TREES IN GREAT BRITAIN Paper prepared for the Seventh British Commonwealth Forestry Conference, Australia and New Zealand, 1957 Edited by James M a c d o n a l d , R. F. W o o d , M. V. E d w a r d s , and J. R. A ldhous Forestry Commission LONDON: HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE 1957 FOREWORD The Sixth Commonwealth Forestry Conference, at to do so with the information at our dis­ its meeting in Canada in 1952, accepted a recommen­ posal ; but there is, inevitably, some unevenness in dation made by its Committee on Forest Manage­ the treatment of species in this class. As for the ment, Silviculture and Forest Protection which was others, we have given separate notes on those exotic expressed in the following words: trees which have been tried occasionally in small ‘ A detailed account of the use of exotic plots or plantations and of which we have a record, species in the Commonwealth, based partly on but we are conscious that this method of procedure information supplied to the Third British Empire has led to the inclusion of some trees of no con­ Conference, was given by the late Professor sequence at all, solely because someone has planted R.S. Troup in his book Exotic Forest Trees in the them on a small scale, and the exclusion of others British Empire (1932). Much experience has been which may actually be common in the country as gained since that date and it is recommended ornamental trees, and the possibilities of which that the Standing Committee should arrange for may be greater. We have tried to preserve an even its collection in a standardised form for presen­ balance and to give most space to the trees which tation to the next Commonwealth Forestry Con­ deserve it and in this we think we have been success­ ference.’ ful. We must, however, draw attention to the account The Standing Committee appointed a small sub­ of the genus Eucalyptus, a genus of great horticul­ committee, under the Chairmanship of Mr. M. V. tural and silvicultural interest, but at the same time Laurie, to give effect to this recommendation, and of no forest importance here. It has been given much this sub-C om m ittee drew up a stan d ard form (see A p­ more space than it deserves if it is regarded as a pendix, page 166) for the submission of information, forest tree in Great Britain, but we felt that, in view of which they sent to each Forest Department in the its world-wide importance, it might be of importance British Commonwealth, pointing out that the Sixth to foresters in other countries to know how different Commonwealth Conference had resolved that the species of Eucalyptus have behaved in conditions information on exotics, for which they were asking, which are extremely difficult for them. In dealing should be presented to the Seventh Conference in with the awkward subject of nomenclature we have Australia in 1957. followed Rehder in his Manual o f Cultivated Trees This publication is the response of Great Britain to and Shrubs, and where this has led us to employ a the request of the Commonwealth Conference. botanical name not in common use, the customary Necessarily, it is a long document. The introduction name is given as well. of alien trees has been going on for several centuries, In compiling this report we have received help and the climate of the British Isles permits the culti­ from many of our colleagues. Mr. G. G. Stewart, vation of a very large number of exotics from all Mr. R. Faulkner, Mr. R. Lines and Mr. T. R. Peace parts of the world, some of which have succeeded so have all written sections on genera and species. Mr. well that they have become the staple species in Peace has also provided much information on dis­ British forestry. For this reason, it was thought that eases and general pathology, while Dr. M. Crooke this report might be of general interest, and the has contributed the information which is given on Forestry Commission has therefore decided to make insect pests. Data on production and rates of growth it available to the public as one of their series of have been provided by Dr. F. C. Hummel and on Bulletins. dimensions of individual specimen trees by Mr. A. F. In preparing this report, we have followed gener­ Mitchell. Mr. J. D. Matthews has helped us by giving ally the form prescribed by the Standing Committee information about seed production and vegetative of the Conference in dealing with the most impor­ propagation, while we have depended on Mr. E. G. tant exotic trees in use in this country at the present Richards and Mr. J. R. Aaron for assistance in pre­ day, although we have modified it slightly here and paring the sections on timber and utilisation. Others there as circumstances demanded. For trees of our colleagues have also helped us in numerous which are used to some extent in the forest ways including Mr. G. D. Kitchingman, the but are of minor importance, we have followed Librarian, who has provided literature references. the standard form as far as it was possible Mr. H. L. Edlin has dealt with the report in its iii final stages and has seen it through the press. Thanks are also due to the many landowners who For permission to reproduce the diagrams in have given facilities for the measurement and record­ Chapter 2 we are indebted to Messrs. S. Gregory ing of their specimen trees and plantations and to (Fig. 4), and H. L. Penman (Fig. 6) and the Meteoro­ those who have made available to us their own logical Office (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8). The Meteoro­ records of outstanding trees. logical Office and Mr. E. G. Bilham have also kindly agreed to the reproduction of the data in Tables 2, 3 J a m e s M a c d o n a l d and 4. R . F . W o o d M . V . E d w a r d s FORESTRY COMMISSION, J . R . A l d h o u s 25, Savile Row, London, W .l. April, 1957 CONTENTS Page Page PART 1: GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS C u p re ssu s.... 5 4 AFFECTING EXOTIC FOREST TREES funebris 5 4 goveniana 5 4 IN GREAT BRITAIN m acrocarpa .... 5 4 C h a p t e r 1 . T h e P l a c e o f E x o t ic T r e e s i n sempervirens 5 6 B r i t is h S ilviculture . .. 1 D acrydium 5 6 Fitzroya cupressoides 5 6 C h a p t e r 2 . C l im a t e o f G r e a t B r i t a i n 6 Ginkgo biloba 5 6 C h a p t e r 3 . S o il s .... .... 24 Glyptostrobus pensilis 57 Juniperus .... 5 7 C h a p t e r 4 . T e c h n i q u e s o f E stablishment K e te le e ria .... 5 7 a n d T e n d i n g ........................................................... 2 7 L arix 5 7 decidua 5 8 PART D: EXOTIC CONIFEROUS TREES eurolepis 6 6 IN GREAT BRITAIN gmelini 6 8 A bies 31 griffithii 6 8 alba .... .... 3 2 laricina 6 8 am abilis .... 35 leptolepis 6 9 balsam ea 3 5 occidentalis .... 7 3 cephalonica .... 35 p endula 7 3 concolor 3 5 potaninii 7 3 grandis 3 6 sibirica 7 3 lasiocarpa 3 9 L ibocedrus 7 5 m agnifica 3 9 chilensis 7 5 nobilis (procera) 3 9 decurrens 7 5 nordmanniana 4 2 tetrag o n a ................. 7 5 pinsapo 4 3 Metasequoia glyptostroboides 7 5 veitchii 4 3 Picea ............................... 7 6 A gathis 4 4 abies (excelsa) 7 6 A raucaria .... 4 4 asperata 81 arau can a 4 4 bicolor 81 A throtaxis 4 6 engelm anni 81 C allitris 4 6 glauca 81 C edrus 4 6 glehnii 8 2 atlantica 4 6 jezoensis 8 2 d eodara 4 6 koyam ai 8 2 libani 4 7 likiangensis 8 2 C ham aecyparis .... 4 7 m arian a 8 2 law soniana .... 4 7 obovata 8 2 nootkatensis 5 0 om orika 8 2 obtusa 51 orientalis 8 4 pisifera 51 rubens 8 5 thyoides 51 schrenkiana .... 85 Cryptomeria 5 2 sitchensis 85 jap o n ica ................. 5 2 sm ithiana 91 Cunninghamia lanceolata 5 3 spinulosa 91 C upressocyparis .... 5 3 Pinus 9 2 leylandii 5 3 banksiana 9 4 v Page Page co n to rta 94 cordata .... 144 griffithii (excelsa) 100 incana .... 144 m onticola .... 100 ru b ra .... .... 145 m ugo .... 100 B etula .... 146 nigra ................. .... 101 erm ani .... 146 nigra var.