Throughout June, we focused on scouting for and collecting seeds of three localised native species: Irish Wych Elm, Downy Birch and Wild Cherry for Hometree’s Organic Tree Nursery situated in Ennistymon.

At the beginning of the month our emphasis turned to Irish Wych Elm. This stoic tree is often found in small damp riparian corners along rivers and surrounding lakes and is often associated with limestone regions. Due to the high-water content of its unusual papery seeds, they must be sown immediately after collection from the tree to maintain viability. They germinate rapidly, usually within eight to ten days of sowing. Because of this fast turnaround, we set about deploying a group of volunteers to collect seeds from appropriate sites identified across County Clare before swiftly planting them in nursery beds on the same day.

Next up on our roll call was Downy Birch, renowned as The Lady of the Woods. Downy Birch is an enigmatic tree, which produces flushes of viable seed from May to August. Hardy and adaptable, a mature Downy Birch produces up to one million seeds annually. This efficient seed dispersal mechanism ensures its function as a strong pioneer species or coloniser of bare ground, meaning it is often the first tree that will thrive in any given landscape, tolerating cold wind-wept upland conditions, they thrive in damp soil that is often peaty and acidic.

Birch is a relatively short-lived tree, but one that facilitates life, as successive generations live, shed leaves and die, a richer soil below the tree accumulates. This supports a plethora of plant species, fungi, invertebrates, insects and birds to move in and thrive, all of these qualities a highly effective tool in nursing landscapes back into functional ecosystems in tackling Ireland’s biodiversity crises.

In Hometree’s strategy to restore Wild Atlantic Rainforest sustainably, natural regeneration is, of course, the ultimate go to mechanism for successful outcomes when increasing woodland cover. However, identifying and utilising existing pockets of long-continuity woodland and dispersing this genetic material as necessary interventions to site specific circumstance, for example in upland areas where opportunities for successful natural seed dispersal are sparce or displaced totally. Once planted appropriately and in harmony with the region, these new saplings will quickly form a vital future seed source kick-starting woodland regeneration.

The Summer Solstice on 21 June marked a swift refocus from Downy Birch to Wild Cherry collection. We scouted several locations where this species is prevalent. A large stand of trees at one prominent site in Portumna Castle, County Galway was revisited on several occasions to collect. The Latin name of the Wild Cherry is Prunus Avium, offering us an insight into the affinity birds have with this abundant and delicious food tree. In a symbiotic twist they often gorge on its fleshy fruit from the canopy dropping clean seeds beneath the tree for us to gather for the tree nurseries operations.

On 27th June we gathered on the avenue to Portumna Castle with a group participating in one of Hometree’s Experience Weeks to collect seeds, whilst immersed in collecting cherries under sun drenched trees we attracted much attention from many curious locals and visitors to the castle grounds who approached the group to enquire and to sample the sweet readily available fruit reachable from laden lower branches. These are the days we dream of in Winter and It’s only in fostering these encounters between trees, people and wild beings all around us that we connect people to meaningful conservation efforts. It is a lesser imagined part of Hometree’s mission statement but the constant, regular witnessing of nature doing its own thing isn’t a luxury, it is absolutely essential to human survival and wellbeing.

We are very grateful to all the landowners who provide access to collect seeds and a special thanks to the Office of Public Works team at Portumna Castle who welcomed and helped the group capture the ease and fun of gathering and processing Wild Cherry seeds. Lynn O’Keefe, the head gardener, giving the group a guided tour of the important restoration works being carried out there and encouraging the group by demonstrating all the small incremental steps that we can take to create affordable homes for nature and sanctuary for people.

These Wild Cherry seeds will now be stratified for the Winter and our Downy Birch seeds dried and stored to be sown next Spring in the nursery. It’s a gentle reassurance to know these seeds and saplings are standing by and more rich spaces wait for nature.

Hometree would like to extend thank you to Lifes2good Foundation for financial support of this project. Please note, that any opinions and ideas expressed in this article are Hometree's only and are in no way related to Lifes2good Foundation.

Out Collecting Seeds and Finding the Mother Tree

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