Irish Forests

Learning Intention

To know that silviculture is the growing of trees

To know that coniferous trees are usually evergreen

To know that  broadleaf trees are usually deciduous.

Main learning 

Trees can be divided into two main types

Coniferous trees are usually evergreen . The leaves fall off when they are old, but are soon replaced, which allows the tree to remain green all year round. Coniferous trees grow quickly and are ready for cutting in about 40 years. They usually have long straight trunks making them ideal for building, even though their wood is quite soft. Most trees grown in Ireland are coniferous, but many are not native.

The main types of coniferous trees grown in Ireland are Sitka Spruce,Norway Spruce, lodgepole pine, Douglas Fir and larch.

Broadleaf trees are usually deciduous. The leaves fall of in autumn leaving the tree bare during winter.New leaves grow in the spring. Some broadleaf trees take hundreds of years to mature.

their wood is hard and used for making furniture. Hardwood is more expensive than softwood. Many deciduous trees are native to Ireland.The main types of native broadleaf are oak, ash and birch. Some non- native broadleaf trees grown in Ireland include beech and hornbeam.