Ladywell Fields
Heavy persistent rain clearing to sunny intervals and showers, fresh SW wind
The heavy rain finally cleared through giving me time for a quick walk around the park. Ladywell Fields is home to one of the Great Trees of London, an Elm tree, a rare sight these days due to Dutch Elm disease. The disease is caused by fungi and is spread from dead or dying Elms to healthy trees by Elm Bark Beetles.
Dutch Elm disease was first identified in Britain in 1927 although it was certainly present some years earlier, there is recent evidence that the disease may of originated in the Himalayas the name Dutch Elm disease came about from the extensive study that the Dutch did into the disease. In parts of southern England the disease at first caused widespread death of Elms but by the 1940’s the disease declined both in terms of the number trees affected and in the severity of damage caused.
In the late 1960’s a new epidemic developed causing devastation on a scale far greater than before, by 1980 it was estimated that over 20 million trees had been killed.
So to find a large mature Elm in southern England is a rare site these days, maybe because of its isolation from other Elms has helped, though it is thought that some forms of Elm trees maybe resistant to the disease. On the plaque by the tree it claims this particular tree is of the variety ‘ ‘klemmer’ though some have argued that its a European White Elm
Not many birds about today probably due to the weather but a Grey Heron was trying to fish in the swollen river and a group of c60 Redwings were feeding on the sodden Fields
Grey Heron
Redwing
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