Our mighty oaks

Native trees hold a special place in the UK’s traditions, myths and ecosystems

The evolution of the mighty oak

Ships made from English oak were victorious at sea from the Nile to Trafalgar and it was once a ubiquitous building material. Yet today, it’s a rarity, finds Arabella Youens

Decorating the land with their brilliant and varied hues, our native flora–which operate as clocks, calendars and Nature’s medicine cabinet–are simply blooming brilliant,

There’s room for some - but not always for all with pushier plants explains Toby

Structured, social and remarkably sophisticated, a bustling woodland ant community is home to engineers, farmers, nurses and warriors