Saving our Black Poplars
Did you know that our local pub "The Cottontree" and our neighbouring village Cottontree both derived their name from the now extremely rare Black Poplars of which there are only four left on the banks of the River known as Colne Water. The reason why they were so prominent as to give their name to both the village and the pub is that when these trees flower, which incidentally only happens when the climatic conditions are just right about once every 5 - 10 years, the seeds are covered in a fluffy, downy and very cotton like substance which apparently used to cover the village turning it into almost a snowscape in the middle of summer.
Black Poplars number less than 2500 countrywide and only 1 in 10 of those are females. They are arguably the UK's second rarest tree (after the Small Leafed Lime) and as all the four trees in Cottontree are females we consider ourselves particularly blessed. We have now started a campaign to re-instate more of these very rare trees in this area and have begun to take cuttings under the auspices of the Lancashire County Council. Our frontgardens have become nurseries for the cuttings and seedlings and we are hoping that by next year the successful ones might be transplanted into their traditional habitat by the riverbanks and wetland areas.
These trees have a habit of hybridising and the Manchester Poplar is a common variant. To establish the purity of the remaining Black Poplar stock we and the County Council would welcome contacts from University research groups, who would be willing to undertake genetic sampling of the existing trees.
Friends of the Earth would like to thank Lancashire County Council's leader Hazel Harding and David Brackley, the county's tree specialist for their interest, help and assistance in this valuable project.
Here are some cuttings of the articles that have appeared in the local newspapers about this subject recently.
Click here for Colne Times article