...in "survivors"

THE FORGOTTEN MAPLE

A crow

To pick one tree in a forest is a difficult task, but this is a solitary survivor in a sad setting. Castle Caldwell Forest extends along the peninsula which juts out into the western end of Lower Lough Erne; part is an RSPB reserve.

Beside the utterly derelict castle is a tree which is contemporary with the castle and seems to bear it company. This is a large field maple Acer campestre.

The tree is a mature spreading specimen, 13’ round its trunk which is a remarkable size for this species. The crown is heavy with foliage, bearing many flowers and winged seeds especially on the older twigs with their dark foliage -new growth is lighter in colour. Lichen drapes any bare twigs, typical of the damp un-polluted air of west Fermanagh.

Far more sinister is the heavy growth of ivy up the trunk and spreading out along branches, inevitably weighing them down and weakening them.

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