Although Larches aren’t native to Ireland (or Britain), it is relatively commonly planted in Ireland. The European Larch is native to mountains of central Europe, upland areas in France, Germany and Austria. Larches have woody trunks & stems, needle leaves and a waxy coating that keeps the leaves from losing water which is all characteristic of conifers. But, unlike other evergreen Conifers, they are deciduous, meaning they drop their leaves for part of the year. It is known to be the only deciduous conifer in Europe & the majority of deciduous conifers in other continents are related to them in one way or another.

Overall, the Scots Pine is a very hardy species and can grow in rocky, sandy, or shallower soils, that have a limited reservoir of nutrients and water available to plants. It has been known to grow for up to 700 years in parts of Sweden & Norway. Mature trees can grow up to around 35 meters.

In Celtic times, the Birch tree was a symbol of love, with Birch branches frequently being placed above cradles in order to protect the baby within. Birch was also known to symbolise renewal and purification. Commonly known as a ‘Pioneering Tree’, Birch is seen as an opportunist which takes over areas that have been abandoned or have been newly cleared. This was how it spread across Ireland thousands of years ago.