Learning from native species (From Times Series)

Learning from native species

10:39am Friday 5th February 2010 in

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I would very much welcome the planting of Dawn Redwood trees in Edgware (‘Green campaigners criticise plans for 100 trees by road’, Times Series, January 28).

This tree was around with the dinosaurs and having been thought to have been extinct for more than five million years, this ‘living fossil’ was found in a remote Chinese village in 1941.

I only know of a few of these in Canons Drive, Edgware, planted among the much larger Wellingtonia trees from the USA.

Those doubting if the tree will do well in Edgware should look at the many Ginkgo trees (also a living fossil and also from China) that Barnet Council has planted. A good example was outside Woolworths in Mill Hill Broadway which outlasted Woolworths.

Planting native trees is all very well, but we need diversity in species to protect against infection. Remember Dutch Elm disease? The Horse Chestnut, while not a native tree, is about to die off next.

We should show respect for life forms that have been around for millions of years as they often contains products of use to us.

Jim Brightwell, Cloister Gardens, Edgware