Tree Magic PDF
Tree Magic PDF
Tree Magic PDF
It is sad that the ash is threatened by a new and virulent tree disease, for which modern
society is partly responsible – but good that scientists are telling us not to rush out and
cut down every tree – particularly those in ancient woodland – as some veterans may be
resistant to the dieback that is afflicting trees in Europe and the UK.
Another genus of trees that has suffered
– massively - from disease is the elm. It is
estimated that in the UK between the 1960s and
1990s, 25 million out of an estimated total of 30
million trees had died from Dutch Elm Disease
(DED) – please note the Dutch did not cause
this, but were the first to diagnose the deadly
fungus and its vector (carrier), the elm bark
beetle.
Groves of elms have been regarded as sacred for millennia, and indeed were regarded
as having links to the underworld. The English elm also has a reputation for suddenly
shedding its branches on hot summer days, sometimes with fatal consequences.
It perhaps should give us cause for reflection that the mighty ash and elm, once so central
to mythology, are both in or threatened by decline, with human economic activity being
a factor. We do not relate much to trees these days except as a resource to be exploited;
their veneration is often the subject of modern mainstream mockery. Nonetheless some
continue to exercise our imagination.
Our native rowan is sometimes
called mountain ash because
it has a similar leaf structure
to ash, but it is in a completely
different plant (the rose) family.
Nevertheless it has long had
a magical reputation, and has
often been planted near houses
to ward off evil spirits or for
good luck. Also it is reputed to
be unlucky to cut down a rowan;
my father used to point out that
he had done this once in the
garden, and the following day he
and my mother were in a life- Sorbus aucuparia – our native rowan, laden with berries
threatening car crash.
Further reading: