There are more than 7,000 trees in Alexandra Park and our resident expert, Stephen Middleton from the Friends of Alexandra Park, is highlighting some of his favourite species and the stories behind them.
For November, Stephen has made an unusual choice. As you take the road from the Boating Lake, passing the Go-Ape structures on your left, you’ll reach a junction of pathways. On your right, there’s a striking silhouette against the sky, a dead oak tree. Although this oak died around 10 years ago, it remains incredibly valuable to the park’s wider ecosystem.
Birds still make good use of the tree. It offers a convenient lookout point, a reliable source of insect food and, in spring, potential nesting holes. Parakeets are particularly fond of it, often prompting a mixed reaction from visitors!
Dead trees are also important for our flying mammals. The hole and crevices provide spaces for bats, which play a vital role in keeping biting insects under control.
The area immediately around the oak is protected by brambles. This natural barrier allows our Park Management team to leave the tree safely in place without risking injury from falling branches.
You’ll often find the fruiting bodies of fungi on standing dead trees, which help break down the material of the tree and return nutrients to the environment. Some fungi live on dead material (saprophytic), others eat living trees (parasitic) and some form symbiotic, mutually beneficial relationships with their hosts.
There are several other impressive examples of standing deadwood in the park. One notable oak near the two remaining London 2012 Olympic chainsaw-carved sculptures in The Grove, is regularly visited by nuthatches, great tits and blue tits.
Another deceased oak is near the former Blandford Hall area, with oak bracket fungus at its base, saw dozens of red admiral butterflies attracted in its final years of life – around two years ago – likely attracted by the oak sap.
Silver birch trees, which tend to have shorter lifespans, also host a fascinating array of fungi. When alive, they may be surrounded by the classic red-and-white fly agaric (a saprophytic fungus) toadstools of fairy tales. Once dead, they often develop birch polypore, a bracket fungus that quickly weakens the remaining structure of the dead tree.
Dead and dying trees also support a huge variety of insects, with beetles in particular making excellent use of this food source.
Finally, dead trees have even inspired park art. In 2013, a fallen horse chestnut tree from the south slope was carved to become the impressive High Guard Totem Pole to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Alexandra Park. Sadly, this species of tree decays relatively quickly, and the sculpture was lost six years later.
