In season · March

What’s out on the trees in March

Blackthorn flowers white on bare black twigs, before its leaves come, and hawthorn and elder are among the first trees into leaf.

The whole year on one chart · How to identify trees in winter · Spotter sheets to print

New in March

Hawthorn: first green. Small pale leaves opening on thorny twigs.Jose Gutierrez Higa, CC BY 4.0HawthornFirst green Small pale leaves opening on thorny twigs.March to AprilHow to identify it → Blackthorn: white on black. White flowers on dark twigs, before any leaves.BlackthornWhite on black White flowers on dark twigs, before any leaves.March to AprilHow to identify it → European larch: ruby cones. Small, upright, ruby-red cones on the twigs.Hazza, CC BY 4.0European larchRuby cones Small, upright, ruby-red cones on the twigs.March to AprilHow to identify it → European larch: green tufts. Soft new needles opening in tufts.Don Loarie, CC BY 4.0European larchGreen tufts Soft new needles opening in tufts.March to MayHow to identify it → Weeping willow: slim catkins. Slim catkins lying close along the hanging shoots.Weeping willowSlim catkins Slim catkins lying close along the hanging shoots.March to AprilHow to identify it →

Flowers and catkins

Hazel: lambs’ tails. Pale yellow lambs’ tails hanging loose on bare twigs.HazelLambs’ tails Pale yellow lambs’ tails hanging loose on bare twigs.January to MarchHow to identify it → Hazel: red threads. A tiny bud with a tuft of red threads.Daniel Cahen, CC BY 4.0HazelRed threads A tiny bud with a tuft of red threads.January to MarchHow to identify it → Yew: pollen cones. Tiny round pollen cones in rows under the shoots.YewPollen cones Tiny round pollen cones in rows under the shoots.February to MarchHow to identify it → Alder: purple catkins. Purplish catkins lengthening beside hard black cones.AlderPurple catkins Purplish catkins lengthening beside hard black cones.February to MarchHow to identify it → Aspen: furry catkins. Thick grey furry catkins hanging on bare twigs.AspenFurry catkins Thick grey furry catkins hanging on bare twigs.February to MarchHow to identify it → Wych elm: red flowers. Tiny reddish purple flowers packed along bare twigs.Zeke Marshall, CC BY 4.0Wych elmRed flowers Tiny reddish purple flowers packed along bare twigs.February to MarchHow to identify it →

New leaves

Elder: first leaf. New leaves out while the hedge is still bare.ElderFirst leaf New leaves out while the hedge is still bare.February to MarchHow to identify it →

Buds

Horse chestnut: sticky buds. Fat reddish brown buds, sticky to the touch.Horse chestnutSticky buds Fat reddish brown buds, sticky to the touch.November to MarchHow to identify it → Common beech: buds. Long pointed copper buds standing out from the twig.Philokretes, CC BY 4.0Common beechBuds Long pointed copper buds standing out from the twig.December to AprilHow to identify it → Common ash: black buds. Sooty black buds in pairs on grey twigs.Daniel Seth Jackson, CC BY 4.0Common ashBlack buds Sooty black buds in pairs on grey twigs.December to AprilHow to identify it →

Fruit, nuts and cones

Scots pine: ripe cones. Greyish brown cones, shut tight on the branches.Jerry Lanfear, CC BY 4.0Scots pineRipe cones Greyish brown cones, shut tight on the branches.November to MarchHow to identify it →

Held on into winter

Common beech: copper leaves. Dead copper leaves hanging on the lower branches.Common beechCopper leaves Dead copper leaves hanging on the lower branches.November to MarchHow to identify it → Common ash: winter keys. Brown papery keys hanging in bunches, rattling in wind.Common ashWinter keys Brown papery keys hanging in bunches, rattling in wind.November to MarchHow to identify it → London plane: seed balls. Bristly brown balls hanging on long strings.rmjb, CC BY 4.0London planeSeed balls Bristly brown balls hanging on long strings.December to MarchHow to identify it → Hornbeam: brown leaves. Dry brown leaves still on the branches in winter.HornbeamBrown leaves Dry brown leaves still on the branches in winter.December to AprilHow to identify it →

Also on the trees

On birch: witches' broom. A dense ball of twigs high in a bare birch.guywallbanks, CC BY 4.0On birchWitches' broom A dense ball of twigs high in a bare birch.November to March
On lime, poplar, apple and hawthorn: mistletoe. A green ball in a bare tree.pmcabinet, CC BY 4.0On lime, poplar, apple and hawthornMistletoe A green ball in a bare tree.November to March

Bare branches

English oak: bare frame. A broad crooked dome on heavy twisting limbs.Daniel Cahen, CC BY 4.0English oakBare frame A broad crooked dome on heavy twisting limbs.December to AprilHow to identify it → Hawthorn: thorns. Bare twigs set with sharp thorns.Михаил Орлов, CC BY 4.0HawthornThorns Bare twigs set with sharp thorns.November to MarchHow to identify it → Blackthorn: black thorns. Dark twigs with long thorns and tiny buds.BlackthornBlack thorns Dark twigs with long thorns and tiny buds.November to MarchHow to identify it → Sweet chestnut: spiral bark. Bark ridges twisting round the trunk as they climb.Nick Butcher, CC BY 4.0Sweet chestnutSpiral bark Bark ridges twisting round the trunk as they climb.November to MarchHow to identify it → Silver birch: white trunk. A white trunk with black diamond marks.Silver birchWhite trunk A white trunk with black diamond marks.November to MarchHow to identify it → Wild cherry: bud spurs. Bunches of buds on short, stubby side shoots.Wild cherryBud spurs Bunches of buds on short, stubby side shoots.November to MarchHow to identify it → Common beech: grey trunk. A long, smooth, silvery grey trunk.Rachel Godfrey, CC BY 4.0Common beechGrey trunk A long, smooth, silvery grey trunk.November to MarchHow to identify it → Rowan: silver bark. Smooth silvery grey bark, streaked with dark dashes.anguspritchard, CC BY 4.0RowanSilver bark Smooth silvery grey bark, streaked with dark dashes.November to MarchHow to identify it → Sycamore: green buds. Fat green buds in matching pairs on stout twigs.SycamoreGreen buds Fat green buds in matching pairs on stout twigs.November to MarchHow to identify it → European larch: bare conifer. A conifer standing bare, with no needles on it.Tom Garner, CC BY 4.0European larchBare conifer A conifer standing bare, with no needles on it.November to MarchHow to identify it → Common whitebeam: winter buds. Neat cone-shaped buds on bare shoots.Marek Hrušovský, CC BY 4.0Common whitebeamWinter buds Neat cone-shaped buds on bare shoots.November to MarchHow to identify it → Aspen: pale trunks. Slender pale trunks, standing in a group.Petr Harant, CC BY 4.0AspenPale trunks Slender pale trunks, standing in a group.December to AprilHow to identify it → Common lime: twiggy base. Twiggy sprouts crowding the foot of a bare trunk.Common limeTwiggy base Twiggy sprouts crowding the foot of a bare trunk.November to MarchHow to identify it → Hornbeam: ridged trunk. A grey trunk rippled with ridges.Ewan Shilland, CC BY 4.0HornbeamRidged trunk A grey trunk rippled with ridges.November to MarchHow to identify it →

Coming in April

Horse chestnut: drooping leaves. Big leaves out of the bud already, hanging limp.valbentley, CC BY 4.0Horse chestnutDrooping leaves Big leaves out of the bud already, hanging limp.AprilHow to identify it → Horse chestnut: candles. White flower spikes standing upright above the leaves.rmjb, CC BY 4.0Horse chestnutCandles White flower spikes standing upright above the leaves.April to MayHow to identify it → English oak: tassels. Yellow tassels hanging loose among small new leaves.English oakTassels Yellow tassels hanging loose among small new leaves.April to MayHow to identify it → Sweet chestnut: unrolling leaves. Long narrow new leaves with sharp teeth.chrisdt, CC BY 4.0Sweet chestnutUnrolling leaves Long narrow new leaves with sharp teeth.April to MayHow to identify it → Field maple: pink leaves. Small new leaves with a pink tint.Joss Carr, CC BY 4.0Field maplePink leaves Small new leaves with a pink tint.April to MayHow to identify it → Silver birch: long catkins. Long yellow catkins hanging from the twigs.Daniel Greenwood, CC BY 4.0Silver birchLong catkins Long yellow catkins hanging from the twigs.April to MayHow to identify it → Silver birch: green haze. A thin green haze of small new leaves.Silver birchGreen haze A thin green haze of small new leaves.April to MayHow to identify it → Wild cherry: blossom. White flowers in loose bunches on long stalks.David Pereira, CC BY 4.0Wild cherryBlossom White flowers in loose bunches on long stalks.April to MayHow to identify it → Hazel: hairy leaves. Soft new leaves, many of them reddish.HazelHairy leaves Soft new leaves, many of them reddish.AprilHow to identify it → Common beech: silky leaves. New leaves thin enough for light to come through.Aaron Wallace, CC BY 4.0Common beechSilky leaves New leaves thin enough for light to come through.April to MayHow to identify it → Sycamore: flower tails. Narrow greenish yellow tails hanging among the leaves.Liam Maguire, CC BY 4.0SycamoreFlower tails Narrow greenish yellow tails hanging among the leaves.April to MayHow to identify it → Common ash: purple tufts. Dense dark purple tufts along bare twigs.Drepanostoma, CC BY 4.0Common ashPurple tufts Dense dark purple tufts along bare twigs.AprilHow to identify it → Holly: white flowers. Small white four-petalled flowers where the leaves join.HollyWhite flowers Small white four-petalled flowers where the leaves join.April to MayHow to identify it → Holly: soft new leaves. Pale, soft new leaves at the ends of the branches.Jerry Lanfear, CC BY 4.0HollySoft new leaves Pale, soft new leaves at the ends of the branches.April to MayHow to identify it → Yew: fresh needles. Bright new tips against needles that are almost black.YewFresh needles Bright new tips against needles that are almost black.April to MayHow to identify it → Alder: sticky leaves. Round new leaves, sticky to the touch.AlderSticky leaves Round new leaves, sticky to the touch.April to MayHow to identify it → London plane: woolly leaves. New leaves over a trunk flaking in pale plates.London planeWoolly leaves New leaves over a trunk flaking in pale plates.April to MayHow to identify it → Scots pine: pollen cones. Clusters of small yellow cones on the new shoots.Anne Thomson, CC BY 4.0Scots pinePollen cones Clusters of small yellow cones on the new shoots.April to JuneHow to identify it → Common whitebeam: silver leaves. The whole tree looks white as the leaves open.Daniel Cahen, CC BY 4.0Common whitebeamSilver leaves The whole tree looks white as the leaves open.AprilHow to identify it → Common lime: pale hearts. Pale heart-shaped leaves on red shoots.Common limePale hearts Pale heart-shaped leaves on red shoots.April to MayHow to identify it → Hornbeam: leafy catkins. Yellow catkins hanging with the new leaves, not before them.HornbeamLeafy catkins Yellow catkins hanging with the new leaves, not before them.April to MayHow to identify it → Wych elm: seed discs. Pale papery discs in clusters, seed in the middle.Wych elmSeed discs Pale papery discs in clusters, seed in the middle.April to MayHow to identify it →
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Photographs: Jose Gutierrez Higa (CC BY 4.0), empressmoth (CC0), Hazza (CC BY 4.0), Don Loarie (CC BY 4.0), arachnoto (CC0), cjoynson (CC0), Daniel Cahen (CC BY 4.0), twig777 (CC0), steve_mcwilliam (CC0), Zeke Marshall (CC BY 4.0), Philokretes (CC BY 4.0), Daniel Seth Jackson (CC BY 4.0), Jerry Lanfear (CC BY 4.0), rmjb (CC BY 4.0), guywallbanks (CC BY 4.0), pmcabinet (CC BY 4.0), Михаил Орлов (CC BY 4.0), gerardgaya (CC0), Nick Butcher (CC BY 4.0), Leon Cross (CC BY 4.0), Rachel Godfrey (CC BY 4.0), anguspritchard (CC BY 4.0), Tom Garner (CC BY 4.0), Marek Hrušovský (CC BY 4.0), Petr Harant (CC BY 4.0), pete_gateley (CC0), Ewan Shilland (CC BY 4.0), valbentley (CC BY 4.0), chrisdt (CC BY 4.0), Joss Carr (CC BY 4.0), Daniel Greenwood (CC BY 4.0), David Pereira (CC BY 4.0), Aaron Wallace (CC BY 4.0), Liam Maguire (CC BY 4.0), Drepanostoma (CC BY 4.0), peter_reynolds (CC0), Anne Thomson (CC BY 4.0). With thanks to everyone who shares their photographs on iNaturalist and Wikimedia Commons.