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Ireland's Native Irish Trees and Shrubs

Around 12,000 years ago, Ireland was covered in snow and ice. This was known as the Ice Age. As the weather became warmer, the snow and ice melted and trees began to grow. The seeds of trees such as hazel and oak were brought here by birds and animals, across the landbridges from Britain and the rest of Europe. The seeds of other trees, such as willow and birch, are so light that they were blown here by the wind.

 

Eventually, the seas rose, the landbridges were flooded and Ireland became an island. Our native trees are the trees that reached here before we were separated from the rest of Europe. Our most common native trees include oak, ash, hazel, birch, Scots pine, rowan and willow. Eventually, people brought other trees, such as beech, sycamore, horse chestnut, spruce, larch and fir to Ireland.

What is the simple definition of a tree?

A plant that can grow over five metres and
be single-stemmed

Ireland's
Twenty Eight
Native Irish Tree Species

Alder
Arbutus
Ash
Aspen 
Birch Downy

Birch Silver
Blackthorn /Sloe
Cherry Bird

Cherry Wild

​

Crab Apple
Elder
Guelder Rose
Hawthorn/Whitethorn
Hazel
Holly

Juniper
Oak  Pedunculate
Oak Sessile

Rowan/Mountain Ash

Scots Pine

Spindle

Whitebean
Willow Eared
Willow Goat/Pussy
Willow Grey/Rusty
Willow White/Golden Weeping

Wych Elm
Yew

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