October 07, 2026 - 194 views
A mature rowan tree overlooking Llangollen is helping to produce a new generation of trees for Denbighshire as part of an initiative to increase native woodland across the county.
Staff and volunteers at Denbighshire County Council’s Tree Nursery at Green Gates Nature Reserve have collected more than 1.5kg of berries from a rowan growing at Dinas Bran, above Llangollen.
The berries are now being processed at the nursery to recover viable seeds which can be grown on before eventually being planted elsewhere in the county.
The process involves mashing the berries in water before rinsing them through a sieve to remove the fruit and reveal the seeds.
The council says sourcing seed from local trees is important because it allows the nursery to maintain local provenance when growing new trees.
The tree nursery is funded by the Welsh Government through the Local Nature Partnerships Cymru project and the Local Places for Nature grant.
As well as rowan, staff and volunteers are working to increase numbers of native species including black poplar, wild service tree and oak by collecting locally sourced seed and growing the trees at the nursery.
Rowan, also known as mountain ash, is typically associated with upland areas, mountains and heathland. It also has a long history in folklore, with the tree traditionally believed to offer protection from evil spirits.
In Celtic folklore, rowan was also known as the 'traveller's tree', with sprigs traditionally carried as protection against becoming lost while travelling.
The species has an important role in the natural environment too. Its spring flowers provide food for bees, butterflies and moths, while its autumn berries attract birds including waxwings, redwings and other thrushes.
Keegan Blazey, Tree Nursery Officer, said the rowan had produced an exceptional crop of berries this year.
He said this could be linked to the high temperatures experienced during the summer, while oak production has been much lower because of the natural cycle known as 'masting', when trees produce large crops of seeds in some years and fewer in others.
Mr Blazey said the bumper crop of rowan berries would help the nursery continue producing locally sourced trees and support biodiversity across the county.
Councillor James Elson, Denbighshire County Council's Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said local provenance was central to the work being carried out at the nursery.
He said the project would allow the lineage of the mature rowan overlooking Llangollen to continue across Denbighshire.
The young trees will be nurtured at the nursery before being planted out, giving them a better chance of establishing successfully while increasing the number of native rowans available for future planting projects across the county.
