Conifers

Something simpler this morning as we walked around the remains of Shipley Hall. Looking for colourful blooms to share with you, it is easy to overlook the colours of the foliage. My eye was drawn to this magnificent Yew tree (Taxus baccata).

Yew trees are well known for their longevity and certain specimens have been found to be more than 200 years old. It is for this reason that they have long been planted in grave yards as a symbol of everlasting life. The red berries are often thought to be poisonous, but this is not entirely true. It is the seed within the berry which is poisonous, the fleshy part of the berry is in fact edible, sweet and (supposedly) very tasty. Certainly the birds like them!
Do you remember the Young Larch cones I featured some weeks ago? Well, returning to the same tree this morning we found the cones filling out and maturing nicely.

They really look gorgeous in the sun, but the storm clouds were gathering and a few spots were falling on us by this stage so we decided to cut our walk short and head for home.