Lairdside Wood comprises a mixture of 20 native broadleaved species planted in 1995. The trees are organic and have not been treated with chemicals or sprays. Our trees available for adoption include alder, ash, oak ,birch, aspen, bird cherry, willow, lime, hawthorn, beech, rowan, hazel, holly and gean.         The Oak (quercus robur) - everyone is familiar with the oak which symbolises strength and endurance Looking down on the west side of the wood is Bardarroch Crag. Darroch is a Celtic name for oak and this indicates that oak previously grew here many thousands of years ago. The oak is one of the slowest trees to reach maturity. It only produces acorns after 60 or 70 years and it can live for over 300 years. It is host to a variety of insects and fungi but is well able to survive them. The large numbers of insects that it attracts in turn attract birds and , since its leaves and branches cast only light shade , plant life on the ground below flourishes attracting small mammals such as shrews and large mammals such as deer.         The Rowan or mountain ash (sorbus aucuparia) - is hardy and in autumn its red berries attract many birds. Both the tree and the birds benefit. The tree because its seeds are spread over a great distance and the birds which gain valuable nutrients from the seeds. The Rowan is one of our most distinctive trees.         The Aspen (populus tremula) - has a magical quality in its leaf movement. Even in the slightest breeze the leaves quiver and rustle gently. Walking beside them has a calming effect and their beautiful colouring in autumn makes this our favourite tree.         The Birch (betula pendula) - has distinctive white bark and is often known as silver birch because of the bark colour. It has been called “ The Lady of the Woods” ( Coleridge) probably because of its delicate appearance and ability to grow in harsh conditions.         Full descriptions and images of all our tree species are easily found - try Wikipedia and Google images.