Richard Williamson Nature Watch October 21
The mighty oak tree, brought to its knees in the destruction of the Wealden forests for the building of ships and by the iron industry of Elizabethan days, has lately had yet another problem to overcome.
Three different diseases are currently threatening its life, one of them quite near my home at West Dean which has killed mature trees.
My picture shows another of the niggles this patient giant has to suffer. You can see the symptoms lying about on the ground beneath oaks this week. These are the damaged acorns that grow to look like sticky lumps of toffee.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThey are caused by the Andricus wasp which was somehow imported from New Zealand and every year attacks the oaks’ flowers and causes the acorn to grow into a horrid little home for itself, completely destroying the acorn and future breeding success of the tree.