You may have noticed some trees put out new growth in July and August. This is known as Lammas growth as it coincides with Lammas, the midpoint of summer.

Oak trees are particularly noticeable producers of Lammas growth which can often be tinged red or fresh spring green. It is thought to be a mechanism trees use to compensate for leaves lost during the spring and early summer to leaf-eating insects and caterpillars who are at their most voracious at this time.

One of the most unlikely oak trees you might find is the Cypress oak, a fastigiate - the name we use for trees with upward sweeping branches - cultivar of the English or pedunculate oak. Cypress oaks are so called because their shape is similar to that of the classic Italian cypress, but they might be more likely to be confused with a Lombardy poplar.

Look out for neat cypress oaks all over, they are a tree much planted in recent years. Being a cultivar of a native oak species, they are particularly good at supporting all sorts of other creatures, so their biodiversity value is high.