As the German name (Vogelkirsche = “bird cherry”) suggests, birds like to eat the red fruits. The hawfinch can even crack the hard stones.
The name of the tree is derived from the color of the bark that appears light gray to whitish in the sun. After maturity, the cones do not fall to the ground as a whole, but in individual scales.
The sycamore maple feels comfortable in the cool and humid climate of the mountain country. It was brought to the lowlands of northern Germany due to its valuable wood.
The ash tree is the only tree with velvet black buds. Shortly after sprouting, the leaves are often attacked by a fungus called Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. This spreads in the tree and can kill it after several years.
The spruce needles are robust and very pointed. In spring, the small, red, female flowers of the spruce are difficult to see from the ground. After pollination, they tilt down and ripen to spruce cones.
The next station is waiting for you.