The Argyll Street Ash
A Dazzling Victory - Argyle Street Ash in Glasgow wins tree of the year competition
A Dazzling Victory - Argyle Street Ash in Glasgow wins tree of the year competition
Earth and Leaf Editorial
This is the story of the Argyll Street Ash. It is interesting to note that noone is complaining about subsidence or damage to foundations in this case, yet the tree could not be closer to the buildings. Too often we see homeowners complaining that a tree is damaging their property and an often mature tree unnecessarily loses its life. The Argyll Street Ash appears to be causing no such problems.
This surprises me a little as Ash trees are shallow rooted. Having said that most trees are shallow rooted, constrained by the depth of soil and clay. I suspect there is a good depth of clay soil underneath the Argyll Street Ash.
The Argyll Street Ash should now be safe from the chainsaws, for now.
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Extract
The Argyll Street Ash
A much-loved ash tree in the heart of Glasgow has won the annual tree of the year competition organised by the Woodland Trust.
While many trees that have featured in the competition are located in the remote British countryside, the Argyle Street ash is on one of the city’s busiest roads.
Author James Cowan described the tree in his 1951 book From Glasgow’s Treasure Chest as “quite the most graceful ash I have seen”. This is a point of pride for those who live nearby, and the quote is displayed in the pub opposite the tree.
Cowan’s book also recounts an urban legend that a sapling grew by accident when a local family returned from holiday with primrose roots, one of which contained the ash seed.
It is the only tree in the street and stands 75ft tall, casting shade on the sandstone tenement houses.
Many ash trees across the country have been felled due to the fungal disease ash dieback, which kills them. So far the Argyle Street ash, planted in the Victorian era, has survived the Clydeside blitz, recent redevelopment and the disease.
Thankyou for reading. There are many more articles in the Earth and Leaf Library.
Iain Dunn
Founder of Earth and Leaf Community Interest Company. Lifelong career as a livestock farming expert backed by an education in agricultural sciences and economics. Now a conservationist, researcher and sustainability campaigner.