Sycamore

Sycamore, the plant that conservationists love to hate. A weed tree growing where it doesn't belong. A plant of humid ravines in continental Europe, introduced to the UK, a place it hadn't reached naturally before the land bridge to Europe was closed by rising sea levels after the last glaciation. But it is ever so at home here, seeding profusely and outcompeting native tree species. Should we learn to love it for its arboreal elegance, its pendant short-lived inflorescences, its helicopter seeds?

As a non-native, it arrived without a host of dependent insect species, it supports a low biodiversity. On the other hand, it supports a high biomass, as anyone who has parked their car under one in Summer will know. The trees are infested with aphids, and the sticky honeydew rains down from above. The aphids are a magnet for small birds, so it's not entirely lacking in conservation merit.

This was taken after a long evening walk with Gus, finishing along the estuary. The bright light behind is the reflection of the setting sun on the water of the Kent channel.

The picture of Gus which is linked above was taken the night of the blip meet with the three blipperteers, I posted it on Flickr, and somehow it found its way onto the Explore page. When that happens the number of views explodes, and as I write this it has now been viewed 9394 times, and has been favourited 215 times (which is even more than the number of hearts that Draco has given Gus in the last 15 months!).