30. Seamus Heaney’s Tree
30. Seamus Heaney’s Tree
The centre of Belfast has been transformed, and trees have been key to its renewal
In recent decades, Belfast City Council’s urban foresters have helped transform the city with a programme of street tree planting. To draw attention to the initiative, celebrities have planted trees in various locations around the city centre. Ireland’s great poet, Seamus Heaney, planted a ‘Greenspire’ small leaved lime in 2000 which is maturing nicely outside the famous Linen Hall Library on Donegall Square.
Species details
Small-leaved lime
Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’
Where to find it
Linen Hall Library, 17 Donegall Square North, Belfast BT1 5GB
///thus.agents.sting | 54.597335, -5.931541
Small-leaved lime notes
Limes are frequent in Ireland. Many older trees are common lime (Tilia x europaea), a hybrid between large leaved (T. platyphyllos) and small leaved (T. cordata) limes. Despite their ubiquity in the landscape, none are native to Ireland, although they are to Britain, so they may be thought of as archaeophytes here. Small leaved limes particularly are now much planted, more so than the stately common lime which is avoided because of its propensity to drip honey dew on anything that shelters beneath it, particularly pavements or parked cars.
Other Irish limes
Day 5
The urban tree festival is in full swing and continues until Sunday 21st May. Check out the programme here.
While Belfast is not hosting Urban Tree Festival events this year, there was a memorable presentation at last year’s Festival, and maybe they can be persuaded to take part in 2024 once again. Here though are a couple of events that may be of interest tomorrow:
11:00 - Mulberry Half Marathon with Peter Coles. Peter is a mulberry tree expert and this walk will be fascinating.
19:00 - The Tree Climbing Cure. Online talk with Andy Brown about his book of the same title.
Throughout the Urban Tree Festival. I’ll be posting a Daily Urban Tree which will reflect emerging themes, the places where the Festival is happening and events that are taking place.