Take a look across the Irish countryside and you’ll see trees that have shaped our landscape for generations. From ancient oaks and Scots pine to hazel, alder and mountain ash, native Irish trees are an important part of Ireland’s natural heritage.
Planting native trees is also one of the simplest ways to add biodiversity to a garden, farm or woodland. Trees provide food and shelter for birds, insects and mammals, while also helping to filter pollution, provide screening and shelter, improve soil and capture carbon.
Whether you’re planting a single native tree in your garden or creating a new woodland area, choosing species that are suited to Irish conditions gives them the best possible start.
“Wise men plant trees under whose shade they shall never sit.”
Oak is perhaps the most iconic of all native Irish trees and a firm favourite here at Cullen Nurseries.
A symbol of strength, wisdom and endurance, the oak has played an important role in Ireland’s landscape and culture for centuries. These magnificent trees can live for hundreds of years and, as they mature, become incredibly valuable habitats for wildlife.
Oak trees support a huge variety of insects, birds, mammals, mosses, lichens and fungi. Their acorns also provide an important autumn food source for wildlife.
Because of their eventual size, oak trees are particularly well suited to larger gardens, farms, estates and woodland planting schemes where they have room to develop into impressive mature trees.
Alder is a hardy, deciduous native Irish tree that is particularly well suited to wet or poorly drained ground.
It is commonly seen beside rivers, lakes, boggy ground and damp woodland throughout Ireland and can also tolerate exposed conditions.
One of alder’s most interesting characteristics is its ability to fix nitrogen. This means it can help improve poorer soils, making it a particularly useful species when establishing new woodland or planting on challenging ground.
Male and female flowers grow on the same tree, with distinctive catkins appearing in spring.
If you’re looking for a native Irish tree for damp ground, alder is one of the best species to consider.
Hazel is an extremely versatile native species that can be grown as a small bushy tree or as part of a native hedgerow.
Naturally dense and multi-stemmed, hazel provides excellent coverage and responds particularly well to coppicing. It is commonly found in traditional Irish hedgerows and woodland edges.
Hazel also has excellent wildlife value. Its distinctive catkins provide early-season interest, while mature plants can produce hazelnuts, providing a valuable food source for birds and small mammals.
Its relatively compact growth habit also makes hazel a good choice where a full-sized woodland tree such as oak would eventually become too large.
Mountain Ash, also commonly known as Rowan, is one of Ireland’s most attractive native flowering and fruiting trees.
Its relatively upright form makes it suitable for gardens as well as larger planting schemes, and it is frequently planted in parks, avenues and landscaped areas.
Clusters of creamy-white flowers appear around May and are followed by bright red berries in autumn.
These berries aren’t just decorative. They provide an important autumn food source for birds, making Rowan an excellent choice if you’re looking to encourage wildlife and biodiversity into your garden.
Its combination of flowers, berries and attractive foliage gives Mountain Ash interest through several seasons of the year.
Scots Pine is a native evergreen conifer and one of the most distinctive trees found in Irish woodland landscapes.
Unlike our deciduous native trees, Scots Pine retains its needles throughout the year, providing valuable year-round colour, structure and shelter.
It can eventually become a large tree, reaching approximately 30-35 metres in suitable conditions, and exceptionally old specimens can survive for several hundred years.
Because of its mature size, Scots Pine is best suited to larger gardens, estates, farms and woodland planting rather than small urban gardens.
Most native Irish trees are available as bare-root plants during the winter planting season. This makes planting larger numbers of native trees relatively affordable.
Bare-root planting generally takes place from November until late March or early April, while the trees are dormant. The exact planting window will depend on weather and ground conditions.
Native trees are available in several sizes, including smaller 2-3ft whips or saplings and larger trees commonly referred to as standards.
Smaller whips and saplings may need protection from rabbits, deer and other animals.
Young oak trees can be particularly attractive to browsing deer, while rabbits can damage or cut through the softer bark and stems of young trees.
Tree guards or rabbit guards can therefore be an important part of establishing a new native woodland or planting scheme.
Larger trees may require staking when first planted. This prevents excessive movement around the roots while the tree becomes established.
Correct planting and staking are important. A tree that is planted too deeply or incorrectly staked can struggle to establish properly.
For more help, read our Guide to Planting Small Garden Trees or see our Native Tree Planting Guide.
Oak, alder, hazel, rowan and Scots pine are only some of the native trees that can be planted in Ireland.
Other excellent choices include:
It’s worth remembering that a tree being commonly found in the Irish countryside doesn’t necessarily mean it is native to Ireland.
A native Irish tree is a species that established naturally in Ireland without being introduced by people.
Other trees have been introduced to Ireland over the centuries but have become so well established that they now seem like a natural part of our landscape. These are generally described as naturalised trees.
Some familiar examples include:
There isn’t one native tree that’s right for every site.
Before choosing your trees, consider the soil type, drainage, exposure, available space and the eventual height and spread of the mature tree.
For example, alder can be an excellent choice for wetter ground, hazel works well in native hedgerows and smaller spaces, while oak and Scots pine need considerably more room to reach their full potential.
By matching the species to the site, you’ll give your native trees the best chance of establishing successfully and providing wildlife, shelter and landscape value for many years to come.
If you’re planning a native planting project and aren’t sure which species to choose, Cullen Nurseries can help you select native Irish trees suited to your site and planting requirements.
You can also learn more about Ireland’s native tree species through the Tree Council of Ireland’s guide to native Irish trees.
