Wooden Wonders part 13: holly
Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, is full of magnificent trees.
As part of our half term Wooden Wonders event taking place from 14 – 16 February, Kate Cashmore from Westonbirt’s learning team has created a trail which will help you find out about our hidden wonders.
Here, she highlights some of the Wooden Wonders that you can discover when you follow the trail.
Holly has a heavy, white, fine-grained wood.
It can distort when dried so is used for small things. It polishes well, and can be stained black and is often used for chessmen.
In Medieval Ireland it was used for arrows and chariot shafts! The wood also has medicinal uses, for example, as chewing stick as a tonic for pet rabbits.
Wood is so useful that we need to be sure we will not run out of it, by cutting it sustainably.
You can help: buy wood products marked with the FSC label. This shows that the forest which the wood comes from has been approved by the Forest Stewardship Council - an independent organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests.
Did you know - all Forestry Commission woods (such as Westonbirt) have been approved by the FSC!
Useful links
Buy great value Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum membership
More great activities for families
