Spindle tree?

[petercb]

Lucky enough to have 7 in our wood a firm favourite.

[sime42]

I love em too. For the majority of the year they're completely inconspicuous, but round about now they really stand out; vivid splashes of colour when almost everything else is faded, brown or nothing but twigs.
I also enjoy seeing them in the knowledge that they're indicators of ancient woodland or hedges, as has already been mentioned.
I've got a small one that I cultivated from a hedgerow cutting. (So by no means ancient!). I think the flowers are small and white, but obviously not memorable.
I think I read somewhere that they're called Spindle as they used to be used for making the bobbin spindles on spinning wheels, so a hard wood when sizable.

[gary112]

18 minutes ago, sime42 said:

I love em too. For the majority of the year they're completely inconspicuous, but round about now they really stand out; vivid splashes of colour when almost everything else is faded, brown or nothing but twigs.
I also enjoy seeing them in the knowledge that they're indicators of ancient woodland or hedges, as has already been mentioned.
I've got a small one that I cultivated from a hedgerow cutting. (So by no means ancient!). I think the flowers are small and white, but obviously not memorable.
I think I read somewhere that they're called Spindle as they used to be used for making the bobbin spindles on spinning wheels, so a hard wood when sizable.

Also used to make knitting needles i believe and clothes pegs

[Dan Maynard]

Saw some today on the edge of Bradfield Woods, really striking.

[Stere]

They always grow so spindly I  think it would be hard to find a nice straight bit of wood from them to make stuff from.

[sime42]

Anyone know how big they get? Or seen one with decent diameter wood? The ones I've seen have only ever been shrubs or very small trees really. Hard to imagine being able to make anything from them.

[Mrblue5000]

2 hours ago, sime42 said:

Anyone know how big they get? Or seen one with decent diameter wood? The ones I've seen have only ever been shrubs or very small trees really. Hard to imagine being able to make anything from them.

I'll get back to you on that, hedge where mine is hasn't been cut for 50 years.

[sime42]

I'll get back to you on that, hedge where mine is hasn't been cut for 50 years.

Thanks. It'll be interesting to know.

[Mrblue5000]

Not going to be too many floorboards of this one anyway. 14 inch circumference so about 4.5 inches diameter. But this one branched out low down so there’s two stems. 

[sime42]

Ah, that's bigger than I've spotted before, must be a good age. Enough to get a few spindles and knitting needles from I guess.