Watched (and enjoyed) Under the Greenwood Tree on PBS last night.
Pleasant little adaptation of Hardy’s tale.
Starring in an uncredited role was an absolutely breathtakingly beautiful tree.
Wondered if any viewers knew the species?
Here is a link to the PBS Masterpiece Theater site about the show. I got to see some of it, (the last 10%) I’d like to see it all. Maybe it mentions the species of the tree on the site? It says where it was filmed, haven’t read it all yet.
Read it just before posting.
Has a bunch of info on the adapter, production, etc., but alas, no mention of the tree.
I’m so glad my kids like to watch MT. Nice way for the whole family to wind up the weekend together.
From the Greenwook link under Location: “But Rowan O’Sullivan, an executive director of Channel Television suggested Jersey. And Jersey Tourism contributed to a £50,000 donation to the film’s budget to bring the production team, cast, cameras and equipment to the island. Gwilt feels it was all worthwhile: “Jersey is one of the most beautiful corners of Britain… We received a warm welcome from the island and are proud to be featuring its heritage sites in our drama.”
<snip>
Jersey also offered fantastic countryside… small fields and lanes with hidden valleys and dramatic headlands with sweeping views.”
From The National Trust for Jersey site: "Jersey has far fewer native trees than either France or mainland Britain, although a large number of exotic species now grow here. Pedunculate or Common Oak is one of the most common native trees, and it occurs in most of the Trust’s woods. Centuries old oaks of great size can be seen at several Trust sites, including Fern Valley and Le Pré de Ponterrin. These usually show evidence of past pollarding, another type of traditional management, which involves periodically lopping large branches off the main trunk (a sort of ‘coppice on a stick’!). Such ‘veteran’ trees are of enormous historical and wildlife value; many insect species occur only on very old trees, which can also support rich lichen and fern communities. The various holes, nooks and crannies in such trees are important nesting and roosting sites for birds and bats.
Other common large trees in the Trust’s woods include Sycamore, Sweet Chestnut, Holm or Evergreen Oak, Beech and Ash, of which only the last two are definitely native to Jersey; Chestnut and Holm Oak may be native, but Sycamore is almost certainly an introduction. Elms, although more often associated with hedgerows, also occur in woodland, but most of the larger specimens have been lost to Dutch Elm Disease. Smaller trees and large shrubs to be found in the Trust’s woods include Wild Cherry (especially numerous in Le Grand Côtil de la Cote, the Le Scez woodland), Aspen (mainly in Fern Valley), Hazel, Holly, Elder and Hawthorn. An old and very large Hawthorn pollard can be seen in the Trust’s La Vallette woodland. Willows of several types occur in wetter situations, along with Alder."
I fear I may have only increased your possibilities. Couldn’t find a specific reference to a Greenwood tree species.
Well, it wasn’t pollarded.
And of the species I’m familiar with, it wasn’t an ash or sycamore.
I’ll do a little more looking, but for whatever reason I’m suspecting chestnut or beech. (Maybe because we are planting a weeping beech at our local historical society.)
The tree appeared quite massive, with a domed shape, with branches reaching to near the ground. Tho not a truly weeping form, the branches swooped in graceful arches.
Of course, we are assuming it was a local tree! It could have been a foreign stanbd-in, or perhaps even CGI!