Even if they cannot put a name to any other tree, most people can recognize a willow by its slender, pointed leaves and the woolly catkins which appear in spring.
The common elder, Sambucus nigra, which reaches 4.5m/15ft in height, is a familiar sight in the wild with its flattened heads of creamy flowers and the clusters of purplish black berries that follow.
Commonly known as golden rain, a laburnum tree in flower is a splendid sight. In late spring or early summer the branches are hung with long racemes of bright yellow flowers.