Did you know that the conker tree is not native to Britain? But if you take a look around you, you will see that Shugborough has an abundance of conker trees. They are best known for their conkers, which are perfect for dueling. Is there anything better than finding a big shiny conker underneath its spiny shell?
Whats happening to our trees?
In 2002, a tiny little moth began to lay its eggs on the leaves of conker trees in Britain. Its caterpillars, known as leaf miners, burrow between the skin of the top and bottom of the leaves as they feed on its goodness. The damage they do reduces the trees' ability to harvest sunlight, which it needs to make food for itself. This affected trees all over the country, including Shugborough.
As well as this, many of the damaged leaves around the estate have now become infected with horse chestnut leaf blotch fungus. This fungus can make leaves look like autumn has arrived as early as July.
