Shakespeare tree enjoys new chapter in Denbighshire
Nearly 2,500 crab apple trees are being nurtured by Denbighshire County Council's local provenance tree nursery at Green Gates Nature Reserve, St Asaph.
Crab apples have long been associated with love and marriage.
In the past, apple pips were thrown into fires while saying the name of a true love, and if they exploded, that love was deemed true.
Celts also burned the tree wood during festivals and fertility rites.
William Shakespeare continued the crab apple's theme of love by mentioning the tree in both A Midsummer Night's Dream and Love's Labour's Lost.
The nursery's work will provide a significant boost for county biodiversity once the trees are planted.
The crab apple trees, which can grow up to 10 metres and last around 100 years, provide a source of food for moths, including the pale tussock, green pug, and the eyed hawk moth.
Tree nursery assistant, Sam Brown, said: "Its flowers are also a great early source of pollen and nectar for bees and other insects.
"All these seeds we have grown here were sourced across the county and they have taken really well at the nursery.
"Once they get to a stage when we can plant them outdoors, they will make such a difference to local biodiversity and will bring a lot of love to our countryside with their lovely flowering stages and great supply for food for all creatures great and small."
Councillor Barry Mellor, lead member for environment and transport, said: "Growing trees takes time and it's a credit to our biodiversity team and the tree nursery volunteers that there are so many species of trees growing on site that are going out to tackle the impact of climate change for both residents and our local nature."
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