Whitebeam and fly
The whitebeams (Sorbus aria) are finally coming into leaf.
The name whitebeam is derived from the Old English word beam, meaning a tree. The white might refer to the white silky hairs on the under side of the mature leaf or to the tree's white wood.
In the past the fine-grained, hard wood was widely used for wood-turning and joinery, including chairs, beams, cogs and wheels in machinery.
Alternative names for the whitebeam include Findcholl (Old Irish), Chess-apple, Hen-apple, Hoar withy, Quickbeam and Whip-crop.
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