Mixed deciduous woodland is found in the south of the Borough and in the Valleys along lower valley sides. They are a feature of the Border Valley area of Taff Ely and much of the Cynon Valley. The classic lowland mixed wood often supports mature oak trees (which range from pedunculate oak in the most lowland situation, into sessile oak on valley sides and via a bewildering and often confusing array of hybrids, ash, wych elm, beech and sycamore. The main understorey species is hazel, and many lowland woods have old hazel coppice, while holly is often a frequent and sometimes dominant species. In southern woods, field maple is a key native species  (although not native further north) but hawthorn and blackthorn are often minor components or associated with edges, glades or more recent secondary woodland.

 

Alder, willows, downy birch, alder buckthorn and guelder rose occur in flushed damper areas and massive crab apples feature in a number of our woods.  Ground floras are rich and diverse, with bluebell, wood anemone, primroses, ramsons, and common dog’s-violet and luxuriant fern growth with male, lady, broad buckler, hard and hart’s-tongue fern. Bramble often forms dense thickets especially within woodland glades or clearings.