For Anyone Interested in the Wildlife of the U.K.
Trees With Ears
If you ever try talking to plants or trees it's always a good idea to check that they have the correct equipment for listening to you. As you can see this particular tree is fitted with a good pair of hearing organs, so it's probably able to pick up your voice in full stereo.
Okay, they're not real ears. But you must admit, those pink fleshy growths do have more than a little resemblance to human ears... or possibly the ears of a character from Middle Earth. In truth they're a type of fungus which has the rather undiplomatic name of "Jews Ears" (more about this at the link below).
The thing is while most species of fungi prefer the warm, damp conditions of autumn, the Jews Ear fungus seems to thrive in cold winter temperatures, and even starts developing new growths in January. Amazingly it can even survive being frozen solid.
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