THE fight has begun in Lancashire to save one of the country's rarest trees - the black poplar.

Conservation experts from Lancashire County Council are taking action to save the tree, which has male and female varieties. A male and female tree need to be planted close together if new saplings are to grow from the seeds which each produce.

The problem in Lancashire is that there are only two female trees in Lancashire - and no male trees anywhere near.

Now dozens of specially-created saplings, propagated by the county council, are being planted along the banks of the River Ribble, River Lune and around a recently-flooded quarry next to the M6 near Samlesbury.

Peter Jepson, Lancashire County Council's ecology officer, explained: "The trees traditionally grew on lowland river flood plains on banks of sand and gravel thrown up during floods. Modern river engineering and flood defences has effectively destroyed much of its natural habitat.

"If something is not done now, the black poplar could be extinct in Lancashire in the next 100 years.

"We intend to plant more black poplars this autumn near the River Ribble and River Lune. By planting male and female trees close together, we hope they will begin to seed and produce more saplings.

"Our aim is to set up a Lancashire black poplar project to grow a supply of trees for landowners, community groups and schools to plant in their own grounds."