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

Conservation experts from Lancashire County Council want to save the tree, which has male and female varieties. A male and female tree need to be planted close together if a new sapling is to grow.

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

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, the county council's ecology officer, said: "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 have 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 saplings. Our aim is to set up a Lancashire Black Poplar Project."