Monkey Puzzle (Araucaria araucana) Some trees are instantly recognisable – oak with their acorns, holly with their spiky leaves, or the curtain-like foliage of a weeping willow. This month we have selected a particularly identifiable one. With its tiered form and smothering of spiky leaves, the...
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) This month we are turning our attention to one of North America’s most prized native hardwood trees – the black walnut. Its native range extends across much of the eastern US, and it was introduced to Europe in 1629. In Britain it...
Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) The spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus) is a small deciduous tree or large shrub native to much of Europe. Though modest in size compared to forest giants, its fiery autumn colours, delicate flowers, and brightly coloured fruit brings beauty to hedgerows and woodland margins...
Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) The coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) stands as one of nature’s most awe-inspiring features - a tree of immense height, ancient lineage, and ecological importance. Native to the misty coastal regions of California and southern Oregon, this majestic species embodies endurance, resilience, and...
Raywood Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. oxycarpa ‘Raywood’) The Raywood ash, often known as the Claret Ash, is a medium-sized, deciduous tree celebrated for its elegant form and spectacular autumn colour. A cultivar of the narrow-leaved ash native to southern Europe and western Asia, the Raywood ash...
Crack Willow (Salix fragilis) Our tree this month is one of the UKs scruffier species – Salix fragilis, known as the ‘crack’ willow. It gets this name from the distinctive sound of its branches breaking, and from the fact that it is such a fast growing...
Japanese Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum) Our featured tree this month is the graceful styphnolobium japonicum, or Japanese pagoda tree. Despite its misleading name, this deciduous tree is actually native to China where it has deep cultural and spiritual significance. Typically growing to 15–25m in height, it...
London Plane Tree (Platanus x hispanica) The London plane, a hybrid of the American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and the Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis), is one of the most recognisable and enduring trees of the urban landscape. Growing up to 35 meters tall, with a broad, domed...
Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica) Our tree this month is the Persian ironwood, a medium-sized deciduous tree native to the Alborz Mountains of northern Iran. The species was named by Carl Anton von Meyer in honour of his predecessor at the University of Dorpat, German naturalist Georg Friedrich Parrot, who carried...
Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) This month we continue our celebration of the conifers, this time with one of our three native species to the UK – Pinus sylvestris, the Scots Pine. Truly an icon, it stands tall across the landscapes of northern Europe and provides essential...