Blog - Tree management

As we enter into the seventh week of hot dry weather, find out how we manage the tree collection in these difficult conditions...

We have been monitoring Chalara dieback of ash in Westonbirt Arboretum. Find out how we are helping and what you can do.

In July, Westonbirt’s Tree Team set off on a cross county journey to visit the Tree Team at Westonbirt’s sister site; Bedgebury Pinetum.

Over the coming months you will see that we are taking steps to protect some of our valuable parkland trees on the Downs, in particular old veterans, but younger trees planted for the future as well.

We've just left Naples to head for Arrezo in the north.

Once again our student arborist placement is well under way, and this year we’ve been thrilled to receive the generous support from two funders, the Finnis Scott Foundation and the Ernest Cook Trust.

Over 450,000 visits are welcomed at Westonbirt each year and the vast majority of people enjoy a wonderful time in a picturesque setting.

The Tree Team are currently working hard between Broad Drive and semi-natural woodland beyond the western side.

One of the first plantings of 2016, this young Giant Redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum) was planted on the downs area of Westonbirt. It is the first Giant Redwood of Westonbirt origin to be successfully germinated and grown on site.

You may notice some temporary traffic lights outside the arboretum today and tomorrow (27 and 28 January 2016).

Chalara dieback of ash, commonly known as ash dieback, caused by the Hymenoscyphus fraxineus fungus, has been confirmed at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, this autumn.

Westonbirt Arboretum’s Tree Team is working with The Duchy College to grow new plants from some of the collection’s oldest and rarest rhododendrons.

Deciding when to remove old trees is one of the hardest decisions we have to take here at Westonbirt.

Work is currently underway on what will become the new Wolfson Tree Management Centre. The new facility will provide all that Westonbirt’s expert tree team needs to manage the tree collection.

Today I ventured over to Silk Wood to see how some of the Tree Team were getting on with essential tree safety work, which reassuringly was being carried out to a high standard as always.