Tree Champions: Gymnastics

From 6 - 8 June, Westonbirt's learning and participation team will be hosting the Tree Champions family event. The event will include a trail around some of our own Olympic champions - our trees and shrubs - as well as some great Olympic-themed craft activities with a woody twist! Here, the team reveal some of the Tree Champion facts you can discover at Westonbirt…

Willow

Watch a willow tree and you will see its thin flexible branches bend, sway and move with the wind without breaking.

Willow stems and twigs are so flexible it is possible to use them to create living sculptures and for making 3D crafts.

They are the true gymnasts in the tree world.

Willow is often coppiced (cut) when young so that the stems or rods can be harvested for willow crafts such as basketry.

The parent plant does not die, instead it grows more stems that can be harvested in a couple of years.

Useful links

Become a member of the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

More about Westonbirt’s family events