A wide variety of trees and shrubs were planted when the botanic garden was first laid out. Some of the trees are still growing on the site, and many others have been planted since. Some of the more interesting and unusual specimens are listed below:
Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba) - This species is the sole survivor of a family of trees that flourished 160 million years ago. The unusual leaves are fan shaped, and turn clear yellow in the autumn. It is very long lived; some specimens in Asia are believed to be 2000 years old.
Turkish hazel (Corylus colurna) - This tree is one of the survivors from the original planting of the gardens. An introduction from western Asia, it is a close relative of the common Hazel, bearing similar nuts and catkins. Growing to 20 metres, a feature of this species is its corky, corrugated bark.
Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra var. maritima) - Another survivor from the original planting. Corsican pines were introduced from the Mediterranean, and widely planted for shelter belts, and by the coast, as they tolerate salty coastal breezes. The multiple stems of this tree have been joined together with steel cable, in order to reduce the possibility of breakage. This technique has been used on several trees in the gardens.
Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) - This will eventually form a large tree, notable for the distinctive shape of its leaves, and the clear yellow colour they turn in the autumn. Tulip shaped flowers are borne in June and July on trees over 15 years old.
Black poplar (Populus nigra var. betulifolia) - This is possibly the oldest tree in the gardens. One on this site is mentioned in a volume of fine specimen trees in Britain published in 1826 by J G Strutt. It was then considered to be one of the finest in the country.
Fern-leaf beech (Fagus sylvatica var. heterophylla) - This has a narrow, lobed leaf as opposed to the roughly oval leaf of the Common beech. If, however, you inspect the tree closely, you should be able to find some branches with normal leaves. This form is propagated by grafting.
Common lime (Tilia x europaea) - Common lime, or Linden, is a hybrid of the two native limes, broad leafed lime – Tilia platyphyllos & small leafed lime – Tilia cordata. It has been widely used to create avenues because of its upright habit and can be found in the streets and parks of many towns and cities as it tolerates relatively high levels of atmospheric pollution.
Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) - This grows to a height of 25 to 30 metres, hence its name. The tree in the gardens is a good sized specimen, planted in the 1820s. The leaves are composed of leaflets attached to a central stalk and can be up to 600mm long. Female trees produce large bunches of conspicuous red key-like fruits.
Snake bark maple (Acer grosseri var. hersii) -This is one of a group of snake bark maples well known for their marbled bark. It bears long clusters of fruits and the leaves turn to rich colours in the autumn.
White Himalayan birch (Betula utilis var. jaquemontii) - Grown for its decorative bark, these two trees have been planted close together and now form a single unified crown. The species originated in North India and West Nepal.
