Blog - Education & Learning

Each month we’re going to bring you a profile of one of the UK native tree species being planted in the Silk Wood Community Planting Project – this October it's crab apple.

Autumn is here, which means it’s the start of the season of fruiting and fading, where berries abound, leaves blaze, and the sun looks glorious! It's also the start of seed gathering season, where arboretum collections are expanded internationally through dedicated seed gathering trips.

Supporting over 2,300 species, the oak is a true wildlife haven, hosting a diverse range of creatures from insects and birds to mammals and fungi. Its acorns provide a valuable food source for wildlife, and its timber has been used for centuries...

Each month we’re going to bring you a profile of one of the UK native tree species being planted in the Silk Wood Community Planting Project – this August it’s rowan.

Each month we’re going to bring you a profile of one of the UK native tree species being planted in the Silk Wood Community Planting Project – this July it’s aspen.

Each month we’re going to bring you a profile of one of the UK native tree species being planted in the Silk Wood Community Planting Project - first up is the large-leaved lime.

Native to the Caucasus and the Pontic Mountains of northeastern Turkey, this month's tree of the month is among the most attractive spruces, with a dense form with short branches.

This tree with an ancient origin produces a spectacular ephemeral autumn display as its unique, fan-shaped leaves transform a dazzling shade of gold. Discover more about November's tree of the month...

This October we're highlighting the shagbark hickory tree which is a golden highlight of this season, find out more...

As autumn arrives and the leaves begin to turn, this time of year is also a wonderful time to explore the diversity of fruits found around the arboretum. Take a closer look at the Japanese rowan in this month's blog...

The bottlebrush buckeye is a beautiful shrub that gets its name from its bottlebrush-like inflorescences. The white flowers with red anthers bloom in August, making the bottlebrush buckeye a truly spectacular sight. Find out more...

Dan and Rosie give insight on the Yellow-leaved Indian bean tree this month, one of Westonbirt's summer showstoppers...

Tilia trees are an important part of the UK's woodlands and urban forests. Helene Kile is a first-year PhD student at the University of the West of England (UWE) researching the cause of bleeding cankers on Tilia trees. Find out more...

Rosie and Dan give insight on the Pyrenean oak this month, one of Westonbirt's 'signature species'...

Find out more about this charming shrub from Japan...