Blog - Propagation

Jane, became a member of the Tree Team for a day. Read on to find out how she got on...

One of the most important aspects of our work here is continuing to grow our staff’s skills and knowledge, so we can ensure that the trees are receiving the best possible care.

January and February are a busy time for the team here at Westonbirt! Before the cold weather really sets in, our tree team must find new homes for hundreds of new plants.

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

After an action packed 9 days in Calabria and Basilicata we have made a total of 45 collections from our target and associated species list.

New specimens are the lifeblood of any botanical collection.

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.

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.

It's always sad to say goodbye to a big old tree like the oak we felled earlier this week near to the restaurant.