Great Trees of London is a list created by Trees for Cities after the Great Storm of 1987, when the general public were asked to suggest suitable trees. Forty-one were chosen, with a further 20 added in 2008. [1] [2] In 2010, Time Out Guides Limited published a book, The Great Trees of London, listing all 61 trees.
| Name | Image | Location | Borough | Species | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dorchester Plane |  | Dorchester Hotel, Mayfair 51°30′25″N0°09′08″W / 51.506828°N 0.152099°W | Westminster | London plane | Planted in the early 1930s. [3] : 20 |
| The Charlton House Mulberry |  | Charlton House 51°28′52″N0°02′11″E / 51.481198°N 0.036359°E | Greenwich | Black mulberry | Planted at the beginning of the 1600s, possibly the oldest in the United Kingdom. [3] : 172 [4] |
| The Fulham Palace Oak |  | Fulham Palace 51°28′10″N0°12′53″W / 51.469566°N 0.214707°W | Hammersmith and Fulham | Holm oak | Oldest holm oak in London, [5] [6] [7] or perhaps the United Kingdom. Possibly dating from 1495, when the palace was built. [3] : 47 [8] |
| The Bexley Charter Oak |  | Danson Park 51°27′18″N0°07′05″E / 51.454900°N 0.118025°E | Bexley | Pedunculate oak | Well over 200 years old (as of 2010). [3] : 176 In 1937 the Bexley borough charter was signed underneath this tree. It now appears in the coat of arms of the London Borough of Bexley. [7] |
| The Totteridge Yew |  | St. Andrew's Church, Totteridge 51°37′57″N0°12′02″W / 51.632381°N 0.200558°W | Barnet | Yew | Between 1000 and 2000 years old (as of 2010), London's oldest tree. [8] [9] [3] : 130 |
| The Carshalton Plane |  | Sutton Ecology Centre Grounds, Carshalton 51°21′55″N0°09′56″W / 51.365301°N 0.165514°W | Sutton | London plane | About 200 years old (as of 2010). [3] : 192 [10] |
| The Lewisham Dutch Elm |  | Ladywell Fields 51°27′02″N0°01′28″W / 51.450645°N 0.024501°W | Lewisham | European white elm [11] | A plaque in the park incorrectly identifies it [8] as a Flanders elm. [12] |
| The Riverside Plane |  | Richmond 51°27′23″N0°18′17″W / 51.456465°N 0.304728°W | Richmond upon Thames | London plane | At over 40 metres in height, it is one of the tallest London planes in the UK. [8] [13] |
| The Aperfield Cedar |  | Aperfield Road, Biggin Hill 51°18′41″N0°02′28″E / 51.311487°N 0.041172°E | Bromley | Cedar of Lebanon | [13] |
| The Morden Cemetery Horse Chestnut |  | Morden Cemetery, Motspur Park 51°23′30″N0°13′45″W / 51.391791°N 0.229083°W | Merton | Horse chestnut | This "tree" is actually two trees, about 100 years old (as of 2010). [3] : 180 [13] |
| The Wood Street Horse Chestnut |  | Wood Street, Walthamstow 51°35′21″N0°00′16″W / 51.589258°N 0.004453°W | Waltham Forest | Horse chestnut | Estimated to be 175 years old (as of 2010). [3] : 98 |
| The Ravenscourt Park Tree of Heaven |  | Ravenscourt Park 51°29′47″N0°14′14″W / 51.496330°N 0.237089°W | Hammersmith and Fulham | Tree of heaven | One of the largest trees of heaven in Britain. [3] : 54 |
| The Ashcombe Sweet Chestnut |  | Ashcombe Road, Carshalton 51°21′36″N0°09′44″W / 51.359978°N 0.162281°W | Sutton | Sweet chestnut | |
| The Black Horse Pollard Chestnut |  | East Sheen 51°27′41″N0°17′20″W / 51.461381°N 0.288973°W | Richmond upon Thames | Horse chestnut | |
| The Maids of Honour Stone Pine |  | Richmond Green 51°27′41″N0°18′31″W / 51.461379°N 0.308673°W | Richmond upon Thames | Stone pine | |
| The Wembley Elm |  | Wembley 51°33′12″N0°17′08″W / 51.553292°N 0.285526°W | Brent | European white elm | Over 100 years old (as of 2010). [3] : 138 |
| The Battersea Park Hybrid Strawberry Tree |  | Battersea Park 51°28′42″N0°09′21″W / 51.478312°N 0.155937°W | Wandsworth | Hybrid strawberry tree | Dating from the 1850s. [3] : 148 It lost a major limb, which was hovering over the footpath, in a big storm in February 2022, and the next bough up (still seen in the picture) in September 2023. |
| The Dulwich Park Oak |  | Dulwich Park 51°26′39″N0°04′52″W / 51.444121°N 0.081079°W | Southwark | Turkey oak | |
| The Greenwich Spanish Sweet Chestnut |  | Flower Garden, Greenwich Park 51°28′36″N0°00′26″E / 51.476729°N 0.007199°E | Greenwich | Sweet chestnut | Dating from 1660. [8] |
| The Greenwich Park Shagbark Hickory |  | Flower Garden, Greenwich Park 51°28′32″N0°00′19″E / 51.475428°N 0.005180°E | Greenwich | Shagbark hickory | Largest shagbark hickory in the United Kingdom. [3] : 169 |
| The Marble Hill Black Walnut |  | Marble Hill Park, Richmond 51°26′55″N0°18′39″W / 51.448576°N 0.310797°W | Richmond upon Thames | Black walnut | |
| The Roehampton Lucombe Oak |  | Alton Estate, Roehampton 51°27′05″N0°14′49″W / 51.451337°N 0.246961°W | Wandsworth | Lucombe oak | |
| The North Circular Cork Oak |  | Hall Lane, Chingford 51°36′43″N0°01′53″W / 51.612050°N 0.031423°W | Waltham Forest | Cork oak | Around 100 years old (as of 2010), [3] : 103 although a plaque next to the tree says that it was planted as a sapling by Len Harding in 1959. |
| The South Woodford Copper Beech |  | St Mary's Church, South Woodford 51°35′53″N0°01′14″E / 51.598157°N 0.020455°E | Redbridge | Copper beech | |
| The George Green Sweet Chestnut |  | George Green, Wanstead 51°34′29″N0°01′41″E / 51.574819°N 0.028049°E | Redbridge | Sweet chestnut | Probably planted in the early 1700s. [3] : 112 |
| The Fairlop Oak |  | Fulwell Cross roundabout, Ilford 51°35′37″N0°05′07″E / 51.593694°N 0.085271°E | Redbridge | Pedunculate oak | Planted in 1951 in remembrance of its historical predecessor, which lived for around 500 years until 1820, in nearby Hainault Forest. [3] : 120 |
| The Bromley Oak |  | Outside the Glades shopping centre, Bromley 51°24′12″N0°01′07″E / 51.403414°N 0.018598°E | Bromley | Pedunculate oak | About 400 years old (as of 2010). [3] : 196 |
| The Downe Yew |  | St Mary's Church, Downe 51°20′09″N0°03′16″E / 51.335768°N 0.054415°E | Bromley | Yew | |
| The Barn Elms Plane, 'Barney' |  | Barn Elms, Barnes 51°28′30″N0°14′01″W / 51.474994°N 0.233639°W | Richmond upon Thames | London plane | London's oldest plane tree, planted around 1680. [8] [14] [15] Visible from outside an enclosure. [3] : 59 |
| The Friday Hill Plane |  | Friday Hill House, Chingford 51°37′25″N0°00′24″E / 51.623621°N 0.006695°E | Waltham Forest | London Plane | Now on private grounds, but visible from above the boundary wall on Simmons Lane. The tree is probably dating from the building of the house (1839). [3] : 104 |
| The Valence Park Oak |  | Valence Park, Becontree 51°33′29″N0°08′06″E / 51.558010°N 0.134955°E | Barking & Dagenham | Holm oak | As of October 2022, the pond enclosure is closed to the public for health and safety reasons, but the tree can be visited up close from Valence House grounds. |
| The West Wickham Oak |  | Southcroft Avenue, West Wickham 51°22′22″N0°00′53″W / 51.372793°N 0.014598°W | Bromley | Pedunculate oak | The tree is in a private garden, but largely visible from surrounding public spaces. It is around 800 years old (as of 2010). [3] : 202 |
| The Addington Palace Cedar |  | Addington Palace 51°21′26″N0°02′25″W / 51.357289°N 0.040391°W | Croydon | Cedar of Lebanon | Access by arrangement. Planted in the 1770s. [3] : 206 |
| The Kenley House Oak |  | Kenley 51°18′50″N0°05′40″W / 51.314023°N 0.094367°W (approximate) | Croydon | Pedunculate oak | On private land, hidden from view. [3] : 215 |
| The St James's Indian Bean Tree |  | St James' Church, Piccadilly 51°30′32″N0°08′13″W / 51.508750°N 0.137007°W | Westminster | Indian bean tree | Tree removed in April 2010. [16] Nativity figures have been carved from its wood, and are used by the church every Christmas. [17] |
| The Charlton House Nettle Tree |  | Charlton House 51°28′50″N0°02′14″E / 51.480620°N 0.037140°E (approximate) | Greenwich | Hackberry | Tree removed April 2002. [3] : 215 |
| The York House Cut Leaf Beech |  | York House, Twickenham 51°26′48″N0°19′22″W / 51.446794°N 0.322711°W | Richmond upon Thames | 'Asplenifolia' Beech | Tree removed winter 2020/21. [18] |
| The Asgill House Copper Beech |  | Asgill House, Richmond 51°27′37″N0°18′43″W / 51.460246°N 0.311855°W | Richmond upon Thames | Copper beech | Died winter 2013/14. [19] |
| The Crane Park Crack Willow |  | Crane Park 51°26′34″N0°21′30″W / 51.442665°N 0.358306°W | Hounslow | Crack willow | Fallen over [3] : 215 circa 2010. |
| The Kingston Weeping Silver Lime |  | Thames river path, Kingston 51°24′00″N0°18′32″W / 51.400003°N 0.308936°W | Kingston upon Thames | Silver lime 'Petiolaris' | Tree removed [3] : 214 circa 2008. |
| The Barnsbury Beech |  | Barnsbury Park, Barnsbury 51°32′34″N0°06′36″W / 51.542847°N 0.110069°W | Islington | Beech | Replaced 2005. [3] : 214 |
Limited access Deceased |
| Name | Image | Location | Borough | Species | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hendon Japanese Maple |  | Hendon Park, near the tennis courts 51°34′56″N0°13′24″W / 51.582229°N 0.223459°W | Barnet | Japanese maple, Acer palmatum 'Heptalobum' [3] : 134 | Planted in the early 1900s. [3] : 134 |
| The Brunswick Plane |  | Brunswick Square Gardens 51°31′27″N0°07′19″W / 51.524226°N 0.121852°W | Camden | London plane | |
| The Cheapside Plane |  | Cheapside, City of London 51°30′52″N0°05′41″W / 51.514431°N 0.094798°W | City of London | London plane | At over 250 years of age, "possibly the oldest tree in The Square Mile". [3] : 37 |
| The Forty Hall Cedar of Lebanon |  | Forty Hall, Enfield 51°40′10″N0°04′04″W / 51.669391°N 0.067687°W | Enfield | Cedar of Lebanon | Planted around the turn of the 18th century. [3] : 141 |
| The Ravenscourt Plane |  | Ravenscourt Park 51°29′48″N0°14′19″W / 51.496698°N 0.238686°W | Hammersmith and Fulham | London plane | |
| The Osterley Park Cork Oak |  | Osterley Park 51°29′19″N0°21′05″W / 51.488575°N 0.351411°W , | Hounslow | Cork oak | Planted 1855. [20] [3] : 90 |
| The Amwell Fig |  | Amwell Street, Pentonville 51°31′42″N0°06′36″W / 51.528204°N 0.110047°W | Islington | Fig | This "tree" is actually three trees, [3] : 126 likely in place since 1827. [8] [21] |
| The Brockwell Oak |  | Brockwell Park 51°26′53″N0°06′22″W / 51.448108°N 0.106166°W | Lambeth | Pedunculate oak | Between 500 and 700 years old (as of 2010). [3] : 155 [8] |
| The Tate Plane |  | Outside Tate Library, Brixton 51°27′40″N0°06′55″W / 51.461049°N 0.115331°W | Lambeth | London plane | |
| The Stratford Fig |  | Off High Street, Stratford 51°32′04″N0°00′29″W / 51.534361°N 0.008000°W | Newham | Fig | |
| The Valentines Park Maple |  | Valentines Park, Ilford 51°34′17″N0°04′22″E / 51.571527°N 0.072690°E | Redbridge | Field maple | Planted in the 17th century. [3] : 116 |
| The Richmond Royal Oak |  | Richmond Park 51°26′41″N0°17′01″W / 51.444646°N 0.283504°W | Richmond upon Thames | Pedunculate oak | Around 750 years old (as of 2020). [8] [22] |
| The Carshalton Sweet Chestnut |  | Carshalton Park, Carshalton 51°21′38″N0°09′47″W / 51.360458°N 0.163164°W | Sutton | Sweet chestnut | Around 400 years old (as of 2010). Survived a number of arson attacks, which account for the wooden door blocking the hollow at the bottom of the tree. [3] : 188 |
| The Marylebone Elm |  | By the Garden of Rest, Marylebone High Street 51°31′19″N0°09′06″W / 51.521886°N 0.151724°W | Westminster | Huntingdon elm | Age estimated to be 150 years (as of 2010), over 100 feet (30 meters) high. [3] : 34 |
| The Embankment Plane |  | North side of Horse Guards Avenue, at the junction with Victoria Embankment, SW1 51°30′17″N0°07′24″W / 51.504796°N 0.123285°W | Westminster | Oriental plane | Planted in 1870. [8] |
| The Berkeley Plane |  | Berkeley Square 51°30′34″N0°08′43″W / 51.509465°N 0.145276°W | Westminster | London plane | Planted in 1789. [8] [3] : 12 |
| The Gower Plane |  | Gower Street 51°31′21″N0°07′57″W / 51.522446°N 0.132461°W | Camden | London plane | |
| The Regent's Plane |  | Regent's Park, in the grounds of Regent's University London 51°31′32″N0°09′23″W / 51.525673°N 0.156342°W | Camden | London plane | Access by arrangement. Around 200 years old (as of 2010). [3] : 38 |
| The Abbey Plane |  | Broad Sanctuary, Westminster Abbey 51°29′56″N0°07′44″W / 51.498972°N 0.128977°W | Westminster | London plane | Accessible from 8am to 5pm. |
| The Hardy Ash |  | Old St Pancras Churchyard 51°32′07″N0°07′47″W / 51.535142°N 0.129713°W | Camden | Ash | At just over 250 years of age, [3] : 42 the tree fell in December 2022. This is believed to be due to fungal damage. [23] |
Limited access Deceased |
London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 8,866,180 in 2022. The wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years. Its ancient core and financial centre, the City of London, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and has retained its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has been the centuries-long host of the national government and parliament. London grew rapidly in the 19th century, becoming the world's largest city at the time. Since the 19th century, the name "London" has referred to the metropolis around the City of London, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which since 1965 has largely comprised the administrative area of Greater London, governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority.
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