Great Trees of London facts for kids

The Totteridge Yew, St Andrew's Church, Totteridge

The Great Trees of London is a special list of amazing trees found across London, England. This list was created by an organization called Trees for Cities after a huge storm in 1987. That storm, known as the Great Storm of 1987, blew down many trees. After the storm, people were asked to suggest their favorite or most important trees.

From all the suggestions, 41 trees were chosen to be on the first list. Later, in 2008, 20 more trees were added, making a total of 61 "Great Trees." In 2010, a magazine called Time Out even published a book about these special trees!

Why These Trees Are Great

These trees are chosen for many reasons. Some are very old, like the ancient yew trees. Others are rare types of trees you don't often see. Many have interesting stories or are important to the local community. They show how nature can thrive even in a big city like London.

Example of a Great Tree of London plaque, this one is for the South Woodford copper beech. Many of these trees have special plaques!

Some Famous Great Trees

London is home to many different kinds of trees. Here are a few examples from the "Great Trees" list:

Original Great Trees (from 1987)

• The Totteridge Yew is found at St. Andrew's Church in Totteridge. Yew trees are known for living a very long time!
• The Dorchester Plane is a London plane tree located near the famous Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair. London planes are very common and strong trees in the city.
• The Charlton House Mulberry is a black mulberry tree at Charlton House in Greenwich. Mulberry trees are known for their tasty fruit.
• The Richmond Riverside Plane is another impressive London plane tree found along the river in Richmond.
• The South Woodford Copper Beech is a beautiful copper beech tree at St Mary's Church, Woodford in South Woodford. Copper beeches have stunning reddish-purple leaves.
• The Barn Elms Plane is a London plane tree in Barnes. It's sometimes called 'Barney' and is thought to be one of the oldest London plane trees in the city.

New Great Trees (added in 2008)

• The Hendon Japanese Maple is a lovely Japanese maple tree in Hendon Park. These trees are famous for their delicate leaves and vibrant autumn colors.
• The Hardy Ash is an ash tree located in the historic Old St Pancras Churchyard. This churchyard is very old and full of history.
• The Royal Oak is a pedunculate oak tree in Richmond Park. Oak trees are strong and important symbols in England.
• The Amwell Fig is a fig tree on Amwell Street in Pentonville. It's unusual to see a fig tree growing so well in the middle of London!
• The Tate Plane is a London plane tree found outside the Tate Library in Brixton.

Protecting London's Trees

These "Great Trees" are important parts of London's natural heritage. They provide homes for wildlife, help clean the air, and make the city a more beautiful place to live. Organizations like Trees for Cities work hard to protect and plant more trees for everyone to enjoy.

Gallery

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  The Wood Street Horse Chestnut, Walthamstow

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  The Royal Oak, Richmond Park

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  Maids of Honour stone pine, Richmond

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  The Richmond riverside plane

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  The Cheapside London plane tree, City of London

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  The Asgill House copper beech, Richmond (winter 2007)

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  The Barn Elms London plane tree known as 'Barney', thought to be the oldest example of the species in London

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  The Ravenscourt Park plane tree, Hammersmith

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  The Lewisham Elm, Ladywell Fields

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  The Tate Plane, Brixton

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  The Amwell Fig (Ficus carica), Amwell Street, Islington

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  The Ravenscourt Park tree of heaven, Hammersmith

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  The Hardy Ash, St Pancras Old Church, Camden

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  The South Woodford Copper Beech, St Mary's Church, Woodford

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  Cedar of Lebanon, Forty Hall, Enfield

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  The Hendon Park Japanese Maple, Barnet