About Westonbirt, The National Arboretum

Holford Ride Westonbirt

Westonbirt, the National Arboretum 

Westonbirt Arboretum is one of the most beautiful and important plant collections in the world. With 15,000 specimens, and 2,500 species of tree from all over the world, the arboretum plays a vital part in research and conservation, as well as being a stunningly beautiful place to visit and explore rare, interesting and beautiful plants from the furthest corners of the globe.

Autumn Westonbirt

Our trees

Japanese Maple Leavers Acer Palmatum Westonbirt Generic
The trees we're safeguarding for future generations.
Champion Katsura Tree Westonbirt Arboretum Generic
Discover some of the tallest trees in the British Isles.
Leaves of Euonymus alatus Signature Trees Westonbirt
Trees that give the arboretum it's unique character.
Paulownia Kawakamii Rare trees Westonbirt Arboretum Generic
Westonbirt holds around 100 threatened tree species
Quercus robur Native Trees Westonbirt Arboretum Generic
Nearly all native British trees can be seen in Silk Wood.
Westonbirt summer
Explore our collection with our interactive tree map.
A vibrant pink flower takes center stage with beautiful petals unfurling out from the center.
Take a peek through the eyes of our Window on Westonbirt volunteers.
A woman in a bright blue top stretches her hand out to vibrant pink rhododendrons.
Discover all the best seasonal hot spots this spring.

Our History

Created almost 200 years ago by Victorian horticulturalist Robert Holford, discover how one man's passion for plants created the world's most beautiful botanical collections.

westonbirt historic

Our research and projects

Chalara
Our fight against pest and diseases.
2 men and a woman plant a tree in the ground and are putting a protective guard around it.
Regenerating woodland with our local community.
propagation westonbirt
To help us to safeguard our historic collection and plant new trees we have built a Quarantine House.
A wooden structure shaped like an armadillo shell made from long wooden laths and wooden shingles to create a Community Shelter
We've built our new Community Shelter.
Westonbirt
Keep up to date with all the latest news from Westonbirt Arboretum.
Silk Wood House
A new purchase with endless possibilities
Westonbirt summer
Find out more about our future plans
A woman is holding Tree Spotters book in her hand leafing through the pages
Books based on the trees and plants of Westonbirt Arboretum.
STIHL Westonbirt

Our STIHL partnership

We have a great partnership with STIHL who support our tree team by supplying tools and equipment. Take a look at STIHL’s encyclopedia of trees, which contains detailed information and photographs on the tree species most commonly grown in Middle and Southern Europe. 

Partners

A father and son sit at a table with food in front of them. The father looks at his son who smiles back.
Enjoy delicious, freshly prepared hot and cold refreshments.
A mother and her 2 sons look at books in the Westonbirt shop.
Pick up a souvenir or tasty treat from our shop.
Westonbirt Woodworks
Find out what happens to Westonbirt's trees at the end of their life.
Coppice westonbirt
Learn more about this traditional method of woodland management.
Two children playing with large leaves in the forest
Learning programmes for pre-school children, EYFS and KS1 plus uniform group visits.

Our community 

We work closely with local community groups to connect them to trees and improve their wellbeing.

Community Westonbirt
Volunteer Westonbirt

Volunteering at Westonbirt

Volunteer at Westonbirt Arboretum and become part of an extraordinary group of people. With roles in almost every department, from learning to the tree team, there’s something to suit everyone.