What's looking good
Our Window on Westonbirt Volunteers have explored the arboretum this week to inform our visitors of the following not to be missed seasonal highlights.
Use Arboretum Explorer to help you discover more tree locations around the arboretum.
Wollemia nobilis
Wollemi pines (Wollemia nobilis) have been called the 'dinosaur tree' because fossil records show they were living 200 million years ago alongside the dinosaurs. It was thought they had become extinct between 70 and 90 million years ago until a small group of living trees were discovered in New South Wales, Australia. This species is now classified as Critically Endangered but if you head up the path between Willesley Drive and Sand Earth you will see a group of these trees, one of which was planted by HRH King Charles last year.
Mahonia
The sweetly scented Mahonia hybrid (Mahonia x media 'Charity) with its vibrant clusters of yellow flowers is a welcome sight on Main Drive at this time of year.
Western hemlock
The Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) is a striking sight at the moment with its small, pendulous, egg-shaped cones which are light brown in colour and stand out against the dark green foliage. Examples can be found on Mitchell Drive and Willesley Drive.