Remarkable Trees trail

Walking distance

• Approx 3 km
• 1–1.5 hours

1 - Black walnut

One of the oldest trees at Kew, this black walnut (Juglans nigra) produces a toxic chemical called juglone, which leaches into the soil around its trunk and stops many other plants growing underneath it.

2 - Mountain gum

Imagine yourself transported to the Antipodes under the mighty canopy of this mountain gum (Eucalyptus dalrympleana). There are over 900 species of eucalypt, almost all of which are native to Australia.

3 - Corsican pine

Interesting story

They say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but this was not the case for this Corsican pine (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio), which is still standing after two lightning strikes – and a light aircraft crash.

4 - Indian horse chestnut

Spectacular flowers

This spectacular summer showstopper is in full bloom in May and June. This cultivated variety of Indian horse chestnut (Aesculus indica ‘Sydney Pearce’) is named after an assistant curator at Kew in the 1930s.

5 - Oriental plane

Old Lion

A tree with Georgian roots: this oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) was originally part of a row of trees that connected the Orangery to the now-demolished White House, which was once home to Prince Frederick and Princess Augusta, Kew’s founder.

6 - Wollemi pine

Rare

The Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis) was believed extinct for two million years, until a small population was found growing in a remote gorge in the Blue Mountains of Australia. There are fewer than 100 Wollemi pines growing in the wild today.

7 - Monkey puzzle

It’s easy to see why the dense network of branches on this Araucaria araucana would provide ‘a puzzle for even a monkey to climb’. After it was introduced to the UK from South America in 1795, horticulturists at Kew played a vital role in learning how to propagate and grow this plant in European conditions.

8 - Black locust

Old Lion & spectacular flowers

Meet one of the Old Lions: a survivor from Princess Augusta’s original five-acre arboretum. The black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) was the first North American tree to be introduced to Europe in the early 17th century.

9 - Maidenhair

Old Lion & autumn colour

Catch this maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba) in its full golden glory in November. This particular tree is unique, as it is a male tree that also produces fruit – something only female trees do usually. This is because a female branch was grafted onto the tree when it was young.

10 - Turner's oak

Interesting story

This hybrid oak (Quercus × turneri ‘Pseudoturneri’) was given a second wind in the Great Storm of 1987, when it was wrenched from the ground by hurricane-force gales, before settling back into the soil. Being uprooted had loosened the soil around its roots, which had become compressed over years of heavy visitor footfall, making this previously sickly tree hale and hearty once again.

11 - Pagoda tree

Old Lion

Weird, warped and wonderful: although this pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum) once stood at 15m tall, now only the lower branch survives. In its native China, the flowers and leaves are used to make herbal tea.

12 - Copper or purple beech

Autumn colour

Admire nature’s palette: dark purple in summer and orange-red in autumn, this unusual beech tree (Fagus sylvatica Atropurpurea Group) was first sighted in the village of Buchs, Switzerland. According to a local legend, five copper beech trees grew on the site where five brothers fought and killed each other.

13 - Sapphire dragon tree

Spectacular flowers & rare

The Critically Endangered sapphire dragon tree (Paulownia kawakamii) is one of the rarest trees at Kew. It grows beautiful blue flowers in spring.

14 - Chestnut-leaved oak

Champion tree

This spectacular chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia) is not only the biggest and fastest-growing tree is Kew’s Living Collection, it is the largest of its kind in Great Britain and Ireland.

15 - Lucombe Oak

Interesting story

The tree that finally found its place: in 1845, this Lucombe oak (Quercus × hispanica ‘Lucombeana’) had to be moved 20 m when it disturbed the sightline down the proposed Syon Vista. In the 19th century, trees were moved using William Barron’s Tree Transplanter, a cart-like contraption drawn by horses.

16 - Tulip tree

Spectacular flowers

This tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) bursts into spectacular bloom at Kew each May and June. The tulip-like flowers have adapted to be pollinated by beetles.

17 - English oak

Interesting story

This particular English oak (Quercus robur) was chosen to honour the 16 aircrew of Pan Am Flight 103, who were tragically killed when a bomb exploded onboard over Lockerbie in Scotland in 2003. At around 300 years old, this tree is a steadfast memorial to lives lost but not forgotten.

18 - Sweet chestnut

Interesting story

The magic of cinema: the sinuous bark of this sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) is so distinctive, the makers of the Harry Potter films took plaster casts of its trunk to help design the infamous ‘Whomping Willow’.