Section 2 – Bristol’s champion trees

A list of the largest specimen of all other major species within the City, in alphabetical order

Though most of the trees are in the public domain trees on private land are included where they are clearly visible. Some of the very fine trees in the Zoo are also included where they are the local champions. In general, a tree with a girth of 250cm will be 100 years old, and trees with a girth of a metre will usually be around 40 years old. A girth of 400cm or more is probably more than 200 years old. The vast majority of trees in the city are less than 150 years old.

The eight-figure ST Grid References should enable each tree to be found individually. For example, on the web, go to UK Grid Reference Finder and enter the ST reference, and a map of the site comes up. Alternatively, you can see details and tree locations at Trees of Bristol.

52. Common Alder, Alnus glutinosa. Common on stream-ways, and some have suffered from a disease in recent years. Occasionally planted on drier sites. There are large trees on the banks of the Frome, but the largest is on the Trym at Combe Dingle where a rotting trunk 2600cm in girth supports three vigorous young stems.

53. Italian Alder, Alnus cordata. ST5853 7320. Recently planted in parks and as a street tree, prominent on Park Row. Fast growing and almost evergreen. The largest is in Eastville Park at ST6175 7531 with a girth of 240cm.

54. Cut-leaf Alder, Alnus glutinosa laciniata. ST6347 7671. This is an attractive slow growing variety of the Common Alder. Oldbury Park close to the main drive.

55. Grey Alder, Alnus incana. ST5816 7325. Uncommon in Bristol, but there are three young trees on Woodland Road.

56. Common Ash, Fraxinus excelsior. ST5573 7881. The most widespread tree in the city. The largest is in a field in Henbury. It is hollow, has lost its top, and Has a girth of 470cm.There is footpath access. Five others have a girth of 425cm in Redland Green, the Downs, Bedminster Down, and Victory Park, Brislington. They are much rarer as veterans than oaks because they were rarely pollarded.

57. Common Ash, Fraxinus excelsior. ST5515 7941. The most widespread tree in the city. Found at Lawrence Weston Reserve, a collapsing hollow pollard in a hedge at with a girth of 450cm around. It has vigorous branches growing out at low level. Five others have a girth of 425cm in Redland Green, the Downs, Bedminster Down, and Victory Park, Brislington. They are much rarer as veterans than oaks because they were rarely pollarded.

58. Narrow-leaf Ash, Fraxinus angustifolia. ST6369 7680. Widely planted in parks in recent years, it turns a magnificent purple in the autumn. The largest is at Oldbury Court. Girth 220cm.

59. One-leaved Ash, Fraxinus excelsior ‘Diversifolia’. ST6259 7651. This is a natural variant in which the leaf is a single blade rather than leaflets. It was quite widely planted about 30 years ago. One in Snuff Mills Park has a girth of 130cm.

60. Weeping Ash, Fraxinus excelsior ‘Pendula’. ST5696 7179. A Victorian cemetery favourite, achieved by grafting as high as possible, as the branches grow straight downwards. There are a number in Greville Smythe Park, the largest with a girth of 210cm.

61. Manna Ash or Flowering Ash, Fraxinus ornus. ST5683 7424. Named for its dramatic white flowers in spring. There is one on the Downs by the pound.

62. Atlas Cedar, Cedrus atlantica. ST5328 7690. This comes from the Atlas Mountains of North Africa, and a very striking blue form is often grown. Its branches grow upwards, unlike the other two cedars. The largest at Oldbury Court. Has a 410cm girth, but is probably only about 100 years old.

63. Azara, Azara microphylla. ST5678 7398. A delightful small multi-trunk evergreen tree from S America. The Zoo has number of them.

64. Common Beech, Fagus sylvatica. ST5728 7494 . Commonly planted in avenues, of which the best known is the Promenade in Clifton, the oldest trees in which are 100 years old. There is a magnificent tree with a 480cm girth on the Downs.

65. Common Beech, Fagus sylvatica. ST5444 7665. Commonly planted in avenues, of which the best known is the Promenade in Clifton, the oldest trees in which are 100 years old. There is a magnificent tree at Crabtree Slip, the little wood off the Portway.

66. Dawyck Beech, Fagus sylvatica ‘Fastigiata’. ST5826 7332. This grows in a columnar form, but is rather rare in Bristol. The best is a young tree in the Royal Fort garden.

67. Fern-leaf Beech, Fagus sylvatica var heterophylla ‘Aspleniifolia’. ST5727 7310. This is a natural variant with cut leaves. The finest is in Victoria Square, Clifton, with a girth of 480cm. It dates back to the original planting c 1860.

68. Weeping Beech, Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula’. ST5773 7337. This is a wonderful form and probably the oldest is in the private garden opposite the Victoria Rooms in Clifton. It hangs over the pavement.

69. Brewer’s Spruce, Picea breweriana. ST6344 7676. Spruces are uncommon in Bristol. This species has branches hung with pendulous branchlets. A fine one is at Oldbury Court.

70. Erman’s Birch, Betula ermanii. ST5669 7521. A rather rugged rare tree from Japan, three of which are on the Downs at the top of Stoke Hill, with a girth of 270cm.

71. Himalayan Birch, Betula utilis. This is now a very common species for its fine white bark, sometimes damaged by people pulling it off in strips. All the trees found are very young.

72. Silver Birch, Betula pendula. ST5547 7550. A very common pioneer tree, also widely planted. It rarely lives long, and can’t survive shade. The largest is a fine tree growing by the lake in Sneyd Park Nature Reserve, with a girth of 300cm.

73. Black Mulberry, Morus nigra. ST5833 7331. This species is widely planted for its delicious fruit, but is very often found growing horizontally. The largest is in the gardens of the Royal Fort with a girth of 230cm.

74. Black Mulberry, Morus nigra. ST5713 7313. This species is widely planted for its delicious fruit, but is very often found growing horizontally, as it is in Victoria Square in Clifton.

75. Bull Bay, Magnolia grandiflora. ST5569 7182. The evergreen magnolia from the southern states of the USA which has flowers the size of dinner plates. The finest and probably the oldest are on either side of the entrance to Ashton Court mansion. 

76. Cabbage Palm, Cordyline australis. ST5747 7412. Widely planted in gardens, in time this becomes a substantial tree and there are a number in the Zoo. A fine one is in a garden on St Johns Road, Clifton.

77. Japanese Chestnut, Aesculus turbinata. ST5912 7151. A rare tree with large leaves with seven leaflets on each, which has just been planted in Victoria Park.

78. Chestnut Red, Aesculus x carnea. ST5685 7510. Several have been planted on the Downs, in the avenue on Stoke Road and are striking in flower, but grow slowly and look unhappy. They are unaffected by the new Chestnut Leaf miner moth.

79. Yellow Buckeye Chestnut, Aesculus flava. ST5829 7331. A young tree in the Royal Fort gardens may be this species. 

80. Bird Cherry, Prunus padus. ST5737 7293. This is the wild cherry of the north of the UK, but rare here as a wild tree, though it grows well. A fine young tree grows in St Andrews churchyard, Clifton and has a girth of 90cm. 

81. Japanese Cherry, Prunus serrulata. There are a huge variety of varieties that the Japanese originally bred, and they are widely planted in streets and parks. The double pink Kanzan is well known.

82. Tibetan Cherry, Prunus serrulata. ST6348 7664. A small slow growing tree recognised at once by its bight glossy dark brown bark. Often planted, the finest at Oldbury Court with a girth of 200cm.

83. Wild Cherry, Prunus avium. ST5791 7155. The native wild cherry, sometimes called Gean, seeds itself readily, and spreads by suckering. There are many fine old trees in Leigh Woods. It rarely last to a great Age, but one in Victoria Park, with a girth of 250cm. They turn a fine colour in the autumn.

84. Wild Cherry, Prunus avium. ST5696 7335. The double form, called plena has late and large double flowers and there are two on Clifton Green.

85. Chinese Koda, Ehretia acuminata. ST5608 7871. A tree believed to be this grows by the children’s playground in Blaise, with a girth of 190cm.

86. Chinese Privet, Ligustrum lucidum. ST5765 7435. There is a very fine specimen of this rare tree, with glossy evergreen leaves that flowers in August, in the front garden of a house in Ashgrove Road off Whiteladies Road. It has twin trunks.

87. Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides. ST5718 7379. This tree was discovered at a remote site in China in 1941, and widely distributed to parks across the world. The finest is the one in the grounds of Clifton College, planted in 1955, with a girth of 260cm. It is on private property, but readily seen from public roads.

88. Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides. ST6303 7117. This tree was discovered at a remote site in China in 1941, and widely distributed to parks across the world. There is an avenue of them at Oldbury Court, at the entrance to Eastwood Farm Park.

88. 88-1 Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides. ST6353 7670. This tree was discovered at a remote site in China in 1941, and widely distributed to parks across the world. There is a young tree by the Senate House on Woodland Road with a girth of just 170cm. but which is nearly 30m high.  

89. Table Dogwood, Cornus controversa variegata. ST5675 7401. The pretty variegated form in the Zoo just by the entrance is the best example, and the only one in Bristol.

90. Douglas Fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii. ST5592 7642. Uncommon, and does not grow well. One at Stoke Lodge. Girth 240cm.

91. Dove Tree, Davidia involucrata. ST5685 7395. Sometimes unfortunately called the Paper Handkerchief Tree as, when flowering, it has white bracts that cover the flowers in late May. The Zoo has the finest specimen, with a girth of 195.

92. Dove Tree, Davidia involucrata. ST5686 7354. Sometimes unfortunately called the Paper Handkerchief Tree as, when flowering, it has white bracts that cover the flowers in late May. There is an excellent specimen in Canynge Square, Clifton.

93. Wych Elm, Ulmus glabra. ST5654 7416. Until 1975 Elms were the most familiar of trees, and the recovery from Dutch Elm Disease has been slow. One large tree, a Huntingdon Elm, survives on the Downs at the bottom of Ladies Mile with a girth of 250cm.

94. Wych Elm, Ulmus glabra. ST5932 7316. Until 1975 Elms were the most familiar of trees, and the recovery from Dutch Elm Disease has been slow. There are two magnificent trees in Castle Park with the same girth. There are a very large number of young trees in all parks, many growing into the canopy.

95. Resistant Elm, Ulmus ‘Sapporo Autumn Gold’. ST5682 7329. As an experiment after the disease a species believed to be resistant to DED was planted on Clifton Green. Of the five trees planted only one has grown into the canopy, the others all having collapsed in storms.

96. Foxglove Tree, Paulownia tomentosa. ST5688 7409. A fast growing tree from China with huge leaves and wonderful purple flowers on the bare branches in early spring. There are no old trees but there is a fine one in the Zoo with a girth of 190cm near the old bear pit.

97. Grand Fir, Abies grandis. ST6348 7682. This is the finest and commonest of the firs but is rare in Bristol. The best is in Oldbury Court, planted c 1955, now the tallest tree in the estate, with a girth of 280cm near the main path down to the Frome.

98. Cider Gum, Eucalyptus gunnii. ST5913 7150. This is very frequently planted in gardens, and has proved to be hardy. Very fast growing, but only planted recently in Victoria Park.

98. 98-1. Cider Gum, Eucalyptus gunnii. ST5728 7376. This is very frequently planted in gardens, and has proved to be hardy. Very fast growing. A fine one is in front garden of Pembroke Road in Clifton.

99. Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis. ST5605 7870. Sometimes called Nettle Tree, this is a rare tree, planted in what was a mini arboretum at Blaise House, now within the children’s playground.

100. Holly, Ilex aquifolium. ST6160 7744. Hollies are very widespread but mostly form an understory because they are so tolerant of shade. On occasion they can make substantial trees and there is one with a girth of 300cm in Long Wood, Stoke Park.

101. Honey Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos. ST5677 7357. Large numbers of young trees have recently been planted, called Sunburst because of their light green foliage in spring. The mature tree is very large and in hot summers bears copious long brown pods. The best are three trees in a private garden on Percival Road, Clifton, which lean over the road and date back to 1875 when the house was built.

102. Hop Hornbeam, Ostrya carpinifolia. ST6372 7679. This is a rare tree closely related to the Hornbeam, with fruit that look like a bunch of ripe hops. There are a group of three healthy young trees in Oldbury Court.

103. Hornbeam, Carpinus betulus. ST6154 7551. This is a native tree, in appearance similar to a Beech. The largest is in the Zoo, with a girth of 325cm.

104. Incense Cedar, Calocedrus decurrens. ST5686 7388. One of two in the Zoo. They grow in columnar form and have a girth of 300cm implying that they are over a century old. This one hangs over the wall of College Road.

104. 104-1 Incense Cedar, Calocedrus decurrens. ST5691 7390. One of two in the Zoo. They grow in columnar form and have a girth of 300cm implying that they are over a century old. One hangs over the wall of College Road. This one is close by 104 above.

105. Indian Bean Tree, Catalpa bignonioides. ST5700 7180. An attractive tree with large floppy leaves, fairly fast growth and white flowers in July that give rise to long thin beans. In recent years newly planted ones have tended to develop splits in their branches, but the best is in Greville Smythe Park, with a girth of 380cm. dating back to the origin of the park in 1890.

106. Italian Cypress, Cupressus sempervirens. ST5823 7333. Now often planted in gardens, but old specimens are uncommon. The best is in Royal Fort garden.

107. Japanese Cedar, Cryptomeria japonica. ST5444 7727. Its most attractive feature is its red fibrous barks with long vertical striations. The largest in Bristol is a sorry tree at Kings Weston by the summerhouse which has lost its top in a storm. Its girth is 390cm.

108. Jefferies Pine, Pinus jeffreyi. ST5525 7523. This tree has the distinction of carrying the largest pine cone, up to 500 grams in weight, and the longest needles, up to 23cm. of any pine. It is very rare in Bristol, and the best is at the Bishops Knoll Wood, Bramble Lane Stoke Bishop, with a girth of 295cm.

109. Kapuka, Griselinia littoralis. ST5835 7333. Quite commonly used as a hedging plant, this evergreen shrub, with multiple stems, grows as a tree in the Royal Fort gardens. 

110. Katsura, Cercidiphyllum japonicum. ST5684 7393. When fully grown this is a fine tree that grows its leaves all down its branches. There is a very small tree in the Zoo.

111. Keaki, Zelkova serrata. ST5794 7269. This is an uncommon Japanese tree. A young tree on Brandon hill, has a girth of 150cm.

112. Kentucky Coffee Tree, Gymnocladus dioicus. ST5816 7350. An American tree with leaves a yard long grows outside the Senate House on Woodland Road. 

113. Korean Euodia, Tetradium daniellii. ST5771 6960. This is a rare tree that flowers in September. It is found in Malago Park.

114. Korean Euodia, Tetradium daniellii. ST5824 7377. This is a rare tree that flowers in September. It is found in Kingsdown at the top of St Michael’s Hill next to a supermarket.

115. Larch, Larix decidua. ST5348 7725. Most of those planted grow rather badly, though there are one or two exceptionally tall on the steep slopes of Penpole Point in the Kings Weston estate.

116. Larch, Larix decidua. ST5451 7660. Most of those planted grow rather badly. The largest is in Crabtree Slip wood, off the Portway with a girth of 240cm.

117. Lawson Cypress, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana. ST5722 7293. This is the most commonly planted Cypress, in parks gardens and cemeteries everywhere, with a wide variety of forms. They sometimes grow with multiple trunks from close to the ground. The largest measured was in Savile Place, Clifton, with a girth of 260cm. It is a weirdly twisted and contorted specimen.

118. Large Leaved Lime, Tilia platyphyllos. ST5734 7530. This a rare native species, but now very widely planted. It has none of the Common Lime’s faults and all its advantages. Like all limes it is slow growing. The largest is on the Downs as part of an avenue near Clay Pit Road with a girth of 480 cm. This would imply an Age of over 250 years.

119. Silver Lime, Tilia tomentosa. ST5927 7274. A fine well shaped tree distinguished by the white undersides of the leaves. A few planted on Ladies Mile on the Downs to replace Huntingdon Elms, but the best is on Victoria Street in Redcliff by Temple Church with a girth of 205cm. 

120. Silver Pendent Lime, Tilia tomentosa ‘Petiolaris’. ST5723 7343. Always grafted this is similar to the Silver Lime, but with a weeping form. The finest is in the private Vyvyan gardens, Clifton, which dates back to 1840 and has a girth of 350cm. It dominates the local landscape.

121. Small Leaved Lime, Tilia cordata. ST5926 7167. Though nationally this is an uncommon native species, locally it is frequent with some very ancient trees in Leigh Woods. It rarely produces seed in our present climate. It is distinguished by holding its flowers and fruit upright rather than hanging. Many were planted on the Downs avenues to replace Huntingdon Elms. The best is a tree at Victoria Park, with a girth of 360cm. 

122. Maidenhair Tree, Ginkgo biloba. ST5643 7748. A very ancient tree species, dating back to the Jurassic era, it has a very upright form of growth and is now being planted in streets. Its leaf is unlike that of any other tree, and it turns a wonderful lemon yellow in the Autumn. Rarely planted, the best is in Canford Cemetery with a girth of 280cm. A fine one in Blaise by the summer house may be larger but cannot be accessed.

123. Box Elder Maple, Acer negundo. ST5632 7748. Sometimes called Ash Leaf Maple as its leaves are quite unlike other maples, it has attractive flowers in spring, and pretty shoots when young, but it does not Age well. Commonly planted, the best is in Canford Cemetery with a girth of 200cm.

124. Cappadocian Maple, Acer cappadocicum. ST5740 7439. It is the only maple that suckers, which can create problems. The best is a street tree at the top end of St John’s Road, Clifton with a girth of 250cm. It was clearly planted in error for a Common Lime.

125. Cappadocian Maple, Acer cappadocicum. ST5682 7737. It is the only maple that suckers, which can create problems. In Canford Park with a girth of 240cm.

126. Field Maple, Acer campestre. ST5450 7658. A slow growing small native species, common in hedges, and hence often multi-trunked, and probably older than they look. The largest girth was measured in Crabtree Slip wood with a girth of 370cm.

127. Italian Maple, Acer opalus. ST5732 7312. A rare tree looking almost identical to a Sycamore, but with blunter leaves, that flowers at the end of February. A fine one in Victoria Square, Clifton has a girth of 280cm. There is another, unmeasured, inside Wills Hall on the edge of the Downs.

128. Italian Maple, Acer opalus. ST5696 7558. A rare tree looking almost identical to a Sycamore, but with blunter leaves, that flowers at the end of February. Inside Wills Hall on the edge of the Downs. Unmeasured.

129. Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum. ST5673 7298. A slow growing small tree with amazing autumn colour, that is widely planted in gardens, but rarely in parks. West mall gardens Clifton have some good examples.

130. Norway Maple, Acer platanoides. ST5539 7195. Very commonly planted in recent years, with a wide variety of leaf colours, this species grows very fast, and is distinguished from the Sycamore by pointed tips to its leaves, and a bark that is vertically striated. Much the oldest is a very fine tree in Ashton Park with a girth of 440cm

131. Silver Maple, Acer saccharinum. ST5693 7172. A fast growing Maple with pretty leaves that have a pale underside turning silver in the Autumn. It flowers in January and its seeds fall at the end of May. Widely planted in recent years, the largest is in Greville Smythe Park with a girth of 290cm.

132. Silver Maple, Acer saccharinum. ST5839 7281. A fast growing Maple with pretty leaves that have a pale underside turning silver in the Autumn. It flowers in January and its seeds fall at the end of May. Widely planted in recent years. Found on College Green with a girth of 290cm and planted in 1950.

133. Red Maple, Acer rubrum. ST6348 7679. Only one mature tree, in Oldbury Court with a girth of 200cm. Distinguished by flowers in March and early start to red autumn colour in September.

134. Monkey Puzzle, Araucaria araucana. ST5655 7352. Quite often planted in private gardens, and the one on The Promenade in Clifton is probably the oldest. 

135. Neolitsea sericea. ST5742 7291. A very rare tree from Korea. It is evergreen, and not especially impressive, and is in St Andrews Churchyard in Clifton. It is multi-trunked, and related to Laurel.

136. Norway Spruce, Picea abies. ST5573 7774. This is the commonest Christmas Tree, and there are a number of tall young trees in Combe Dingle with a girth of around 180cm.

137. Chestnut-leaved Oak, Quercus castaneifolia. ST5724 7311. Five of these have recently been established in Victoria Square, Clifton beside the centre path, to replace the original beech trees.

138. Cluster Oak, Quercus robur ‘Cristata’. ST5662 7379. The rarest tree in Bristol as there are only about six in the country. The original tree was found in Savernake Forest, and it is a very slow growing sport with distorted leaves. It does however come true from seed. It must have been planted c 1950 in the triangle outside the Lord Mayors House, near the Proctors Fountain. Its girth is only 130cm.

139. Cork Oak, Quercus suber. ST5724 7311. An evergreen oak, there is a single very young plant in Victoria Square, Clifton. 

140. Cypress Oak, Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’. ST5611 7871. This variety grows in a columnar form, but is not often planted. The best is at Blaise, by the children’s playground with a girth of 260cm.

141. Lebanon Oak, Quercus libani. ST5933 7319. This is a small evergreen Oak planted in Castle Park. It has a girth of 150 cm.

142. Luccombe Oak, Quercus x hispanica. ST5584 7650. This is a cross between Turkey Oak and Cork oak, and originated in the Exeter nurseries, and was widely planted by the Victorians. It does come true from seed. Most of the old estates had one, but they have tended to die in recent years. The best survivor is at Stoke Lodge with a girth of 480cm. There is a fine one in a private garden in Druid Stoke Avenue that may be larger.

143. Red Oak, Quercus borealis. ST5597 7867. This is a fast growing N American oak, with splendid colour in some autumns and very large leaves with fine points. The bests is at Blaise, by the café, with a girth of 280cm.

144. Sessile Oak, Quercus petraea. ST5425 7720. This species is common in the north west of the UK, and is locally rare. A fine tree on the Kings Weston estate has a girth of 400cm. 

145. Turkey Oak, Quercus cerris. ST5544 7211. It has been widely planted, and is now spreading fast naturally though woodlands. It is distinguished by hairs at the tip of its buds, and the sharp teething on its leaves, but it is very variable. The oldest is in Ashton Park with a girth of 480, and an Age of 200 or more. It is close to the main drive from Clifton, close to the top of the hill.

146. Turner’s Oak, Quercus x turneri. ST5754 7320. This is a rare hybrid between the Common Oak and the Holm oak, which is semi-evergreen. Two treed stand in the front garden of a private house in Gordon Road, Clifton.

147. White Oak, Quercus alba. ST5383 7723. This is a rare North American Oak and a fine tree grows amidst dense undergrowth in Kings Weston.

148. Persion Ironwood, Parrotia persica. ST5815 7318. By the Wills Tower. This is a large, sprawling tree, with dark leaves that turn a wonderful purple in the autumn. It is rare.

149. Persion Ironwood, Parrotia persica. ST5684 7396. In the Zoo. This is a large, sprawling tree, with dark leaves that turn a wonderful purple in the autumn. It is rare.

150. Bhutan Pine, Pinus wallichiana. ST5613 7625. This tree has very graceful fine needles in bunches of five, and is often planted. The largest, girth 395cm. is in the grove in a piece of public parkland off the road called Clifton High Grove.

151. Black Pine, Pinus nigra. ST5528 7523. Sometimes called the Austrian Pine or the Corsican Pine, this is much the most common and successful pine in the city. It was widely planted on the Downs in the 1880s. The largest is in the Bishops Knoll Wood, Bramble Lane, Stoke Bishop with a girth of 460cm. However, it is unlikely to be much more than 150 years old.

152. Maritime Pine, Pinus pinaster. ST 5516 7552. This species is distinguished by holding its unopened cones on its branches for years, waiting for a fire to come to open them. Three is an unhappy specimen in the upper reaches of the Sneyd Park Nature Reserve with a girth of 170cm. 

153. Scots Pine, Pinus sylvestris. ST6159 7547. This is quite often planted, but rarely does well in Bristol. The best is in Eastville Park with a girth of 200cm.

154. Phillyrea, Phillyrea latifolia. ST5595 7482. A rare small evergreen tree which grows in a garden on the northern edge of the Downs, but fans out over the wall.

155. Balsam Poplar, Populus trichocarpa. ST5861 7388. This fine species, with a strongly upright growth, scents the whole area with balsam when its buds break in the spring, and it turns a magnificent yellow in the Autumn. It is not common. The largest grows in the front garden of a house in Cecil Road Clifton, close to the Zoo.

156. Grey Poplar, Populus canescens. ST6298 7657. Distinguished by the black diamond shaped pits on its trunk. Many were planted at Eastwood Farm when the tip closed but the largest are in the Frome Valley with a girth of 230cm. Somewhat larger ones on the bank could not be measured. 

157. White Poplar, Populus alba. ST5602 7745. This tree suckers vigorously, and can often be seen along Motorways. The undersides of the leaves are white and turn silver in the Autumn. One in a grove on Canford Lane has a girth of 270cm.

158. Cyprian Plane, Platanus orientalis var insularis. ST5926 7137. An interesting variety with leaves that have five long fingers, and holds its foliage later than other planes. A young tree is in Victoria Park with a girth of about 100cm.

159. Pride of India, Koelreuteria paniculata. ST5793 7298. Sometimes called the Golden Rain Tree for its bright yellow flowers which come in August, it has very unusual attractive leaves and small black fruit in papery bladders. There is a fine one by the tower on Brandon Hill with a girth of 110cm.

160. Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens. ST5774 7333. Distinguished by its thick red bark and yew-like leaves, it does not grow as well as the Wellingtonia. It will coppice, which is very unusual for a conifer, and this can be seen in action on Richmond Hill at the entrance to a car park.

160. 160-1. Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens. ST5526 7520. Distinguished by its thick red bark and yew-like leaves, it does not grow as well as the Wellingtonia. It will coppice, which is very unusual for a conifer. The largest is in the Bishops Knoll Wood, Bramble Lane, Stoke Bishop with a girth of 400cm. It is aged 150 years old at most.

161. Robinia or False Acacia, Robinia pseudoacacia. ST5425 7749. This is a very tough spiny fast-growing tree that suckers readily, and has delicate white pea like flowers. In Kings Weston there is a grove of them behind the house.

161. 161-1. Robinia or False Acacia, Robinia pseudoacacia. ST5699 7176. This is a very tough spiny fast-growing tree that suckers readily, and has delicate white pea like flowers. The largest is in Greville Smythe park with a girth of 350cm that can’t be aged more than 120 years old. 

162. Roble Beech, Lophozonia obliqua. ST5690 7407. This is the beech of South America and it is too rarely planted in Bristol. The tree in the Zoo has a girth of 200cm.

163. Rowan, Sorbus aucuparia. A native small tree, and a number of varieties and species are often planted in gardens and car parks, but rarely in parks. Present in Canford Cemetery and Cumberland Basin. 

164. Service Tree, Sorbus torminalis. ST6183 7727. A rare small native tree, found wild in Leigh Woods. It is planted on Brandon hill, and present in Barn Wood in Stoke Park with a girth of 150cm.

165. Scholar’s Tree, Sophora japonica. ST5686 7356. An uncommon tree that flowers in August. A fine one in Canynge Square in Clifton has a girth of 200cm. 

166. Strawberry Tree, Arbutus unedo. ST5928 7318. Native in Ireland but usually planted here, it is an evergreen that fruits and flowers in November. The largest is in Castle Park with a girth of 150cm. The most well-known self-sown tree grows out of the cliff face close to the Folly at Blaise at ST5588 7833. 

167. Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua. ST5691 7402. This has magnificent autumn colouring and leaves rather like a Maple. Rare, but increasingly planted. The largest is in the Zoo with a girth of 190cm. 

168. Sycamore, Acer pseudoplatanus. ST6352 7675. One of the commonest trees in the city, almost all self-sown, though variegated forms are planted and a rare form with a purple underside to the leaf is occasional. The finest is on the mound at Oldbury Court created as a feature by Humphrey Repton, the first landscape designer. The Mound has about ten Sycamores on it, the largest with a girth of 400cm. 

169. Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima. ST6338 7691. A Chinese tree, often planted, that suckers very readily and flowers in late July, and has crimson winged fruit. Otherwise it can be mistaken for an ash. Two very fine trees in Clifton have collapsed in the past two years, and the largest is now in Oldbury Court with a girth of 200cm, implying that it was planted in about 1950, when the city acquired the park. 

170. Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera. ST5559 7749. Named after its Tulip shaped greenish flowers and recognisable by its leaves that appear to have had the tips bitten out of them, it is a handsome and fast growing tree, widely planted for many years. The oldest is in a grove at Canford Lane with a girth of 470cm. 

171. Turkish Hazel, Corylus colurna. ST5679 7400. Its leaf and fruit are similar to the Hazel bush, but it makes a stout tree with very dark rough bark. The largest is in the Zoo with a girth of 250cm.

172. Black Walnut, Juglans nigra. ST5665 7504. A North American species which looks superficially like an Ash. The fruit are inedible. There are three on the Downs the largest with a girth of 250cm.

173. Common Walnut, Juglans regia. ST5595 7646. Not often planted, but often self-sown by squirrels. The largest is at Stoke Lodge with a girth of 370cm. suggesting it is around 160 years old. 

174. Western Red Cedar, Thuja plicata. ST5645 7724. A handsome common conifer with a distinctive egg shaped fruit, it often has branches coming horizontally from the base of its trunk. One at Canford Cemetery has a girth of 300cm.

175. Crack Willow, Salix fragilis. ST6081 7190. Distinguished by the fact that branchlets snap off, it is a very common native tree, but rare in parks. Two very large on the bank of the Avon, Sparke Evans park.

176. White Willow, Salix alba. ST6184 7576. Distinguished by the pale under-surface of the leaves, this has a variety of attractive forms. An ancient bole on the bank of the Frome in Eastville Park measures 390cm.

177. Weeping Golden Willow, Salix x sepulcralis ‘Chrysocoma’. ST5634 7744. A familiar form that grows very rapidly. The largest is in Canford Cemetery with a girth of 250cm.

178. Caucasian Wingnut, Pterocarya fraxinifolia. ST5570 7777. Rarely planted for the good reason that is suckers spread very  vigorously. There is a grove in Blaise woods by the bottom lake which has recently been cut back to reveal a twin trunk and a single trunk tree, with a girth of 250cm.

179. Caucasian Wingnut, Pterocarya fraxinifolia. ST5570 7528. Rarely planted for the good reason that is suckers very vigorously. The largest is a twin trunked tree in private land off Church Road, Stoke Bishop, readily visible with a girth of 460cm. 

180. Common Whitebeam, Sorbus aria. Many specimens on the face of the Avon Gorge, and a total of 19 micro-species have also been proved to be present there. A wide variety of species and variants are planted. 

181. Swedish Whitebeam, Sorbus intermedia. ST5803 7257. Widely planted often as a street tree but it tends to be short-lived. The best is on Brandon Hill with a girth of 130cm.

182. Yew, Taxus baccata. ST 5638 7448. A very common native tree, and the Irish form whose branches grow vertically is the commonest planted especially in cemeteries. The champion tree is on the Downs with a girth of 480cm.