The Arboretum
Today, the Arboretum at Queenswood contains an incredible collection of trees from around the globe. They grow within a naturalistic setting interwoven with paths where wildflowers thrive and wildlife abounds.
The collection today includes:
- a collection of Californian redwoods (which grow to over 100 metres tall in their native America)
- an avenue lined with 40 different species of oak
- an autumn garden with Japanese maples which display their spectacular coloured foliage in late October
- 148 Champion Trees – the largest trees of their species growing in the UK.
Champion Trees
Queenswood Arboretum includes 148 Champion Trees – the largest trees of their species in the UK.
The Tree Register has a network of over 50 volunteer tree measurers who update historical records and discover over 2,000 new trees worthy of inclusion on the Register each year. They record the largest trees of each species in Britain and Ireland and they call these ‘champion trees’. The Tree Register believe that the importance, appreciation and enjoyment of any tree can be greatly enhanced by knowing it is of particular significance as a rare or exceptional specimen locally or nationally.
The trees at Queenswood were surveyed in 2009 and again in 2017 by Dr Owen Johnston on behalf of the Tree Register who informed us that the Queenswood Arboretum was home to a number of Champion Trees. Some of the trees are Herefordshire Champions, the finest in the county and others are UK Champions, the finest or biggest in the country.
A trail which leads around some of our Champion Trees can be downloaded at the bottom of this page and is also available from the Visitor Centre.
Autumn Colour
The Arboretum is particularly wonderful in autumn. The collection includes Japanese maples, berry-bearing rowans, exotic oaks, American maples and maples from the caucasus and Asia and all exhibit breathtaking colours. October to November is the best time to visit for autumn colour though exact times will vary from year to year.
An Early Autumn and a Late Autumn leaflet are available to download below and are also available in our Visitor Centre.