Ealing can boast an astonishing variety of tree species from just our streets, through to parks, gardens and cemeteries. I have listed a few examples which just scratch the surface of what we can find out there.
First and foremost, I must mention the City of Westminster Cemetery in Hanwell. Here you can find many rare species which are not normally seen outside specialist collections, three examples are a fine Water Oak (Quercus nigra), Euodia (Tetradium daniellii) and Mongolian Lime (Tilia mongolica) and many more. Indeed, this site plus the Kensington & Chelsea Cemetery across the road and South Ealing Cemetery were regular haunts of mine during our lockdown period. In addition to the trees, all three of these cemeteries are great places to enjoy nature as a whole.
Then, of course, our local parks can present some fine trees. For instance, Walpole Park has a fine Swamp Cypress (Taxodium distichum) which turns a fabulous brick-red colour in autumn. Other trees here include eye catching specimens such as the Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata), Willow-leaved Pear (Pyrus salicifolia) and two fine old English Oaks near the Culmington Road exit. Also, in nearby Lammas Park you can compare our two native oaks, English Oak (Quercus robur) and Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea) right next to each other. Another park well worth visiting for notable trees is Gunnersbury, although much of the site lies within the LB of Hounslow, but there is a great collection of species to learn and enjoy there.
The streets around Ealing can also provide much variety in addition to the many Common Limes and London Planes to be seen. Northfield Avenue has at least three Red Maples (Acer rubrum) which display wonderful crimson flowers in the spring before the leaves emerge, followed by an early autumn colouring of scarlet and gold before the leaves fall. In a tributary street, Graham Avenue, there are some fine examples of our native Silver Birch (Betula pendula). This is a favourite of mine, and so elegant where the crown lets in light when in full leaf, and so good for wildlife. Another tree not often seen around London but commonly planted in Cornwall is the Chilean Myrtle (Luma apiculate). There is a fine example in a Midhurst Road front garden. The tree blooms with white flowers in late summer, plus is planted mainly for its attractive orange and white bark. Other than this, the only other one I know of in our area is in Kew Gardens.
This is just a tiny selection of notable trees in our area. Many roads can greet us with at least ten species of street tree alone. If you are a beginner, then the best way to start learning how to identify trees is in your street. This will help you become more observant and see the differences within species when out for a walk or shopping etc. My hero in the world of trees was the late Alan Mitchell. I was his student on many Field Study Council courses over a number of years where we covered on average over 100 species per day! He was the founder member of the Tree Register of the British Isles. His famous saying when signing his many books published was, ‘Happy Treewatching’. Go for it and enjoy!
John Wells
Local Naturalist
