Banbury - Horton Hospital (Oxfordshire)

Giant Redwood - February 2021

Thanks to Jack who wrote in February 2021 to say that, "A large, although heavily pruned and topped giant Sequoia is located in Oxfordshire, Banbury, just outside the original entrance to the Horton hospital." A shame it is such a sorry looking specimen, I'm wondering whether it is gradually dying and the branches are being cut off as they die. Perhaps the ground is just too dry, after all it is on a small island of grass surrounded by tarmac. At least we have a record of it and perhaps people could let us know how it fares over subsequent years.

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* * * Update - February 2023 * * *

Thanks to Mathias who wrote in February 2023 to say that this tree had been felled; "- very recently by the looks of it. But, before I found that one (which was trickier than I thought, given it wasn't standing) I found one about 100m away in another section of the same hospital car park. That one also looks a little lop-sided, but seems to be doing ok. Someone has cut all the ivy around the trunk. Interestingly, on the other side of the entrance road to the left of this one you can just see a very large trunk of a tree that was felled some time ago. Looking at it more closely, there's a clonal sprout growing from the stump and I think it might have been a large coastal redwood (eg looking at the needles). Someone has clearly taken the trouble to tie and prop the sprout so it looks as if perhaps it was left deliberately when the parent tree was felled. Either way the original must've been pretty large as the stump is about 1.5m across - perhaps one of a pair with the one above, marking the entrance to the house that became the hospital." It's a shame about the first tree but not altogether surprising having seen it's condition in 2021. It's good to hear you found another although, as you say, it does look a little bit bare on one side. Interesting about the stump of the Coast Redwood tree, this is characteristic of the Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and it's something that never happens when a Giant Redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is cut down.

Giant Redwood - February 2023

February 2023

Coast Redwood foliage - February 2023

Coast Redwood sapling sprouting from stump - February 2023