Wanstead - Wanstead Park (Essex)

This surprising find in Wanstead Park, Essex, is quite a rarity; a Giant Redwood planted in the last decade or so. It is a little peculiar in that it doesn't have all the usual characteristics of a very young Wellingtonia - the overall shape is more like a much older tree, and it doesn't have the dense, lush growth one would expect to see at this stage. It is worth comparing this to the similar-sized Wellingtonia in Wingletye Lane, Hornchurch. Perhaps the ground conditions are not ideal. It could be that it finds the summer months too dry, or perhaps the winds in this exposed position give it problems during winter. Still, it seems healthy enough though, and it will be interesting to see how this one grows over the years. Kieran wrote to say that "it was planted in 1965 to commemorate Winston Churchill's death. He had been MP for the constituency." You can read more details on Wanstead Park and its colourful history on the Wanstead Wildlife web site.

Common Names	Latin Names	Girth	Est. Height	Date Measured
Giant Redwood, Wellingtonia	Sequoiadendron giganteum	1.2m	8m	March 2005
Girth was measured at 1.5 metres from ground