Arboreta and tree collections provide opportunities to see how different species grow in different locations. Below is a list of England’s arboreta, old species trails (or Forest Gardens) and botanical gardens.
Forestry Commission Arboreta
Kilmun Forest Garden
Research plots established in the 1930s to monitor the success of a variety of exotic tree species in the humid west coast environment. This report describes Kilmun Forest Garden, Argyll near Dunoon.
The National Arboretum at Westonbirt
An internationally renowned tree collection and heritage landscape. Its 14,902 trees of around 2,500 different species, come from Britain, China, North America, Japan, Chile and other temperate climates.
The National Pinetum at Bedgebury
The National Pinetum contains the most comprehensive collection of conifers in the UK.
Lynford Arboretum
This small arboretum is in East Anglia at Thetford Forest. It gives an indication of what grows well in one of the driest locations in England.
Blackwater Arboretum
A small arboretum within the New Forest next with impressive specimans of a range of conifers.
The Cyril Hart Arboretum
The collection started in 1910 and now contains 400 trees, 180 of which are "feature" trees.
Non-Forestry Commission Arboreta
There are many important tree collections outside of the Forestry Commission too and the list below is not comprehensive.
Brechfa Forest Garden
A former Forestry Commission site now managed by Natural Resources Wales with 89 plots of different tree species from around the world planted in the 1950s. This report from Brechfa Forest Garden describes the performance of a wide range of exotic species planted as forest performance trials.
Royal Botanical Gardens Kew
The world famouse Botanical Gardens cover three sites all of which feature impressive tree collections.
Howick Arboretum
Northumbrian collection arranged by continents.
Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh
The National Gardens of Scotland cover four sites. Kilmun and Dawyck have impressive collections of mature well documented trees.
Hillier's Arboretum
A comprehensive collection of trees managed by Hampshire County Council.
