Trees in Cedars Park

Cedars Park has a mature and diverse arboretum, which includes a plethora of tree species from around the world, many native English of course and also many North American.

From August 2019 to September 2021, a Tree Identification Project was carried out in the park by volunteers Tarant Hobbs and Jake Gutteridge, defining an arboretum area and providing valuable tree data to visitors, as there was a demand for such information.

A full list of trees in Cedars Park is available to the public. Additionally, leaf and bark guides have been produced to assist with identification in areas that were not included in the project.

A list of tree fun facts about different species has also been produced.

Notable trees

Andean Oak (Quercus humboldtii)

Usually only found in Colombia and Panama, it is extremely rare for this species to be found anywhere else. The tree in Cedars Park is fairly young, and information and photos from books and websites provides strong reason to believe that this identification is correct.

Mature London Planes (Platanus × acerifolia)

The park has several very large London Plane trees. An independent analysis by some members of the park community found that the London Planes near the duck pond have an average girth of 6.55 metres, which a specialist confirmed equals over 400 years of age, meaning that they were likely planted at a time when royalty were staying at Theobalds Palace, which stood on the grounds.

John Tradescant was Head Gardener at Hatfield House before the Cecil family moved to Theobalds - it is believed that it was in Tradescant's garden in Vauxhall that the hybrid species that would later become known as London Plane was bred.

Norway Maple 'Crimson King' (Acer platanoides 'Crimson King')

This is a prize-winning cultivar with leaves that are dark purple in the summer, and a rich red in the autumn.