| The Queen's Green Canopy | |
| Duration: | |
| Location: |  United Kingdom |
| Blank Label: | Patron |
| Blank Data: | Charles III |
| Cause: | Tree planting campaign |
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The Queen's Green Canopy (QGC) was an initiative that began in May 2021[1] in the United Kingdom in honour of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. To increase and protect the native tree cover, people were urged to create this 'special gift' for the Queen, to mark her 70 years on the throne.[2]
This initiative was led by Cool Earth in partnership with the UK Government and the Woodland Trust. Communities, charities, schools, scout groups, councils and landowners were invited to create a network of individual or specimen trees, tree avenues, copses and woodlands.
The campaign encouraged the planting of healthy native trees that would thrive, enhancing the environment and the landscape for generations to come.[3] To help the environment and make local areas greener, people were urged to plant trees across the United Kingdom to create a lasting legacy in honour of the Queen's leadership.
Alongside this, 70 Ancient Trees and 70 Ancient Woodlands, including some trees more than 1,000 years old and many with links to historical events, were designated as part of the Canopy.
In a statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:[4]
The Woodland Trust supplied 3 million saplings free to school and community groups, and a pilot scheme to train unemployed young people to plant and manage trees was also created under the auspices of the London environmental college Capel Manor College. The initiative included both individuals planting trees in their gardens and the creation of avenues and copses. Seventy ancient woodlands and 70 ancient trees were also identified as part of the celebration.[5]
The Queen's Green Canopy was officially launched in May 2021, in advance of the Jubilee year of 2022.
The Queen and Prince Charles planted the first tree in March in Windsor Great Park. Charles called it a 'tree-bilee' in a video message and also emphasised the importance of planting the right species in useful places.[5] The two planted another tree at Balmoral Castle on 1 October 2021 to mark the official beginning of the initiative.[6] On 3 October 2021, the first overseas Jubilee Tree was planted by Princess Anne at Hôtel de Charost, residence of the British Ambassador to France.[7] On 30 November 2021, Prince Richard planted the final tree in Rutland's Duke of Edinburgh Memorial Orchard, which was created as a tribute to Prince Philip and is part of the Queen's Green Canopy initiative.[8]
As of January 2022, about 60,000 trees had been planted to mark the Jubilee.[9]
More than one million trees were planted during the first official planting season from October to March. The Countess of Wessex and Forfar planted an elm tree in the Buckingham Palace garden to mark the end of first planting season. In a message marking the end of the first planting season, the Queen said that she was "deeply touched" by the planting of trees in huge numbers and hoped that the "Jubilee trees flourish and grow for many years to come, for future generations to enjoy".[10] A sculpture called 'Tree of Trees' was set up in front of Buckingham Palace for the June celebrations. The sculpture, comprising 350 native British trees assembled into a single giant tree, was designed to represent the over one million trees planted during the Green Canopy project. Individual trees will be donated to community groups for replanting after the celebrations.[11]
The first tree planting season ended on 31 March 2022. The second season started in October 2022 and ran until the end of March 2023.[10] King Charles III and Prince William planted one of the final trees at Sandringham House. By the end of the second planting season, three million trees had been planted.[12]
70 ancient trees and 70 Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom were dedicated to the Queen as part of The Queen's Green Canopy.[13] [14] [15]
| No | Name of tree | Tree species | Location | Nation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Signing Oak | English oak (Quercus robur) | Windsor Great Park, Berkshire | England | 900 years old | |
| 2 | The Great Bressingham Oak | English oak (Quercus robur) | Bressingham Hall, Norfolk | England | Tudor-era tree | |
| 3 | Chatsworth Alder | Alder (Alnus glutinosa) | Chatsworth Park, Derbyshire | England | One of the oldest alders in the country | |
| 4 | Queen Elizabeth Oak | Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) | Cowdray Park, West Sussex | England | Around 1,000 years old. Queen Elizabeth I rested and took lunch under the Oak in 1591 during a hunting trip. | |
| 5 | Doddington Sweet Chestnut | Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) | Doddington Hall, Lincoln, Lincolnshire | England | 350–400 years old | |
| 6 | Ullswater Silver Birch | Silver birch (Betula pendula) | Ullswater, Cumbria | England | Exceptional size and condition for its species | |
| 7 | St Edward's Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | St Edward's Church, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire | England | One of two which frame the door of St Edward's Church in Stow-on-the-Wold | |
| 8 | Lambeth Palace Fig | ‘White Marseilles' fig (Ficus carica) | Lambeth Palace, London | England | Originally planted by Cardinal Pole, the last Roman Catholic Archbishop from 1556 to 1558 | |
| 9 | John Keats' Mulberry | Black mulberry (Morus nigra) | Keats House Museum, London | England | Found in the garden of Keats House Museum, where renowned poet John Keats is believed to have written some of his most famous poems including ‘Ode to a Nightingale' | |
| 10 | The Raydale Holly | Holly (Ilex aquifolium) | Woldside Wood, Raydale Grange, North Yorkshire | England | Part of a collection growing as an ancient coppice in Woldside Wood | |
| 11 | The Much Marcle Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | Much Marcle Church, Ledbury, Herefordshire | England | Has a huge hollow which is unusual to see for an ancient maiden yew | |
| 12 | The Royal Oak | English oak (Quercus robur) | Boscobel House, Boscobel, Shropshire | England | King Charles II hid within this tree to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651 | |
| 13 | The Great Veteran Lime | Common lime (Tilia × europaea) | Wrest Park, Bedfordshire | England | Planted around 1670 | |
| 14 | Osborne House Cork Oak | Cork oak (Quercus suber) | Osborne House, East Cowes, Isle of Wight | England | Planted on 4 December 1847 by Prince Albert at Osborne House, Queen Victoria's holiday home on the Isle of Wight | |
| 15 | Restormel Sessile Oak | Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) | Restormel Castle, Cornwall | England | About 400 years old. It has links to the Civil War, and action took place in 1644 around the tree | |
| 16 | The Hangman's Tree | English oak (Quercus robur) | Shane's Castle, Randalstown, County Antrim | Northern Ireland | One of the largest oaks on Shane's Castle Estate and over 350 years old | |
| 17 | The Marriage Tree | Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) | Finzean Estate, Banchory, Aberdeenshire | Scotland | About 100 years old and is on the list of Heritage Trees of Scotland | |
| 18 | The Hirsel Tulip Tree | Tulip (Liriodendron tulipifera) | Hirsel Estate, Coldstream, Scottish Borders | Scotland | One of Scotland's oldest surviving tulip trees. It is thought to have been planted in 1742. | |
| 19 | The Giant | European silver fir (Abies alba) | Ardkinglas Woodland Garden, Cairndow, Argyll and Bute | Scotland | Thought to be the largest silver fir in the UK | |
| 20 | The Brahan Elm | Wych elm (Ulmus glabra) | Brahan Estate, Dingwall, Ross-shire | Scotland | Relatively scarce deciduous tree that supports abundant insect life in the forest | |
| 21 | The Balmerino Sweet Chestnut | Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) | Balmerino Abbey, Newport-on-Tay, Fife | Scotland | Said to have been planted by Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1565. Dating confirms the tree to be between 390 and 425 years old. | |
| 22 | The Drumlanrig Douglas | Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) | Drumlanrig Castle Gardens, Queensbury Estate, Dumfries and Galloway | Scotland | Planted in 1829 and is thought to be the first Douglas fir planted in the UK | |
| 23 | Dumfries House Sycamore | Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) | Dumfries House, Cumnock, East Ayrshire | Scotland | Reputed to have been planted in 1599 | |
| 24 | Dundonnell Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | Dundonnell House Gardens, Wester Ross | Scotland | Believed to be the second oldest yew in Scotland, after the Fortingall Yew in Perthshire | |
| 25 | Coed Glaslyn Rowan | Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) | Coed Glaslyn, Powys | Wales | Huge in size, which is rare for rowans | |
| 26 | Curley Oak | English oak (Quercus robur) | Wentwood, Newport | Wales | One of the oldest oaks in Wales | |
| 27 | Plas Newydd Beech | Common beech (Fagus sylvatica) | Plas Newydd, Llanfairpwll, Anglesey | Wales | Has a girth of over 10m. It looks as it is several trees fused together. | |
| 28 | The Buttington Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | All Saints Church, Buttington, Powys | Wales | Oldest known planting date of any yew tree in Britain. It was planted in 893 CE to commemorate the Battle of Buttington. | |
| 29 | Llangernyw Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | St Digain's Church Yard, Llangernyw, Conwy | Wales | Poet Margaret Sandbach of nearby Hafodunos Hall, described a funeral here in 1852 | |
| 30 | Prisk Wood Small Leaved Lime | Small leaved lime (Tilia cordata) | Prisk Wood, Monmouthshire | Wales | At first sight the trunks appear to be separate trees but in fact it is all one individual. | |
| 31 | Newtown Wild Black Poplar | Wild black poplar (Populus nigra ssp. betulifolia) | Newtown Y Drenewydd, Powys | Wales | One of the largest wild black poplar recorded among only around 7,000 remaining in the UK | |
| 32 | Wyesham Oak | English oak (Quercus robur) | Wyesham, Monmouthshire | Wales | Thought to have been growing around the time of Geoffrey of Monmouth's birth circa 1095 | |
| 33 | Pulpit Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | St James Churchyard, Nantglyn, Denbighshire | Wales | John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, preached from here | |
| 34 | Vangarde Crack Willow | Crack willow (Salix fragilis) | Vangarde Shopping Centre, York, North Yorkshire | England | One of the largest crack willows in the UK with a girth of 7.8m | |
| 35 | The Preston Twin Elm | English Elm (Ulmus procera) | Preston Park, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex | England | Around 400 years old | |
| 36 | Crom Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | Crom Castle, Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh | Northern Ireland | The Crom Yew is two yews entwined together, one male and one female. | |
| 37 | The Ashbrittle Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | St John the Baptist Church, Tiverton, Devon | England | Certified as 3,000 years old | |
| 38 | Camusnagaul Pollarded Oak | Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) | Achaphubuil, Lochaber, The Highlands | Scotland | Composed largely of downy birch and sessile oak with both shrubby and moss ground flora | |
| 39 | The Old Spanish Chestnut | Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) | Castle Leod, Ross-shire | Scotland | Planted in 1553 to commemorate a visit by Marie de Guise, Queen of France, and the granting of sasines by Mary, Queen of Scots. | |
| 40 | The Defynnog Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | St Cynog's Churchyard, Defynnog, Powys | Wales | Oldest yew in the UK | |
| 41 | Maesgwyn English Oak | English oak (Quercus robur) | Maesgwyn Estate, Chirk, Wrexham | Wales | Thought to date back to the reign of Egbert, King of Wessex, in 802 | |
| 42 | The St Andrews Holm Oak | Holm oak (Quercus ilex) | University of St Andrews, Fife | Scotland | Core dating puts the origins of this tree at around 1740 | |
| 43 | Hafod Beech | Common beech (Fagus sylvatica) | Hafod Uchtryd, Ceredigion | Wales | Likely to be one of the millions of trees planted by Thomas Johnes | |
| 44 | Drumlanrig Sycamore | Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) | Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries and Galloway | Scotland | One of the largest sycamore trees in the UK | |
| 45 | Niel Gow's Oak | Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) | Craigvinean Forest, Perth and Kinross | Scotland | This tree was likely planted by the “Planting” Dukes of Atholl around 300 years ago | |
| 46 | The Drumtochty Spruce | Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) | Drumtochty Castle, Kincardineshire | Scotland | One of the first sitka spruce planted in Europe, and one of the tallest in Scotland | |
| 47 | Torphichen Horse Chestnut | European horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) | Torphichen Churchyard, West Lothian | Scotland | Located in the churchyard of Torphichen Kirk | |
| 48 | Hopetoun Field Maple | Field maple (Acer campestre) | Hopetoun House, West Lothian | Scotland | Located in Hopetoun House's West Park | |
| 49 | Tilgate Hawthorn | Common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) | Tilgate, West Sussex | England | The trunk of the tree is hollow and split as if cleaved by a giant | |
| 50 | The Florence Court Yew | Irish yew (Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata') | Florence Court, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh | Northern Ireland | Thought to be mother to millions of offspring yews across the world | |
| 51 | The Ankerwycke Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | Wraysbury, Berkshire | England | 2,500 years old | |
| 52 | Hafod Sequoia | Giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) | Hafod Uchtryd | Wales | The tallest tree on the Hafod Estate | |
| 53 | Dundonnell Alder | Alder (Alnus glutinosa) | Dundonnell, Highland | Scotland | Large in size, not usual for alders | |
| 54 | Antony House Black Walnut | Eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra) | Antony House, Torpoint, Cornwall | England | Planted in 1785 | |
| 55 | Parent Larch | European larch (Larix decidua) | Dunkeld Cathedral, Perthshire | Scotland | One of the largest European larch in the UK. Planted for Duke James of Atholl in 1738. | |
| 56 | The Great Cedar | Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) | Painshill Park, Cobham, Surrey | England | Thought to be the largest multi-stemmed cedar in Europe | |
| 57 | Plas Newydd English Oak | English oak (Quercus robur) | Plas Newydd, Llangollen, Denbighshire | Wales | Thought to be 400 years old | |
| 58 | Eddington Veteran Oak | English oak (Quercus robur) | Turing Way, Eddington, Cambridgeshire | England | Estimated to be about 430 years old. Likely to have seeded around 1592 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. | |
| 59 | The Tolpuddle Martyrs' Tree | Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) | Tolpuddle, Dorset | England | In 1833, six agricultural labourers, later known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs, would meet at this tree to organise efforts to improve working conditions | |
| 60 | Colesbourne Oriental Plane | Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) | Arboretum, Gloucestershire | England | The tree has been recorded in a number of books, magazine and newspaper articles over many years | |
| 61 | Robert The Bruce's Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | Loch Lomond, Argyll and Bute, Stirlingshire | Scotland | Reputedly beneath this yew on the rocky outcrop of Loch Lomond where Robert the Bruce and 200 of his allies rested in the first days of their 14th Century campaign | |
| 62 | Twisted Beech | Common beech (Fagus sylvatica) | Tehidy Country Park, Cornwall | England | Etched with graffiti, some dating as far back as the 19th century | |
| 63 | The Original Bramley Apple | Apple tree (Malus domestica) | Southwell, Nottinghamshire | England | Considered king of the cooking apples and first cultivated in the UK | |
| 64 | Sherwood Forest Crab Apple | Crab apple (Malus sylvestris) | Sherwood Forest Country Park, Nottinghamshire | England | Fenced off to aid protection against increased footfall | |
| 65 | Baobab Plane | London plane (Platanus × hispanica) | Westgate Gardens, Canterbury, Kent | England | Largest example of the 'baobab plane' found in Canterbury | |
| 66 | Newton's Apple Tree | Apple tree (Malus domestica) | Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire | England | According to scientific legend, this apple tree inspired Isaac Newton to develop his theory of gravity; a revolution in the history of scientific thought | |
| 67 | St Melangell's Yew | Common yew (Taxus baccata) | St Melangell's Churchyard, Pennant Melangell | Wales | Thought to be over 2,000 years old | |
| 68 | Willesley Park Sweet Chestnut | Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) | Willesley Park Golf Course, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire | England | Is of good height and girth | |
| 69 | The Belvoir Oak | English oak (Quercus robur) | Belvoir Park Forest, Ulster | Northern Ireland | Estimated to be 500 years old and is possibly the oldest oak in Northern Ireland | |
| 70 | English oak (Quercus robur) | Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire | England | Standing for anywhere between 800 – 1100 years. It is the biggest oak tree in Britain, with a canopy spread of 28 metres, a trunk circumference of 11 metres and an estimated weight of 23 tonnes. |