Latest news with #TreeoftheYear2025
Edinburgh Reporter
4 days ago
- General
- Edinburgh Reporter
Edinburgh Tree on Shortlist for 2025
A sycamore tree linked to a famous war poet is in the running to be named the UK's Tree of the Year 2025 – and people in Edinburgh can help by voting for it. The 'Wilfred Owen Sycamore' grows in the grounds of Edinburgh Napier University, formerly Craiglockhart War Hospital when the poet was treated there for shell shock in 1917. Owen met and was inspired by fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon at the hospital, and wrote his most famous poems there, before returning to France in 1918, where he was killed in action. When a large branch was removed for safety in 2014, instrument maker Steve Burnett made a violin from the wood to commemorate 100 years since the start of World War I and honour Owen's memory. The violin has Owen's pre-war poem 'Written in a Wood, September 1910' inscribed inside it. The sycamore is one of ten inspiring 'cultural trees' shortlisted for the Woodland Trust's annual Tree of the Year competition, supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery. The shortlist was announced by Dame Judi Dench, Woodland Trust Patron, who said: 'Our oldest trees hold more stories than Shakespeare — some were putting down roots long before he began writing, more than 400 years ago. 'They are as much part of our heritage as any literature.' The shortlist features trees of differing ages and species, with nine selected by a panel of experts and a wildcard from the public. The winner, to be announced in September, will represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year finals. Nominees were chosen along the theme 'Rooted in Culture', highlighting how trees are ingrained in the UK's cultural landscape. The Wilfred Owen Sycamore is one of two Scottish trees listed, along with the 'Argyle Street Ash', which is this year's public wildcard nomination. The 75-ft tall ash in the front garden of 1223 Argyle Street – on Franklin Terrace – was the first tree in Glasgow to receive a Tree Preservation Order and has become a symbol of resilience in the city. It has survived Victorian industry, the Clydeside Blitz and recent redevelopments while also avoiding killer diseases such as ash dieback. Other trees on the shortlist include 'The Beatles' cedar tree' in West London, which featured on the Fab Four's Nowhere Man EP cover, and a solitary beech on Salisbury Plain known as 'the Lollipop Tree', which featured in the final scenes of the war film '1917' . Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People's Postcode Lottery said: 'We're delighted our players are supporting this year's Tree of the Year competition. 'These trees have witnessed key moments in history, provided solace to war poets, been a supporting artist in a blockbuster film, and inspire reflection and creative photography as the seasons change. 'We're looking forward to seeing which one the public votes as the winning tree.' Voting is open until 19 September here. In 2017 instrument maker Steve Burnett created the Wilfred Owen violin from the branch of a sycamore tree standing in the grounds of the Craiglockhart building, now part of Edinburgh Napier University, to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War in 2014. Owen and Sassoon would have walked in the grounds of the hospital a century ago and known many of the trees still to be found there and this was the second violin to be created in memory of the war poets from the same branch. Photo George Anderson WTML Like this: Like Related
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Scotsman
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Argyle Street Ash and Wilfred Owen Sycamore in the running for Tree of the Year 2025
Other specimens include cedar associated with The Beatles and oak that may have inspired Virginia Woolf Sign up to our Scotsman Rural News - A weekly of the Hay's Way tour of Scotland emailed direct to you. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It has been a familiar landmark for generations of Glaswegians - a lone, tall tree standing defiantly amid the urban sprawl. Now, the 'Argyle Street Ash' joins, among others, a cedar climbed by The Beatles and an oak that may have inspired Virginia Woolf on a shortlist for Tree of the Year 2025. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Voting opens on Friday for the Woodland Trust's annual competition, which aims to celebrate and raise awareness for rare, ancient or at-risk trees across the country. The Argyle Street Ash | Douglas Crawford Tree Wise Urban Forestry/Woodland Trust/PA Wire The winner will be announced in September and will progress to represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year finals. Ten nominees from across the country have been chosen to meet this year's theme of 'Rooted in Culture', which seeks to highlight how trees inspire creative minds and become ingrained in our cultural landscape. As voting begins, Dame Judi Dench, who is patron of the Woodland Trust, said: 'Our oldest trees hold more stories than Shakespeare; some were putting down roots long before he began writing, more than 400 years ago. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'They are as much part of our heritage as any literature. I hope you will join me in voting.' David Treanor, from Glasgow, put forward the Argyle Street Ash, pointing to its reference in James Cowan's 1935 book, From Glasgow's Treasure Chest, as 'quite the most graceful ash I have seen'. The ash is one of two Scottish trees on the shortlist, along with the Wilfred Owen Sycamore in the grounds of Edinburgh Napier University, formerly Craiglockhart War Hospital where the poet was treated for shellshock during the First World War. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Owen met and was inspired by fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon at the hospital, and wrote his most famous poems here, before returning to France in 1918 where he was killed in action. The shortlist also includes the Borrowdale Yews in Cumbria – a huddle of ancient trees described by William Wordsworth in his 1803 poem 'Yew Trees'. Undated handout photo issued by Woodland Trust of The Beatles's cedar tree in Chiswick | Woodland Trust/PA Wire The Beatles' cedar tree in Chiswick, which is around 300 years old, was nominated given that the band perched on one of its low-swooping boughs in a video for their song Rain in 1966. The King of Limbs in Wiltshire made the list after Radiohead named their 2011 album after the ancient oak, which they spotted when recording at nearby Tottenham House. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Also nominated is the Tree of Peace and Unity in County Antrim, Northern Ireland – a lime formed of two trees that grew together into a single trunk and became a symbol of reconciliation when leaders met there in 1998 at the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. The nominated Lollipop Tree on Salisbury Plain played a starring role in the final scenes of Sam Mendes's First World War film 1917 and the Lonely Tree in Llanberis, Wales, may feature in Netflix's upcoming series of The Witcher. And the Knole Park Oak in Kent, thought to be Britain's tallest at 135 feet, made the list as the tree believed to have inspired an epic poem in Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Undated handout photo issued by Woodland Trust of the Knole Park Oak in Kent, thought to be Britain's tallest at 135 feet, has been nominated for Tree of Year, as the tree believed to have inspired an epic poem in Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando | Lee Cooper/Woodland Trust/PA Wire Voting is open until September 19 via the Woodland Trust website, with a winner to be announced on September 26. Laura Chow, head of charities at People's Postcode Lottery, which is supporting the competition, said: 'These trees have witnessed key moments in history, provided solace to war poets, been a supporting artist in a blockbuster film, and inspire reflection and creative photography as the seasons change.'
