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News
Cork oak on the A406 North Circular shortlisted for Tree of the Year
A cork oak tree growing at a major junction on the A406 North Circular road near Chingford in north east London has been shortlisted for England’s Tree of the Year by the Woodland Trust.
The North Circular Cork Oak. Photo: Peter Dench
The tree, which is at least 100 years old, is now surrounded by retail warehouses as well as a near constant flow of traffic.
The Woodland Trust said it is “just one of many examples of nature triumphing in adversity” and demonstrates “how trees can thrive even in the most urban of environments”.
It is the last surviving remnant of a plantation of cork oaks planted by the Cork Manufacturing Company over a century ago. Having been listed as one of the 41 great trees of London by Trees for Cities after the great storm of 1987, the tree’s bark has been described as being like “melted toffee, solidified into amazing crags and whorls”.
Commenting on the news, Carlos de Jesus, head of marketing at Amorim & Irmãos, said: “We are delighted with the recognition of this cork oak as one of the most noteworthy trees in England. It is such a great example of the material’s natural resilience and its ability to thrive in such adverse conditions in the UK.”
He added that it was “an almost poetic illustration of cork’s current renaissance”.
The cork oak is one of 10 trees shortlisted in England, alongside finalists from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Several other oaks appear on the shortlist including Liverpool’s Allerton Oak in Calderstones Park, Bristol’s Addison’s Oak, the Isle of Wight’s Dragon Tree, Gloucester’s The Drive Oak, and London’s Fallen Tree.
Other finalists include the Kingley Vale Great Yew in Chichester, the London Plane Tree in Bryanston, Dorset, the Twisted Conifer in Norfolk and the Colchester Castle Sycamore in Essex.
The public are invited to vote for their favourite tree, with voting closing at noon on 27 September. Each champion will go on to represent their country in the 2020 European Tree of the Year contest.
Supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery, each winning tree will receive a £1,000 tree care award, with £500 awards for runners-up.
Adam Cormack, head of campaigning at the Woodland Trust said: “All of our shortlisted trees look amazing and each of them has a wonderful story to tell.
“Trees across the country are constantly under threat of felling due to inappropriate developments. The Tree of the Year competition is all about helping to raise the profile of trees in order to offer them better protection.”
Horticultualist and TV personality, David Domoney, who helped select the shortlist, said: “The Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year celebrates the marvel and beauty of trees in our country.
“They are such an important part of our cities and countryside, not only for their beauty, but also for the health benefits they offer to all living creatures.
“Choosing the one tree that stands out from the rest is a hard decision, take a look for yourself. Vote for your favourite on the Woodland Trust’s website to crown England’s Tree of the Year for 2019.”
For more information and to vote for your favourite tree, please click here.
Meanwhile, last year’s European Tree of the Year was a cork oak in the village of Águas de Moura in Setúbal, Portugal, which db captured in June 2018 – see below.
More than two centuries old, the magnificent specimen is dubbed the ‘whistler oak’ due to the large number of songbirds it harbours every evening.
Portugal’s 235 year-old ‘whistler’ cork oak was 2018’s European Tree of the Year