There are three billion trees in the UK, and while they are all special, some a bit more special than others.
That’s the premise of the Tree of the Year 2017, organised by the Woodland Trust, which is asking Britain’s nature lovers (that’s you) to vote for their favourites.
This year’s shortlist of 28 remarkable trees includes some ancient, some beautiful, and some remarkable survivors.
Four winning trees – one from each UK nation – will go forward to the next stage of the competition, the 2018 European Tree of the Year contest.
Welsh nominees include this Giant Redwood of Llangattock in Powys,
Trees on the shortlist for England include the 1,000-year old Meavy Royal Oak on Dartmoor (above), once a living church where locals would gather before the preacher;
The Witch’s Broom Tree, in Surrey, with its thicket of twisted branches and skull-shaped branch;
The Courageous Tree, in Lakeland, an ash which has survived for half a century despite being split in two – probably by a lightning strike;
and the Crowhurst Yew, near Hastings , which is believed to have been growing here in 1066, when William the Conqueror defeated King Harold nearby.
While Northern Ireland trees up for the prize include this weeping ash, planted at the First Presbyterian Church of Bangor, County Down. It’s only there now because in 1920 the parishioners rebelled against a plan to cut it down.
If you want to vote, visit woodlandtrust.org.uk/treeoftheyear by 8 October.
