Tree Trail Guide to Streatham Campus
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TREE TRAIL STREATHAM CAMPUS A guide for visitors to the University of Exeter Streatham Campus wishing to explore the diverse and beautiful grounds The University of Exeter Streatham and St Luke’s campuses, fields and woodland areas contain over 10,000 mature trees managed by the Grounds staff. A number of the largest were collected as part of expeditions by famous plant hunters such as Wilson, Lobb and Douglas and date back to the middle of the 19th Century. Cumulatively the exotic and native trees on campus make a significant contribution to health and wellbeing. They help reduce water run-off, keep temperatures lower, store carbon and lock up other pollutants. They provide habitats and food source for a variety of birds, insects and mammals. This guide has been developed to enable some of our significant trees to be visited and enjoyed. It is not a comprehensive list, but provides a flavour of some of the elements that contribute to the look and feel of the estate resource. It can start/finish at any point around the route. I-tree information I-tree is a state-of-the-art tree evaluation software that converts measurements such as tree height, girth and canopy spread into an economic value of the natural benefits they provide. The i-tree survey of the trees on the Exeter campuses generates the following headline environmental benefits: • Removes 2 tonnes of pollutants of storm water run-off from each year (£11,728 pa) sewers (£6,394 pa) • Stores 1,951 tonnes of CO 2 • Sequestrates 36 tonnes of carbon (£125,000 pa) (£2,300 pa) • Diverts up to 4,217 cubic metres • Total annual benefits £145,222 This figure excludes impacts which can’t be so easily measured, such as aesthetics, noise mitigation, habitats, the health impact of naturally cooling buildings and wellbeing trees generate in an urban setting. The University of Exeter has adopted a tree management policy designed to sustain tree cover and the positive contributions they have to our campus. We also consider the condition and lifecycle of trees during each of our developments on campus. This helps ensure options to prune or remove trees are balanced against retention or mitigative planting, post development. Duryard A Innovation Centre Harrison Laver LSI Birks Biocatalysis B Centre Grange F Nash Grove Xfi Reed Building: Hall One Streatham Forum Court C G D E Washington Singer Map key Duryard Lawn A Birks Bank Arboretum B Reed Hall Gardens and Grounds C Queen’s Drive Arboretum D Streatham Farm/Poole Gate/Old Library/ Washington Singer E Plantation/Stocker Road F Lafrowda Residences G Tours and Walks Guided tours of the grounds led by our knowledgeable and experienced staff are available throughout the year. For further information and to book please visit www.exeter.ac.uk ‘guided garden tours’ There are also a number of self-guided walks to enjoy around campus including the Biodiversity Trail, Horticultural Highlights Guide, Jubilee Water Walk, Sculpture Guidance for visitors Walk and the Evolution Walk. For further • Please remember that the information and to download these grounds and roads on the guides, please visit www.exeter.ac.uk University are private and ‘grounds’ you visit at your own risk • Children must be supervised Visiting the campus at all times The D bus stops at the Streatham Campus. • Please keep to paths, do not Limited parking is available on campus. disturb the wildlife or pick For further information on parking and flowers and do not cause directions to the campus please visit: damage to property, trees plants or lawns www.exeter.ac.uk ‘directions’ • We do not allow barbecues, The campus is moderately hilly and fires or camping may not be suitable for people with limited mobility. • No skateboarding, roller- skating, aggressive cycling There are many cafés and restaurants or any other activities which on campus for you to enjoy during your cause damage or annoyance visit. Please see our website for a full • Please listen to any additional list of places to eat and drink – advice given by the University www.exeter.ac.uk ‘eat and shop’ staff • Access may be restricted or Streatham Campus has permissions withdrawn at successfully achieved any time the Green Flag • Dogs must be kept on a lead Award for a number at all times of years and is ranked among the best • Dog owners are required to parks and green spaces in the country, clean up after their dog confirming our grounds are well- maintained, well-managed and have excellent facilities. The A Duryard Lawn B Birks Bank Arboretum G uide Judas Tree (Cercis siliquastrum) Big-Cone Pine (Pinus coulteri) Cercis siliquastrum derives its Native to California and Mexico, common name, Judas Tree, from needles are in groups of three, the legend that it is the species of compared to two on our native tree that Judas Iscariot hung himself Pines. Cones can measure in excess from. Certainly it is of Mediterranean of 30cm and can weigh up to 2kg origin and is a protected species in when fresh. The original trees, Israel. Our tree at Duryard shows collected by David Douglas, were remarkable resilience with heart introduced to the UK in the 1830s. shaped leaves and pink spring Tree Tag number 3306. flowers still appearing in spite of the almost horizontal position C Reed Hall Gardens of the main stem. Tree Tag and Grounds number 9021. B Birks Bank Arboretum Monkey Puzzle / Chile Pine (Araucaria araucana) Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine This is native to South America and (Pinus aristata) reintroduced as hardy to the UK In its native habitat in Colorado, by William Lobb in the mid-19th California, Arizona and New Mexico, Century, collecting for the Exeter these Pines have been recorded as based Veitch family of nurserymen. living for in excess of 5,000 years. It has a unique appearance and its Introduced in the 1860s. cones take around three years to This tree will be labelled with a mature. Tree tag number 067. tree tag number when it grows to 15cm girth. C Reed Hall Gardens C Reed Hall Gardens and Grounds and Grounds Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Wisselii’ California Nutmeg (Lawson’s cypress ‘Wisselii’) (Torreya californica) Introduced from Dutch nurseries in This tree is often mistaken for our the late 19th Century. This tree is native Yew, but the needles are distinctive for its numerous red male much spinier. It was introduced from strobili, which appear like flowers in California in the middle of the 19th spring, and its fern-like, blue/green Century by William Lobb. Even in branches. Tree tag number 1065. ideal conditions, its growth, in terms of girth, tends to be slow. Tree tag C Reed Hall Gardens numbers 1115 and 1116. and Grounds C Reed Hall Gardens and Grounds Delavay’s Magnolia (Magnolia delavayi) An evergreen shrub/small tree with Crown of Thorns some of the largest leaves of any plant (Colletia cruciata/paradoxa) outdoors in the UK. It produces large, Native to South and Central parchment coloured fl in the America. It is slow growing and late summer which have a pleasant we think the specimen in Reed and delicate fragrance. EH Wilson, may be one of the largest in the another collector employed by UK. Its unique feature is its Veitch, brought this back from China branches that flatten and become at the end of the 19th Century. formidable spines. It produces scented white flowers in late The Delavay’s Magnolia is adjacent summer/early autumn. to the tree labelled tree tag number 1065. The C Reed Hall Gardens Queen’s Drive Arboretum and Grounds G u ide Dawn Redwood ‘Goldrush’ (Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Golden Oji’) Also known as the Chinese Water Fir, native to the Shui-Sha Valley in China, this was introduced to the UK in the 1940s. Its most distinctive features are its striking autumn colour Giant Redwood and deciduous foliage, together with (Sequoiadendron giganteum) a red/brown fissured and flaking bark. This was the largest tree on the Tree tag number 023. campus, now a stump. The tree had to be felled due to an infection of a soil-borne fungal infection. It Queen’s Drive was an excellent example of the Arboretum ‘Wellingtonia’, native to California (Sierra Nevada), where trees of 84m have been recorded, with a girth of 25m. Replacements have been replanted on campus, but not on the original site as the fungal infection persists. Patagonian Cypress A seat has been positioned near to (Fitzroya cupressoides) the stump, made from wood from A rare and slow-growing single the original tree. species originating from South America. It is believed to be an introduction from Charles Darwin’s exploratory trips of The Beagle and named after the ship’s captain. This tree will be labelled with a tree tag number when it grows to 15cm girth. Streatham Farm/Poole Streatham Farm/Poole Gate/Old Library/ Gate/Old Library/ Washington Singer Washington Singer Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) Chusan Palm Native to Asia Minor, introduced (Trachycarpus fortunei) to the UK in the 17th Century. Re-introduced to the UK from China It has strong historical spiritual links by Robert Fortune around 1850. in various cultures and forms a These tree palms have fan shaped flat-topped, tiered appearance leaves and can produce yellow when mature. flowers in early summer. They are hardy and can also be found around This tree will be labelled with a Holland Hall. Tree tag number tree tag number when it grows to 0721. 15cm girth. Streatham Farm/Poole Streatham Farm/Poole Gate/Old Library/ Gate/Old Library/ Washington Singer Washington Singer Raywood Ash Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba) (Fraxinus angustifolia) This tree is native to China and We are fortunate to have several was introduced to the UK in the examples of the Raywood Ash middle of the 18th Century.