Cedars (Cedrus)

These form the backbone of the Gardens - the original commemorative Jubilee trees beloved of the Victorians with a tradition stretching through to at least Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977 when a (suitably silvery) Blue Atlas Cedar was planted.

There's a lovely overview of the species at treesandshrubsonline, here.
Our City Centre Tree Trail includes a Deodar cedar at TT19 and reference to the others.

More details to follow on these iconic trees.

Willow-leaved pear, weeping (Pyrus salicifolia 'Pendula')

A surprising small tree filling the small circular raised bed towards the east of this section. It combines small pear-shaped fruit with weeping-willow-shaped leaves!

Details at treesandshrubsonline: willow-leaved pear.

Where else can you see one? We don't know of another in Chichester - please let us know if you find one.

London Plane (Platanus x hispanica)

Look for these along New Park Road, where they are lapsed pollards (further north, opposite the houses, they are still occasionally pollarded). You'll notice the distinctive "plates" of bark that help these trees deal with urban traffic pollution and almost-conker-shaped seed balls. In Spring/Summer you may spot he distinctive browning pattern of Anthracnose of plane , a disease associated with the tree's leaves.

Tree details at treesandshrubsonline: London Plane, or for a quicker read with some great photographs here at the Woodland Trust.

These are likely original Victorian-planted trees. Map information and ecosystem services estimations to follow when we've had chance to check them out.

Where else can you see one? Just over the New Park Road, on the recreation ground, you'll see a line of youngish trees running parallel to the huge old roadside horse chestnuts. These too are plane trees, planted in anticipation of the future death of their roadside companions in a rare local example of tree succession planning. You can find another London Plane on West Street marking the entrance to the paved plaza approach to the main cathedral door. In Westgate, you can marvel at the scale of another, older, tree, possibly planted in the 1700s, that fronts what is now the offices of Mercers.

Limes (Tilia, probably Tilia x europaea)

These line the south side of Priory Road. We know they are not broad-leaved limes, as they do not have their characteristically ribbed fruit. Epicormic growth, the shoots from near the base that are so characteristic of the limes on West Street beside the cathedral, is much less that those trees, nevertheless it's likely that these too are common lime (Tilia x europaea). We will need to pay more attention to their flowers to be sure (and can compare with the younger trees of small-leaved lime that can be found nearby in the Little London car park).

Use one of our favourite tree identification websites to explore the differences between the various lime species for yourself; treeguideuk is one person's labour of love: Lime Trees. Also at at treesandshrubsonline: Lime Trees.

These are likely original Victorian-planted trees. Map information and ecosystem services estimations to follow when we've had chance to check them out.

Wildlife value: high. Lots of insects live on them and their flowers attract others, in turn attracting predators. The Wildlife Trusts

Where else can you see one? It feels like there are common lime trees all over Chichester - there's even a Lime Close! As well as fronting the cathedral green (we've given those their own webpages), they line the East Walls nearby, edge St Mary's Churchyard in Whyke Road and dominate the eastern end of Spitalfield Lane. They have the fingerprints of Victorian urban landscaping all over them; modern landscapers are wary of their epicormic growth and the stickiness of honeydew produced by aphids, and they are big trees that suit big spaces.