Wakehurst Place has seen the worst damage caused to its plant collections since gales in the 1990s due to the heavy snow earlier this year. It is estimated that over 100 trees around the 500 acre estate have been damaged by the weight of snow piling up on their branches. Many trees have been felled by the snow, others have lost large branches, and numerous shrubs and smaller trees have also been damaged. Wakehurst Place had to be closed on several consecutive days.

Iain Parkinson, Wakehurst’s Arboricultural Manager said:  “Wakehurst has a recent history of damage caused to the collections by high winds, but the snow has been a silent executioner. It’s the sheer weight of snow lying on branches for such a long period of time which has caused the damage. We’ve not experienced this sort of damage from snow at Wakehurst before. Some damage was inevitable, but the number of trees and shrubs affected by the recent snow has been an unwelcome surprise.”

Please make a donation today to support the urgent repair and recovery work at Wakehurst Place. Together we can restore the natural beauty of this much-loved estate sooner for everyone to enjoy once again.