By Paul Wood
My book, London’s Street Trees, which has just been published in an expanded and revised third edition, sets out to show you that London is in fact an urban arboretum. Any self-respecting botanical collection would be hard-pressed to grow the variety of trees that can be found gracing pavements across town. I reckon there are over 400 different species you can encounter in this great green city. No matter where you live, there are bound to be dozens growing within a few hundred metres of your front door.
To prove my point, I went in search of street trees near Stanfords’ Covent Garden shop. Here are ten different species I found:
1. Honey Locust, Slingsby Place – Just round the corner from Stanfords an elegant North American honey locust can be seen outside Bill’s restaurant. It is interesting to compare this tree to those on Endell Street, which you should approach with caution: they have weapons- grade thorns growing straight out of their trunks. The Slingsby Place tree is a thornless cultivar, so is a much safer bet for those intent on brushing up on their tree IDs.
Continue reading Ten Street Trees to See Near Stanfords