What's looking good
Our Window on Westonbirt Volunteers have explored the arboretum this week to inform our visitors of the following not to be missed seasonal highlights.
Use Arboretum Explorer to help you discover more tree locations around the arboretum.
Rhododendron 'Christmas Cheer'
Looking good this week is Rhododendron 'Christmas Cheer'. Although this hybrid may flower in time for Christmas in an exceptionally mild winter, February and March are more usual .You'll find it behind the Great Oak Hall where its funnel-shaped pale pink flowers emerging from darker pink buds are a welcome sight.
Persian ironwood
One of Westonbirt's signature plants is the Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica). It has small flowers with crimson stamens which emerge from chocolate brown hairy bracts at this time of year. You'll need to get up close to find them. It is widespread across the Arboretum and good examples can be seen at the moment off Mitchell Drive: one near Down Gate and the other just on Specimen Avenue.
Ozark witch hazel
Head over to Silk Wood and tucked into Concord Glade just after you come off the Walkway is the Ozark witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis). It has clusters of deep yellow flowers with ribbon-like curled and crinkled petals.