On the streets of Hackney, something curious is happening. As this north-east London borough unfolds haphazardly from the busy suited murmur of the City, gently fading westward into genteel Islington, and eastward into a feral marshy edgeland, a number of arboreal peculiarities accumulate. Here, there are trees that smell of peanut butter (Clerodendrum trichotomum) and burnt caramel (Cercidyphyllum japonicum). There are species currently endangered in the wild (Wollemia nobilis) and ‘fossil’ trees that were presumed extinct – only existing as fossil traces until their rediscovery (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). Bees hum around the generous clusters of white flowers dangled by a Tetradium danielli, giving expression to the trees charming common moniker, the Bee-bee tree. A Seville orange (Citrus x aurantium), so redolent of heat bleached Andalucia, is tucked away in the corner of a council park. Trees that would surprise even the most tenacious dendrophile seem to always be waiting, just round the corner…
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In fact, Hackney has one of the most species-diverse collections of street trees in the world. With over 350 species and hundreds more different cultivars, it outshines many dedicated botanical gardens. As this young, super-diverse cohort of urban trees planted in the last several decades matures, we are becoming increasingly aware of what an extraordinary resource, asset and feature this is for the borough. So much so, in fact, that one authority on London’s trees has suggested that they might, cumulatively, be taken as ‘akin to an urban arboretum’ (Paul Wood). This website seeks to celebrate Hackney's street trees by providing an accessible botanical archive.
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Hackney Urban Arboretum was created by Alan Gillingwater as part of his Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) course at the University of Greenwich. It is hoped that the project will develop into an enjoyable community resource as well as a useful source of information for urban forestry professionals.