Featuring giant redwood / giant sequoia. Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. A short walk from the church in Purleigh there is another Giant Redwood standing in the garden of a house on Church Hill. I had a number of emails during the summer of 2013 from various people regarding the browning of foliage on Giant Redwood trees. It is possible that this effect has increased this year (2013) due to the hot dry summer. The browning of fronds on this tree is probably quite representative of the effect that has been worrying people but I have seen browning such as this on Wellingtonia on many occasions over the years, and those trees returned to a fully green state in subsequent years. Pine trees do lose their leaves so a small and less noticeable amount of browning and dying of foliage is to be expected all year, and I suspect that the fact that the remaining foliage looks in good health is a good sign. If your tree is showing this effect and you are worried, you could put a layer of chip bark and composted material around the trunk for a few metres outward. This will help the soil retain its moisture and help prevent surface compaction. There is nothing much else that needs to be done except perhaps an occasional drenching of water during prolonged arid periods.
Visit information
- Access
- Access unknown
- Last verified
- 10 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/purleigh2.htm
Redwood species here
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in parts of their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Present. Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume
Field observations
Photos
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Redwood at Purleigh - Valley House
About this place
About Purleigh - Valley House
Purleigh - Valley House is located in Purleigh, Essex, England.
Species Present
Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
The tallest trees on Earth, coast redwoods can exceed 100 metres in their native California. Less common in Britain than giant sequoias, they prefer sheltered, moist locations and can still reach impressive heights in the UK. The tallest known coast redwood in Britain is over 50 metres.
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
A deciduous conifer thought to be extinct until rediscovered in a remote Chinese province in 1941. Seeds were distributed to botanical gardens worldwide in the late 1940s. Unlike its evergreen relatives, the dawn redwood loses its needles in winter, turning a striking copper-bronze in autumn.
Data sourced from Redwood World (redwoodworld.co.uk) and enriched by Redwood Finder.