Featuring giant redwood / giant sequoia. Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. Tree No. 1 is a lovely, substantial tree. It sits on the edge of a field, adjacent to the pathway. There are three other Wellingtonia in the rear gardens of houses that back onto the field. They are all rather shorter than Tree No. 1 - this may be due to attempts by various owners to restrict their size and growth. As to their origin, it has been suggested that they were planted by a famous Victorian gardener called Miss Ellen Willmot of Little Warley, though at the time of writing this has not been confirmed and may be just a tall story. The park is along St Mary's Lane in Upminster, and also boasts a windmill. On a visit in March 2009, two of the Giant Redwoods were bursting to the seams with male cones. At first glance it looked like the foliage was unwell, but of course this is the yellow colour of the mass of male cones. Just lightly touching a branch produced a cloud of pollen. Here's hoping for a bumper year for female cones too! Just over a decade later in August 2019 Tree No. 1 has filled out but might have lost a little height, perhaps it lost its leader in a storm.
Visit information
- Access
- Access unknown
- Last verified
- 10 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/upminster.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
About this place
About Upminster - Upminster Windmill
Upminster - Upminster Windmill is located in Upminster, 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.