Tree of the Month - August
This beautifully shapely Lawson Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) in a private glen near Callander in Scotland became the tallest ever found in Britain or Ireland when I measured it at 46m this summer.
A couple of hours later, it had lost this title - to a slightly less shapely example in the nearby garden of Doune Park, which is growing fast and is now 48.5m tall. These two are likely to be the tallest Lawson Cypresses outside the species natural range in Oregon. Something about the soils and climate of Stirling must suit this species to perfection.
Owen Johnson MBE VMM
(Photo: Owen Johnson)