The London tree made famous by the Beatles that is nominated for Tree of the Year 2025

Can you imagine all of the things that London’s oldest trees have seen in their lifetimes? They’ve watched generations and generations of people come and go, from medieval peasants and Tudor aristocracy to 18th century poets and 21st century tourists with selfie sticks. They’ve been climbing frames for kids, inspiration for Britain’s greatest painters, music video stars and have even overseen era-defining political agreements. 

So, it’s only right that London’s oldest living residents get some proper recognition. One ancient cedar in west London have been shortlisted in what is essentially the Oscars of famous trees – Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year awards. 

Each year a panel of tree experts have chosen nine ‘inspirational’ trees of different ages and species from across the UK for the shortlist, with a tenth tree was put forward by the public. 

Among the nominees is ‘The Beatles’ Cedar Tree’ in Chiswick House and Gardens. The magnificent tree from Lebanon is one of several in the Chiswick House grounds, and dates all the way back to the 1720s. This one is particularly special because it starred in The Beatles’ 1966 music video for ‘Rain’, with the Fab Four filmed sitting on its branches.

Woodland Trust calls the tree ‘a stunner in its own right’ and said that its ‘vast boughs swoop down to brush the ground, creating an interesting spot for the band to sit and play their guitars’ for the music video. The shot was later used for the cover for their Nowhere Man EP.

The other nominees that Chiswick’s cedar is up against include The King of Limbs, an ancient oak in Wiltshire that Radiohead named their 2011 album after; the Tree of Peace and Unity in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, a lime tree where leaders met in 1998 for the signing of the Good Friday agreement and the Knole Park Oak in Kent thought to have inspired an epic poem in Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando. 

Voting to decide which tree takes the crown for 2025 opens today (July 11) and will close on September 19. You can pick your favourite here – the winner will be announced on September 26. 

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