Hawthorn on Scottish beach named tree of the year 2021

Prickly tree beat hundreds of nominations in Woodland Trust contest

A lone, weathered hawthorn, which has stood for at least half a century on the rugged Scottish coast, has been named tree of the year for 2021.

Sticking out at an angle over the cockle shell beach at Kippford, with a tangle of broken and twisted branches, the prickly tree beat hundreds of nominations to become the UK’s favourite in the contest run by the Woodland Trust.

Nominated by a tree surgeon who remembers climbing it during family holidays in Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway, the hawthorn won 38% of the vote and will now go on to represent the UK in the European tree of the year 2022 contest.

It finished above a Monterey cypress tree planted on a beach in Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, Wales, that was saved from felling this year after a public campaign and a parasol beech in Parkanaur Forest Park, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland – a rare specimen with knotted branches growing randomly back towards the ground.

Drew Patterson, who nominated the winning hawthorn, was thrilled to see such a “beautiful specimen” take the prize, though he said his picture, taken on a mobile phone, did not do the tree justice.

“Never in a million years did I think they’d pick my tree,” he said. “It is a superb hawthorn and it’s incredible it has survived this well having been climbed on, battered by the winds and even bumped into by cars turning.

“It’s in a wild place and has been blown over at an angle, but it is still standing strong and proud on the edge of the beach.”

Patterson, whose father, grandfather and great-grandfather all came from Dalbeattie, added: “It has been there as long as I can remember and I have so many fond memories going back through the generations. I have pictures of my grandfather and mum in front of the tree.

“It is at least 60 years [old] and could be as many as 100. Seeing the tree win this award is special.”

Now in its seventh year, the Woodland Trust’s tree of the year contest highlights the UK’s favourite trees to help show their value and need for protection.

There are about 3tn trees on the planet and they play a significant role in producing the oxygen we all breathe. But twice as many existed before the start of human civilisation.

Today, 10bn more trees are cut down than are planted every year. This destruction is a significant contributor to the carbon dioxide emissions that are driving the climate crisis. rees draw carbon dioxide back out of the atmosphere as they grow, and planting trees will need to play an important part in ending the climate emergency.

Forests are also a vital and rich habitat for wildlife. Earth is at the start of a sixth mass extinction event of species and the razing of forests and other ecosystems is the biggest contributor to the losses. Tropical rainforests are especially important, hosting 50% of known terrestrial species on only 6% of the world’s land. Trees are also important in controlling regional rainfall, as they evaporate water from their leaves.

In urban areas, the shade from trees has been shown to both cool city streets and reduce levels of air pollution. They can also boost people’s wellbeing as part of green spaces, with research showing a two-hour “dose” of nature a week significantly improving health.

Adam Cormack, the head of campaigning for the Woodland Trust, said the tree, which is also known as the Kippford leaning tree, is a worthy winner.

He said: “We’ve had winners of all shapes and sizes in previous years and this is a tree that stands out for different reasons, notably because of its striking presence in an unusual setting.”