Keele University Arboretum

Keele University Arboretum Natural History of Keele University, UK. Set up by Dave Emley and run by Dr Sarah L. Taylor

Devoted to the study and promotion of the flora and fauna of Keele University estate.

The rhododendron blossoms are looking fabulous. This shrubbery is by Lindsay O-P block.
22/05/2026

The rhododendron blossoms are looking fabulous. This shrubbery is by Lindsay O-P block.

May Week 2. This week's survey is brought to you by Sarah and student volunteer Kieran Graham. The torrential rain and...
15/05/2026

May Week 2. This week's survey is brought to you by Sarah and student volunteer Kieran Graham. The torrential rain and hail thwarted surveys. Sarah's notes were washed away and it was too wet for Kieran to use the online recorder Form. As a result we didn't get round all of the trees and there are 44 trees in flower last week whose status is unknown. Of the 259 trees surveyed, only 25 (10%) are in flower and they are looking rather sorry for themselves with only 3 trees in peak flower. The extreme weather has brought an early end to the floral displays. For this reason this is the last for 2026.

Thanks to Kieran Graham (pictured below) who has surveyed 305 trees in the last few weeks.

14/05/2026

Sarah was out doing surveys this afternoon in a hail storm. All in all a rather silly idea!!

This week we said goodbye to our cherry tree assistant Elliott Walton who has now completed his work placement. Pictured...
12/05/2026

This week we said goodbye to our cherry tree assistant Elliott Walton who has now completed his work placement. Pictured here with Sarah under the fading blossoms of Pink Perfection on Cherry Tree Walk. What a job Elliott has done. The weekly blossom stats over the last 10 weeks would not have been possible without Elliott. This is the first time we've done . What did you think?

May Week 1. The number of trees in flower continues to drop. Of the 292 trees surveyed, 47% have flowers. The number o...
08/05/2026

May Week 1. The number of trees in flower continues to drop. Of the 292 trees surveyed, 47% have flowers. The number of cherries in peak flower has fallen to just 12 specimens (4%).

April Week 5. The number of trees in flower continues to drop. Of the 294 trees surveyed, 48% have flowers. The number...
03/05/2026

April Week 5. The number of trees in flower continues to drop. Of the 294 trees surveyed, 48% have flowers. The number of cherries in peak flower has fallen by half to 46 (16%). The hot sunny weather could well be shortening the lifespan of the flowers.

There are still some stunning blossoms on show. The photos are all from the Memorial Gardens.

Ever wanted to lie under a cherry blossom tree and gaze up at the flowers? Well now you can without getting grass on you...
28/04/2026

Ever wanted to lie under a cherry blossom tree and gaze up at the flowers? Well now you can without getting grass on your clothes with this 360 camera footage taken of "The Bride" by our very own cherry assistant Elliott Walton. Click on the Thinglink to pan around 360 imagery.

https://www.thinglink.com/view/scene/2101360018833015461

The "Japanese Lantern" cherries that were planted in a special ceremony by the VC in November 2025 are in flower for the...
25/04/2026

The "Japanese Lantern" cherries that were planted in a special ceremony by the VC in November 2025 are in flower for the FIRST TIME!!!!! These three specimens are located by the Keele entrance sign and were donated by Frank P Matthews. They are unique as they have showy double yellow flowers. I never expected to see these so soon.

Thanks to Peter Thomas for the superb photos.

April Week 4. The number of trees in flower is starting to drop as the early flowering varieties have mostly now shed ...
24/04/2026

April Week 4. The number of trees in flower is starting to drop as the early flowering varieties have mostly now shed their blossoms. Of the 276 trees surveyed, 68% have flowers. There are 88 cherries (32%) in peak flower. The later flowering cherries are looking stunning. The photos are all from the Memorial Gardens.

Thanks to Kieran Graham for his hard work. I'd also like to thank Sue Egan who came to the Hanami picnic walk on Wednesday and enjoyed it so much she came back to help me survey the Memorial Gardens on Thursday.

Thank you so much to everyone who dropped by for our event that was part of the 'People Planet and Place' festival cel...
22/04/2026

Thank you so much to everyone who dropped by for our event that was part of the 'People Planet and Place' festival celebrations. Thirty people came for a guided walk of the National Collection trees. We've had fabulous weather for it. The cherry curator, Sarah, was also interviewed on Stuart George's BBC Radio Stoke that aired at 10.35am this morning. Thanks to Franco Escobar for sharing his photographs

20/04/2026

Hanami picnic and blossom themed activities taking place on Wed 22 April from 12pm to 2pm on Cherry Tree Walk. Please read the People Planet and Place Festival event information below for further details.

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To mark Earth Day 2026, join us for a community blossom picnic celebrating Keele’s National Collection of Cherry Trees.

Bring your own picnic to enjoy with friends or colleagues, take part in gentle, mindful crafting activities, and unwind amongst the spring blossoms that make our campus so special.

There will also be a selection of blossom-themed nibbles and drinks to sample. Picnic tables and blankets will be available, and if you're feeling festive, feel free to wear something pink.

Niall Hammond from Keele Chapel will be offering blossom-themed origami, inviting visitors to pause, reflect, and create something beautiful, while local artist Shiv McAleer will lead a collaborative community artwork workshop, where participants can use reclaimed jewellery and beads to make a blossom-themed suncatcher.

A special cherry tree information stand will be available throughout the event, where you can learn more about Keele's remarkable collection and meet Dr Sarah Taylor, Curator of the Cherry Tree Collection.

Following the picnic, you can also join a guided walk to explore the trees in more depth.

Please note: This event is weather dependent. In the case of adverse weather, activities will be held within the Chancellor's Building.

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Keele University
Keele
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