Public urged to back Welsh oak in UK Tree of the Year contest

Nation.Cymru staff

People across Wales are being urged to vote for a Welsh oak in the race to be crowned the UK’s Tree of the Year.

The Wales Coast Path Oak, at Ynys-hir nature reserve in Ceredigion, is Wales’ sole contender among 10 trees shortlisted for the Woodland Trust’s 2026 title.

Voting is open until 5pm on September 29, with the winner due to be announced in early October.

The oak stands alone overlooking the Dyfi estuary, with views towards the Cambrian Mountains to the south and the foothills of southern Eryri to the north.

Despite its relatively small size, it has survived years of harsh weather in its exposed position, as well as grazing and periods of drought.

Its location alongside the Wales Coast Path has also made it a source of shade and shelter for walkers and picnickers.

The effects of the west Wales weather on its growth mean its age is difficult to determine, but its survival helped earn it a place on this year’s shortlist.

The theme of this year’s Woodland Trust competition is “against the odds”, with each of the shortlisted trees having survived challenging circumstances.

The Wales Coast Path Oak is competing against trees from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including an elm growing almost horizontally in County Down, a 4,000-year-old yew that survived being struck by a cannonball and a yew that has been growing from the top of a Devon church tower for around 200 years.

Others have survived lightning strikes, Dutch elm disease, development and a Second World War plane crash.

Molly Harvey, warden at the RSPB Ynys-hir nature reserve, said: “This is a special place to me, and this oak is an outstanding candidate for Tree of the Year. It has survived against the odds, standing where many others of its generation haven’t, and that makes it an important link to our past as well as a symbol of nature’s resilience.

“Thanks to decades of RSPB management, we’re now starting to see young oaks regenerating around it.

“This tree has stood sentinel through all those years and will hopefully soon have some companions – so while it tells us something about the landscape that has gone before, it also points towards a more hopeful future.”

Vote

Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales, is encouraging people to support the Ceredigion tree in the public vote.

Rosie Blatchford, digital communications officer at Coed Cadw, said: “The Wales Coast Path Oak may be small in stature, but it has enormous character.

“Standing alone above the Dyfi estuary, it has endured years of grazing, storms and drought, while offering welcome shade and shelter to walkers along the coast path.

“It is a wonderful symbol of the resilience of Wales’s trees and landscapes, and we would love people across Wales to get behind it – and help bring the UK Tree of the Year title home to Ceredigion.”

The other shortlisted trees are the Bendy Tree in County Down, Bollihope Burn Birch in County Durham, Bomber Oak in Rutland, Crowhurst Yew in East Sussex, Culmstock Church Tower Yew in Devon, Earlstoun Lightning Oak in Dumfries and Galloway and Preston Twin in Brighton.

Balloch Castle Ash at Loch Lomond and Donnington Oak in West Berkshire were selected as wildcards.

The Tree of the Year competition is run by the Woodland Trust and supported by players of Postcode Lottery.

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