Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum

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Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum Step into Northumberland’s history & pause with an Earl Grey where its story began
🌱 Explore our 65-acre wild origin Arboretum
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Howick awash with fruit bearing plants at the moment. These are all in the Long Walk (area marked on the map) and were l...
15/10/2026

Howick awash with fruit bearing plants at the moment. These are all in the Long Walk (area marked on the map) and were looking wonderful on a recent walk with Dad.

1&2. Viburnum betulifolium SICH243, (not SICH24) one of my favourite collections (find it on the slope between points 3 and 32 on the East Arborteum map)
3. Pyracantha crenulata CC6261. Aka a Firethorn
4. ⁠Malus prattii SICH299 - see yesterday/recent post!
5. ⁠ Rosa tsinglingensis SBG03/559. Showing some lovely rose hips
6. ⁠ Sorbus discolores sect. KR5585 with beautiful pink berries

This is just a glimpse of what’s showing at the moment. We’re open for a few more weeks so please come and visit. Let us know what you enjoy seeing 🍁

✍️ on it!

Provenance is everything. Malus prattii SICH299 "Pratt's crab apple", a Chinese crab apple introduced to cultivation thr...
15/10/2026

Provenance is everything. Malus prattii SICH299 "Pratt's crab apple", a Chinese crab apple introduced to cultivation through Ernest Wilson collections in Sichuan. However, he gave it a rather poor write up and didn't seem to rate it much (according to my father!) There's a lot of variation and Wilson's collections were from both red and yellow fruiting trees. We, however, highly rate this one SICH299 - notably better than SICH399 which is planted next door to it. And as Dad says, it's all about provenance - a particular specimen in a particular area can just be better than its relations nearby.
This was collected in, I think, the first SICH expedition in 1988, "Between campsite 1 and 2 in Qingshiban Valley on the SE side of Gongga Shan after the first rest stop. Altitude 2270m. Steep hillside, south-facing, mixed broadleaves of small trees and shrubs; damp habitat. Tree to 8m; leaf 12cmx7cm"

SICH319 was from the same location but a smaller tree with leaves 10x6cm

The excellent .treesandshrubsonline gives it a write up on their website and photos from Howick - although it should be noted that SICH299 is the tree furthest away in their pics, the two nearer are
SICH319

Whatever the provenance, they're looking great so come and take a look!

✍️

Check out our Sorbus trees, they’re really showing off at the moment. These beauties were snapped along the Long Walk. I...
08/10/2026

Check out our Sorbus trees, they’re really showing off at the moment. These beauties were snapped along the Long Walk. It’s a great spot for spotting rare rowans and whitebeams, in pinks and white, not just red! All the trees in the arboretum are of wild origin and grown from seed,

1. Sorbus discolores sect. KR5585, collected in Pome, Tibet and planted in 2014
2. Sorbus carmesina B&L12545, collected in near the Huadianba meadow, an alpine basin in the Cangshan mountain in China.
3. Another Sorbus discolores from Tibet, planted in 2012
4. Sorbus scalaris SICH241 was collected in Yingjing, Sichuan - here are the notes that describe its collection: “Alt 1750m. Open valley of dense secondary shrubs on limestone mountainside, sandy soil. By a rocky stream.”
5. The same Sorbus scalaris from a distance

The highest species diversity of Sorbus is found in the mountains of western China, the Himalayas and southern Tibet. Although it is a rowan hot spot, unlike Celtic, British or Norse folklore, Chinese and Tibetan myths focus more on other species.

We have around 450 different Sorbus trees in the garden, and extremely varied species from many counties including, Nepal, Japan, Slovenia, Pakistan and Czechia. Come and have a look!

07/10/2026

Just to be clear, when I am 88 and 3/4, I should very much like to be able to say “Oh, I just want to go and check that cedar” and mutter over my shoulder to my middle aged child “just look out for a few ditches” and then stride off… Long may these days last Dad 🥹🥹🥹

Howick is looking glorious. Do come and visit - we’re open for another few weeks.

✍️

05/10/2026

☀️Did you know plants protect themselves from the sun, just like we do?

Today Marcus is highlighting our Euonymus alatus, which beautifully showcases its anthocyanin (red pigment) in its fiery autumn colours. Anthocyanin, much like SPF, protects the plant from excess light. 🍎

The burning bush, as it’s sometimes called, also has distinctive wings on its branches which give it its unique shape!

How well do you know Howick? Find out if you’re an Arboretum Amateur, a Confident Conifer or an Earl Grey Expert.We’ve p...
03/10/2026

How well do you know Howick? Find out if you’re an Arboretum Amateur, a Confident Conifer or an Earl Grey Expert.

We’ve put together a little Howick Hall & Gardens quiz to test your knowledge of the gardens and a little bit of Howick history. No checking in the comments for the answers, and absolutely no googling! Read on for the answers when you’re done.

Answers:

Question 1, C
Question 2, D
Question 3, B
Question 4, B
Question 5, A

If you got 1- 2 questions right you’re firmly an Arboretum Ameteur 🫣.
With 3 - 4 questions you’re comfortably in Confident Conifer territory.
5 Questions? You’re an Earl grey Expert, well done! 🌿👑

Thanks to Joan Sykes for the church carving photo.

We had a lovely visit from Tom Hoblyn Climate Resilient Gardens and Harry Hoblyn who (under close supervision 😂) were co...
30/09/2026

We had a lovely visit from Tom Hoblyn Climate Resilient Gardens and Harry Hoblyn who (under close supervision 😂) were collecting material for their fabulous nursery Rymer Trees and Hedging in East Anglia which grows entirely peat free from seed.
1. Admiring cones across the burn in the Long Walk (East Arboretum)
2. Much taken by the Abies forrestii var. georgei ACE2372
3. Discussing all things propagation with Head Gardener Marcus
4. Rosa henryi
5. Pinus wallichiana
6. Tom on the look out for Box alternatives! Myrceugenia ovata var. nannophylla



Abies forrestii in Rippeth

Plantsman are always happy in a prop unit

Rosa henryi- who needs flowers with hips like these? So many roses looking good in the Long Walk

Pinus wallichiana

Mycreugenia ovata var. nannophylla

Address

Estate Office
Howick
NE663LB

Opening Hours

Monday 10:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 10:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 10:30am - 4pm
Thursday 10:30am - 4pm
Friday 10:30am - 4pm
Saturday 10:30am - 4pm
Sunday 10:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+441665577285

Website

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