33. Bad Hair Tree

When it comes to trees, Sheffield is famous for the wrong reasons, but there are many, many noteworthy trees in the city, the Bad Hair Tree is just one

May 20, 2023

Just inside Endcliffe Park, one of Sheffield's most loved natural landmarks can be found. A peculiarly horizontal weeping beech has stood here for many human generations, slowly growing out and down. To some, it's shaped like the undulating dales. On the other hand, Jarvis Cocker, who nominated it as his favourite tree in the city, described it as looking like 'bad hair'.

Species details

Weeping Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula'

Where to find it

Endcliffe Park, Ecclesall Road, Sheffield S11 8TF
///drives.stress.bend | 53.367629, -1.5030050

Weeping beech notes

There are dozens of beech tree cultivars, that is, varieties of the familiar beech tree with specific features. The most frequent of these is surely the purple-leaved copper beech, but there are others: tall, skinny ones, variegated ones, dwarf ones, ones with un-beech-like leaves, and then there is the weeping beech. Weeping beeches are not very common, but are very memorable with their ungainly pendulous branches. As they age, they can become dense domes ideal for climbing, and if left to their own devices, the ground sweeping branches will layer themselves. Theoretically a vast clonal group of weeping beeches could occur, but this will take a few centuries…

Day 8

It’s the penultimate day of the Urban Tree Festival, and it’s the busiest day so far! Check out the programme here.

Here’s a few highlights from London, Birmingham and Sheffield:

10.00 - Sheffield Tree Fayre All day at the city’s fabulous Botanic Gardens
Midday - Wandsworth Park May Tree Festival Happening all weekend includes hip-hop folk dance and an interactive maypole
14.00 - Hodge Hill Common, Birmingham - Creative Tree Walkshop A guided walk with Soobie Whitfield

Throughout the Urban Tree Festival. I’ll be posting a Daily Urban Tree which will reflect emerging themes, the places where the Festival is happening and events that are taking place.