60. Acton Swamp Cypress

Stranded in a quiet west London residential street, a veteran swamp cypress makes for an astonishing sight.

Welcome new subscribers! There has been a flurry of new sign-ups over the last few days, I suspect many of you are from London, either finding this Substack through

London in Bits

or via my recent blog post about London planes. So I thought it would be appropriate to feature a tree from London today.

Julian Avenue is a nondescript Edwardian terrace in Acton where one of London’s most surprising trees grows. Along with Ealing, Acton was once popular with wealthy London commuters for being close to the city yet surrounded by fresh country air. It was likely a country house garden where the astonishing Acton Swamp Cypress once grew. It now towers over the houses and irritates motorists by taking up half the street.

Species details

Swamp Cypress
Taxodium distichum

Where to find it

Julian Avenue, London W3 9JF
///adults.mason.camera | 51.513947, -0.272221

Another swamp cypress

22. Veitch’s Swamp Cypress