Westonbirt Arboretum reveals its best kept secret!

Westonbirt, The National Arboretum based near Bath, is famed for its autumn colour display, but spring is an equally magical season with plenty of show-stopping colour and scents.

This spring is already shaping up to be another spectacular season at Westonbirt as blossom and new leaves are bursting into life, with exotic azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons and amazing wildflowers, showing off a magnificent profusion of colour from mid-March onwards.

Magnolias in bloom are always a particularly special time in the arboretum. The ‘Westonbirt Diva’ is a magnolia that steals the show on Circular Drive with its height and dazzling display of barbie pink blooms. Don’t miss seeing her.

Dan Crowley, Tree Conservation Manager at Westonbirt said:

“Spring sometimes feels like our best kept secret. It is a magical time of year here at Westonbirt, with both flowers and new foliage to enjoy. Aside from the marvellous magnolias, the leaves of the Japanese maples are as colourful as they are in autumn. If you get up close, their tiny flowers are worthy of closer inspection too. Later in spring, the carpets of English bluebells in Silk Wood also make this feel like a fantastic time to be out in the arboretum.” 

Around Easter, get involved and find spring’s secrets yourselves, with the spring trail for families. The hints and tips you’ll learn will make you want to explore wildlife in your own garden and parks nearby!

Why not take a spring tour? The hugely popular guided walks in the arboretum, led by expert guides, also promise to reveal to you some of the spectacular floral highlights on show, as well as some hidden gems, over the next few months.

Come and join Zog, the loveable, if somewhat clumsy dragon, on his magical forest adventure to win a golden star. Encourage your little dragons to learn how they can care for the forest and how the forests can care for them. This family trail, with map and activity pack (available from the shop for £4) follows Zog as he looks for his golden star. Will your child win their star too? 

The sights and smells of the season make springtime at Westonbirt an experience not to be missed. With a packed programme of things to do, they hope the secrets of spring will soon be revealed. But shhh, don’t tell everyone…

See Forestryengland.uk/westonbirt/spring-westonbirt-arboretum

*Photographs taken by Johnny Hathaw.