Northern Irish elm named UK Tree of the Year

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Bendy Tree named UK Tree of the Year
County Down elm survived Dutch elm disease
Woodland Trust launches youth nature-ideas competition

The Bendy Tree, a wych elm in Newcastle, County Down, was named UK Tree of the Year on 7 October. The tree, which the Woodland Trust says is about 150 years old, has a trunk that grew almost horizontally after exposure to strong seaside winds.¹

A surviving elm

According to the Woodland Trust, the Bendy Tree was planted in the mid-19th century among a row of wych elms on Newcastle promenade, intended to protect the town’s main street from winds off the sea. The other trees in that row were later felled during redevelopment, leaving it as the sole survivor, the trust said.¹

The elm has also survived Dutch elm disease. The disease has destroyed most of the UK’s 30 million elms, according to the two reports. The BBC described the Bendy Tree as a native elm that has remained rooted and adapted to repeated extreme winds for well over a century.¹²

Shape and community

Its sideways growth has created a low canopy that, according to the Woodland Trust, gives shade to people using a bench beneath its branches. John Martin, director of Woodland Trust NI, said the tree differs from the usual expectation that trees grow upwards: “You expect nature to behave in a certain way and we would expect a tree, most of the time, to grow upwards, whereas this one has grown sideways”.¹

May Chemais, the Woodland Trust’s ancient tree inventory lead, said the elm had endured repeated exposure to severe winds. She said older trees can contribute shade, wellbeing, stories, culture and local pride, while Martin described the tree’s longevity as “remarkable resilience”.¹²

Competition field

The Woodland Trust runs the annual contest. Other nominations this year included the Crowhurst Yew in Surrey, whose hollow trunk was turned into a parish meeting room in 1820 and continued living after the room’s roof collapsed in 1845. The Culmstock Yew in Devon, growing on a 20-metre-high church tower, was among the 10 shortlisted trees.¹

Last year’s title went to a 75ft ash tree in Glasgow. Alongside this year’s tree competition, the trust launched Igniting Innovation, inviting people aged 16 to 25 to submit ideas intended to benefit nature. According to the trust, three winners will each receive £5,000, along with specialist guidance for as long as 12 months.¹

Why it matters

The result draws attention to the survival of an elm at a time when Dutch elm disease has eliminated most UK elms. For readers in Europe, the account also illustrates the role that older trees can have in communities through shade, stories and local culture.¹²

Key facts

confirmedThe Bendy Tree was named UK Tree of the Year on 7 October.¹²
confirmedDutch elm disease has destroyed most of the UK’s 30 million elms.¹²

single sourceThe Bendy Tree is described as a roughly 150-year-old wych elm in Newcastle, County Down.¹
single sourceThe elm’s near-horizontal trunk is attributed to strong seaside winds.¹
single sourceThe tree is said to be the last survivor of a mid-19th-century row on Newcastle promenade.¹

What we know and what we don't yet

What we know

The Bendy Tree won the UK Tree of the Year competition.
Dutch elm disease has destroyed most UK elms.
The tree has survived repeated extreme winds and Dutch elm disease, according to the reports.

What we don't know yet

The dossier does not independently confirm the tree’s exact age.
The dossier does not independently confirm the precise planting history of the promenade row.
The dossier does not provide voting figures or details of the selection process.

Timeline

October 2026

7 OctoberThe Bendy Tree was reported as the winner of the UK Tree of the Year competition.¹

7 OctoberThe Woodland Trust was reported to have launched its Igniting Innovation competition.¹

8 OctoberThe BBC reported that the Bendy Tree had been crowned UK Tree of the Year.²

Date not given

1820The Crowhurst Yew was hollowed out for use as a parish meeting room.¹

1845The roof of the meeting room within the Crowhurst Yew collapsed; the tree continued living.¹

mid-19th centuryAccording to the Woodland Trust, the Bendy Tree was planted beside other wych elms on Newcastle promenade.¹

How outlets cover it

Sources represented

Foreign media 2

Foreign media The Guardian: It presents the elm as an unusually shaped survivor of wind exposure, disease and redevelopment.

Foreign media BBC: It focuses on the tree’s long survival through extreme winds and its value to the local community.

All sources 2

Ranked by credibility and by how many facts each confirms. The article is our own text, written from these sources.

Foreign media 2

1The Guardian ●●●●Bendy elm still standing against all odds crowned UK tree of the year
2BBC ●●●●Wonky wych elm in County Down crowned Tree of the Year