Dedicate a woodland area at Wakehurst - Coates Wood
Dedicating a woodland area is a unique way to celebrate the life of someone special. Every year we plant new botanical specimens to enrich and enhance the collections, creating remarkable woodlands that will live for generations to come. Coates Wood, located at Wakehurst, is home to the National Collection of southern beeches as well as eucalyptus and broad-leaved evergreens.
Named after Wakehurst’s former head gardener Alfred Coates, Coates Wood opened to the public in 1977.
Personal dedication
- All gifts are recorded on Kew's Commemorative Touchscreen Register.
- The register at Wakehurst is located in the Millennium Seed Bank.
Introducing Coates Wood
Coates Wood is home to the superb National Collection of southern beech (Nothofagus) from South America and Australasia. Trees from Chile, Argentina, Patagonia, Australia and New Zealand, represent a temperate rainforest from the Southern Hemisphere.
Make a dedication today - download our commemorative giving form (pdf) or phone us on 0208 332 3200 (Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm) to make a donation by card.
A unique collection
Swathes of the original woodland were flattened during the great storm of 1987 and since then a new shelter belt of trees has been planted to try and protect its specimens in the case of future strong winds.
The shelter belt comprises four rows of trees, with those in the centre being taller to form an ‘A’ shape. The idea is that the bulk of the wind will be directed up and over the tall trees and then across the top of the protected trees beyond.
The eastern part of the wood is planted with eucalyptus and broad-leaved evergreens from New Zealand and Australia.
Visitors can compare the very different barks of spinning gum (Eucalyptus perriniana) and gum-topped stringy bark (Eucalyptus delegatensis), as well as see an unusual three-trunked eucalyptus; damaged when young and so coppiced, after which it grew three perfectly spaced trunks.
There is also a small copse of Wollemi pines to mark Kew’s 250th anniversary in 2009. The Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis) has been dubbed a 'living fossil' as it represents the only remaining member of an ancient genus dating back to the time of the dinosaurs, over 65 million years ago.
This fascinating tree was only discovered in 1994, causing great excitement in the botanical and horticultural worlds.
Dedicate a woodland area
Your donation will be recorded with your personal dedication on the Touchscreen Register at Wakehurst, located in Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, and you will receive a certificate thanking you for your gift.
Make a dedication today - download our commemorative giving form (pdf) or phone us on 0208 332 3200 (Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm) to make a donation by card.
Woodland areas at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst
Kew Gardens: Redwood Grove or the Woodland Glade, either side of the Cedar Vista.
Wakehurst: Bethlehem Wood, Horsebridge Wood, Coates Wood, or the Pinetum.
There is also a range of heritage trees available for individual sponsorship at Kew Gardens, which start at £5,000.
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How you are helping
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This year, Kew is taking part in the 'Big Give Christmas Challenge', a campaign to encourage philanthropic giving by matching a donors’ gift. Effectively your donation to the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership could be doubled! We need to raise £50,000 for next year’s seed collecting trips, as well as expanding our work on using existing collections. Please note: This campaign ran from 6 to 19 December 2012 and has now finished.
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