Himalayan Glade

The Himalayan Glade lies in a deep cleft on the north side of the Westwood Valley.

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Himalayan Glade

Himalayan Glade

Did you know?

  • The Douglas fir takes its name from plant collector David Douglas, who explored North America on behalf of the Royal Horticultural Society in the 1820s. He first encountered the tree that came to bear his name while exploring around the Columbia River, noting the conifer “exceeds all trees in magnitude. I measured one lying on the shore of the river 39 feet in circumference and 159 feet long; the top was wanting … so I judge that it would be in all about 190 feet high”.
  • Wakehurst’s strategy of grouping collections of plants according to their geographic origins was influenced by the eminent Russian botanist Armen Takhtajan. Such ‘phytogeographic’ clustering helps concentrate conservation work on areas with the greatest diversity of unique plants.

The Himalayan Glade lies in a deep cleft on the north side of the Westwood Valley. The valley is a showcase for Wakehurst’s collection of Asian plants, with the Glade itself representing the mountain flora of the Himalayas and China. The valley sides are defined with blocks of Ardingly sandstone, among which grow cotoneasters and berberis. The latter display brightly coloured scarlet leaves in autumn. A seasonal stream flows down the centre of the Glade, beside which grow polygonums, euphorbias and ginger lilies.

Things to look out for

Visitors are rewarded with great views across the Himalayan Glade from the viewpoint on its eastern side, south of the Pinetum. From the two viewing platforms on the eastern and western sides of the Himalayan Glade, and also from the stone seat on the opposite side of the valley, it is possible to see Wakehurst’s tallest tree, a handsome Douglas fir (Psedotsuga menziesii). Standing 43 metres high, the first branches appear 27 metres up the trunk. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the bird feeders that hang within the viewing area as coal tits, marsh tits and nuthatches are frequent visitors.

Kids’ mission

  • Sit quietly in the Himalayan Glade viewing area for five minutes and note how many different birds you see helping themselves from the bird feeder. Write down the names of those that you know and describe their behaviour. Describe any that you don’t know and look them up later on the internet or in a bird-watching guidebook.

1 comment on 'Himalayan Glade'

BARRY SHARPE says

05/03/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Why have you not mentioned the three Roman carvings at the base of the sandstone rocks? The children could then hunt for them,they must be of some interest.

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Your Kew

We invite photographers to capture the sights at Kew and Wakehurst. These images are a selection of images submitted by photographers from around the world. We hope you enjoy them. You can see more on Flickr.

Fact Box


Flowers of Crinum brachynema

Crinum brachynema
karnaphul

Crinum brachynema is a Critically Endangered bulbous plant, with great potential as an ornamental, and is restricted to Gujarat and Maharashtra States in western India.

Find out more about this species

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