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paths and avoid taking cuttings or seeds.
To help protect the garden, please stay on
Champion trees – the largest and/or widest of their kind
Northern Ireland’s longest double herbaceous border
Butterfly Gates (mid-1800s)
Mermaid Fountain (1880s) and Heron Fountain (1860–80)
Granite steps, terrace, urns and glasshouses (mid-1800s) part of the Victorian Pleasure Garden
Red brick walls of the upper garden (late 1740s) when it was a kitchen garden
Look out for:
Thomas Ryan between 1874 and 1908. By the early 1900s, over 3,000 species were thriving here, some of which remain. Added to by the Forest Service, it is now recognised as an internationally important collection.
5th Earl, Hugh Annesley, and Head Gardener
Discover 26 of the most significant trees and shrubs within one of Ireland’s largest walled gardens. The collection began with the 4th Earl in the 1850s and was expanded by the
Notable veteran trees include the lime tree avenue beside the Grange (late 1700s) and the parkland oaks, which date from the early 1800s. Mature trees also line the lake, all part of the 45-hectare Arboretum, with the Annesley Walled Garden at its heart.
Castlewellan Forest Park is a historic demesne bought by William Annesley in 1741. The family developed the landscape over generations, planting thousands of trees. It became a Forest Park in 1969 after being sold to the Ministry of Agriculture. In 2022, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council leased the site and restored the Grange and Annesley Walled Garden.
Introduction The Annesley Walled Garden Tree Trail
You can continue to explore trees in the Arboretum by turning right out of the garden and following the path, keeping the wall on the right. This will take you to the Winter Garden, Spring Garden, the Rhododendron Wood and then to the Harrison Vista.
The Rhododendron Wood and Spring Garden are particularly colourful from April to June. Prominent rhododendrons include R. arboreum hybrids, the R. Smithii group, R. barbatum, R. campanulatum and R. griffithianum.
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The information in this guide is correct at the time of print and every care has been taken to ensure accuracy. However, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council cannot accept responsibility for any errors, omissions or changes which may occur. ©2026
The Tree Trail
1 Rhododendron sinogrande var. boreale, from China. Flowers in spring with bell-shaped creamy-yellow flowers 5cm in width. Called the giant Chinese rhododendron, it has leaves up to 50cm in length.
2 Drimys winteri var. chilensis, from Chile and Argentina (right of steps). Flowers in spring with ivory-white fragrant flowers. Known as ‘Winter’s bark’, it was once used by sailors to prevent scurvy. In its native regions, the bark is also used for indigestion, colic, dandruff and as a pepper substitute.
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3 Sequoiadendron giganteum, from California. These twin giant redwoods, planted in 1856, flank the path below the steps. They were among the first trees grown from seeds collected in California by the plant hunter William Lobb in 1853 and distributed by Veitch Nurseries.
4 Davidia involucrata, from China, is the pocket-handkerchief tree or dove tree. In May it is draped with large white bracts (modified leaves). In winter look for the hanging fruit pods. Planted in 1903.
5 Juniperus recurva, from the Eastern Himalayas, is called the drooping juniper. Planted in 1850 it is one of the oldest trees in the garden. The wood was traditionally used for Chinese coffin-making and burnt in Buddhist temples as incense. H1 IG2
6 Sciadopitys verticillata, from Japan, is a living fossil and commonly known as the Japanese umbrella pine or parasol pine. Planted in 1875.
7 Podocarpus acutifolius, from New Zealand, is the needle-leaf totara, a dense, slow-growing conifer, characterised by its sharp, prickly, needlelike leaves. H1 G1
8 Thujopsis dolabrata, from Japan, is also known as hiba cedar. The only member of its genus, it is identified by its vivid white stomatal bands (pores) that resemble lizard skin on the underside of the thick, scaly leaves. Planted in the 1870s.
9 Eucryphia glutinosa, from Chile, is a deciduous shrub that flowers profusely from July to August. In autumn the leaves take on beautiful tints. This is the parent of the Eucryphia glutinosa in the Eucryphia walk. Planted in 1880.
10 x Cuprocyparis leylandii ’Castlewellan’
This original ‘Castlewellan Gold’ was planted in 1966 and is the source of all later cultivars. Now mature, the gold tips remain visible on its leaves. It was grown from seed collected in 1962 by Head Gardener Mr McKeown from Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Lutea’ and Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Lutea’. H1 G1
11 Juniperus recurva ‘Castlewellan’
This slow-growing cultivar was developed in Castlewellan and has cinnamon-red branches that droop like fishing rods. H1 G1
12 Parrotia persica, from Iran and Azerbaijan, provides brilliant autumn colour, when the leaves turn shades of yellow, orange and red. An iron wood, related to witch hazel, it has small red flowers that appear on bare stems in late winter.
13 Pinus hartwegii, from the mountain areas of Mexico and Central America, is related to Pinus montezumae. It was named after Karl Theodor Hartweg, who described it in 1838. Look for its long cones, which grow to 13cms.
14 Athrotaxis cupressoides, from the mountainous areas of Tasmania. Called the pencil pine, it is a very slow-growing, long-lived tree. It is considered a living fossil, with ancient origins dating back to the time of the supercontinent Gondwana.
Note: It is the smaller tree in front of the large Abies nordmanniana subsp. equitrojani, the Turkish fir.
15 Schima khasiana, from the Himalayas and Southeast Asia, flowers in late autumn with large, fragrant, camellia-like white flowers. An evergreen tree known for its glossy leaves.
16 Cornus capitata, from the Himalayas, is often called the strawberry tree. This multi-stemmed species of dogwood flowers in midsummer with sulphur-yellow bracts (modified leaves), followed by large strawberrylike fruits in October.
Turn right and pass through the Butterfly Gates and turn right again.
17 Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta from China. This magnolia blooms in late spring with large, pale pink flowers that appear before the leaves. In autumn, look for its striking seed pods, which turn pinkish brown to red.
18 Cercidiphyllum japonicum, found in Japan and China, is known as the katsura tree. In autumn, its heartshaped leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red. As they fall, they release a sweet scent, often compared to burnt sugar or candyfloss.
19 Nothofagus fusca, from New Zealand, is commonly called the red beech. An evergreen with the unusual trait of showing spring-like growth in autumn and autumn-like colour in spring. G1
20 Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. drupacea, from Japan, is commonly called the cow’s tail pine or Japanese plum yew. The fruits are edible, with a sweet butterscotchpine nut flavour.
21 Metasequoia glyptostroboides, from central China. The dawn redwood is a fastgrowing and endangered conifer. Once thought extinct, it was rediscovered in the 1940s. A living fossil, which appears identical to fossils from the Late Cretaceous period.
22 Eucalyptus urnigera, from Tasmania, is called the urn gum. A striking tree with greyish, peeling bark that reveals colourful patterns. It produces unique urnshaped fruits that give the tree its name. G1
23 Banksia marginata, from south-eastern Australia and Tasmania, is called the silver banksia. In late summer it has distinctive yellow-green cone-shaped flowers which grow brown with age. It was planted by a relative of the famous botanist, Joseph Banks, whom it is named after.
24 Pinus sylvestris ‘Aurea’, known as the golden Scots pine, was developed as a cultivar in Great Britain. It puts on a spectacular display in winter, when its normally pea-green needles turn a vibrant golden yellow. G1 IH1
25 Neopanax laetus, from New Zealand, is a very handsome shrub with its dark green leaves and black fruits. Look down the hill to your right and you will see the British and Irish Champion. Pass through the Butterfly Gates and turn right.
26 Sequoiadendron giganteum, from California, is called the giant sequoia or redwood. Remarkably, this is one tree with 19 trunks. It is one of the oldest trees in the garden, having been planted in 1856.
