Tree surgeons pollarded the Huntingdon Elm after dry weather left it leaning and lifting its roots. Whether it stays is settled by a root check this winter.

One of the elms in the Royal Pavilion Garden has had its canopy taken off in emergency tree work, and a decision on whether it survives will not be made until the winter. Brighton & Hove Museums, the charity that runs the garden, said the tree had started to lean and its roots were beginning to lift.

The tree is the Huntingdon Elm, on the western boundary of the garden in front of the Pavilion Garden Cafe. It forms part of the old Elm Promenade (Brighton & Hove Museums).

“The heavy canopy and dry conditions had caused the tree to start leaning and its roots were starting to lift,” the trust said. After consulting an arboriculturist, it brought in specialist tree surgeons to pollard the tree, which means cutting the canopy right back, “to prevent us losing it altogether”.

What happens next

Four stage diagram of what happens next to the Huntingdon Elm in the Royal Pavilion Garden: pollarding done, tarmac lifted, roots assessed in winter, then a decision to keep or remove

The trust says it now has to choose between removing the tree altogether and keeping it in a pollarded state, which would mean cutting the canopy back every five years or so so that it does not become top heavy again.

That choice depends on what is under the ground. The tarmac around the base of the tree is due to come up as part of the Garden Restoration project, and only then can the root structure be reached.

  • The work has been done. The canopy is off.
  • The tarmac around the base comes up during the Garden Restoration.
  • With the roots exposed, an assessment takes place in winter.
  • The trust says its intention is to keep the tree, but the decision will follow that assessment.

All of the cut material was taken away from the site rather than left in the garden. That is not tidiness. Elm wood left lying around can attract the beetle that spreads Dutch elm disease.

The trust was candid about the effect on the garden. The work “has now created a hole through the tree canopy”, and it noted that the canopy “helped our garden visitors feel buffeted from the hectic city and helped create the ‘oasis’ feeling the garden provided for relaxing humans and wildlife”.

Why an elm matters more here than anywhere else

Brighton & Hove holds the National Elm Collection. The city was granted full National Collection status by Plant Heritage in 1998, on the strength of a control programme the council started in the early 1970s after a highly infectious form of the disease arrived in Britain on imported rock elm from North America. Elms took to the city in the first place because they cope with thin chalk soil and salty winds (Brighton & Hove City Council).

The council puts the city’s elm population at more than 17,000 trees, and says an outbreak of disease could mean “the city losing nearly a third of it’s trees” (Brighton & Hove City Council, elm disease).

The Royal Pavilion Garden holds a small but significant part of that collection. A blog post published by the trust and written by Ashley Brown, a postgraduate researcher in curating collections and heritage at the University of Brighton, records eleven species of elm in the garden. Among the named trees are an 18th century English Elm near the Indian Gate, held together by an iron brace, and the Weeping Wych, which the piece calls the most photographed tree in Brighton (Living Monuments: A Discovery of the Pavilion Elms).

The council says the disease travels three ways: on elm bark beetles carrying the fungus from a diseased tree to a healthy one, underground between trees through their roots, and in new growth from infected fragments left after a diseased tree is taken out. Its control methods include felling, tree and limb girdling, root trenching and drone surveillance in the summer months.

What it means for you

The garden stays open, and the practical consequence for visitors is shade rather than access: the stretch by the Pavilion Garden Cafe has lost its cover. If you were planning a hot afternoon there, plan for sun.

For everyone else in the city, the council asks residents to do three things to protect the elms:

  • Do not buy logs if the supplier cannot guarantee the wood is not elm. Firewood is one of the ways the disease is moved around.
  • Do not cut elm trees within the city, and do not bring elm timber in for garden ornaments, seating or anything else.
  • Report a suspected diseased elm by emailing elmdisease@brighton-hove.gov.uk with photographs and the location.

If you are visiting the Royal Pavilion Garden, the parking in Brighton page covers the nearest car parks and the controlled zones, and our guide to things to do in Brighton has the rest of the city centre.

Frequently asked questions

Which tree in the Royal Pavilion Garden was cut back?

The Huntingdon Elm, on the western boundary of the garden in front of the Pavilion Garden Cafe, part of the old Elm Promenade. Tree surgeons pollarded it, meaning they cut the canopy right back.

Why was the work done?

Brighton & Hove Museums says the heavy canopy and dry conditions had made the tree start to lean, and its roots were starting to lift. It says the pollarding was done to prevent losing the tree altogether.

Will the elm be removed?

Not yet decided. The tarmac around the base comes up as part of the Garden Restoration, and the roots will be assessed in winter. The trust says its intention is to keep the tree, but the decision will follow that assessment. If it stays, the canopy will need reducing about every five years.

How many elm trees does Brighton have?

More than 17,000, according to the city council. Brighton & Hove was granted full National Collection status for elms by Plant Heritage in 1998.

How do I report a diseased elm in Brighton?

Email elmdisease@brighton-hove.gov.uk with photographs and the location. The council also asks residents not to buy logs unless the supplier can guarantee the wood is not elm, and not to bring elm timber into the city.

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