Coates Wood
Wander through the trees of Australasia into South America in one of our most atmospheric woodlands.
As soon as you step into Coates Wood, it feels like you’ve entered another part of the world.
Ochre red bark, silvery foliage and the menthol fragrance of eucalyptus transport you to Australia.
Step into the age of the dinosaurs
The Wollemi pines (Wollemia nobillis) growing in Coates Wood are part of the incredible story of the survival of this Australian species. Fossil records show traces of Wollemi pines living 200 million years ago, leading to the nickname ‘the dinosaur tree’. The species was thought to be extinct before being rediscovered in the Blue Mountains of eastern Australia in 1994. After this discovery, Wollemi pines were propagated and distributed to botanic gardens around the world, including Wakehurst. Now over 8 metres tall, the Wakehurst Wollemi are an impressive sign of the survival of the ‘dinosaur tree’.
Spot the Wollemi pines growing alongside eucalyptus and southern beech (Nothofagus sp), transporting you to the woodlands of Australia and New Zealand.
This area is home to the national collection of Nothofagus, a distant cousin of our native beech (Fagus sylvatica), but exclusive to the southern hemisphere.
Australia moves to Chile and one of the most dramatic landscapes at Wakehurst.
On a steep hill is an extraordinary planting of over 60 monkey puzzles, collected from Chile by Wakehurst horticulturists.
Endangered in the wild, monkey-puzzle seed cannot be stored (a trait know as recalcitrance) in the Millennium Seed Bank and can only be protected through living collections like Wakehurst’s.
Like the Wollemi pines, money puzzle trees have been around for a staggering 200 million years, making Coates Wood a truly prehistoric tour of the woodlands of the world.
Explore our Tree Trunk Trek
Crawl, climb and get to know Wakehurst’s trees on this adventurous log trail in Coates Wood.
Woodlands of the world
Wakehurst’s woodlands contain specimens of temperate trees from all around the world and carpets of wild flowers which provide contrasting colours throughout the year.
Our trees are grouped according to the areas of the world in which they grow naturally.
Known as a phytogeographic planting system, it’s an amazing way to travel the world from the heart of Sussex.
Explore more woodlands of the world
Rock Walk
Bloomers Valley
