Tree Champions: Swimming freestyle

From 6 - 8 June, Westonbirt's learning and participation team will be hosting the Tree Champions family event. The event will include a trail around some of our own Olympic champions - our trees and shrubs - as well as some great Olympic-themed craft activities with a woody twist! Here, the team reveal some of the Tree Champion facts you can discover at Westonbirt…

Bladdernut

In summer you can see the developing fruits of the bladdernut tree, inflated air bladders with thin green skins, containing the growing seeds.

By autumn, when the bladders are fully mature, clusters of hard brown nutlets will be ready for dispersal.

Usually growing along a river bank, the fruits of the bladdernut tree fall off and float down river, the nutlets safe and dry inside their own inflatable raft.

When the river floods the capsules are lifted up onto the bank where they will germinate.

Useful links

Become a member of the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

More about Westonbirt’s family events