Notable Trees

From an arborist's point of view, Gibraltar truly is a special place. It is the home to many very old trees, some which are over a century old and pre-date the creation of the formal gardens in the 1920s. Very few varieties or cultivars exist amongst the trees, and as such visitors to the gardens have the opportunity to see straight species of these trees. Our English boxwoods, Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa,' are also worth a visit. People who have never seen a true tree box, Buxus sempervirens 'Arborescens,' will have a real treat when visiting. Gibraltar has examples of these species dating to 1916. We are currently developing a self-guided map of the trees within the garden and encourage you to come and visit and explore the beauty of these golden oldies.

A sampling of the notable old trees at Gibraltar

• Ilex opaca - American Holly
• Ilex aquifolium - English Holly
• Quercus palustris - Pin Oak
• Quercus bicolor - Swamp White Oak
• Quercus phellos - Willow Oak
• Quercus rubra - Red Oak
• Chamaecyparis obtusa - Hinoki Cypress
• Taxodium distichum - Bald Cypress
• Magnolia gradiflora - Southern Magnolia
• Juniperus virginiana - Eastern Red Cedar
• Magnolia x soulangiana - Saucer Magnolia
• Cornus kousa - Japanese Dogwood
• Fagus sylvatica - European Beech
• Fagus grandiflora - American Beech
• Gymnocladus dioica - Kentucy Coffee Tree
• Gleditsia triacanthos - Honey Locust
• Osmanthus heterophyllus - False Holly
• Cedrus atlantica - Atlas Cedar
• Pinus nigra - Austrian Pine
• Catalpa bignonioides - Southern Catalpa
• Cedrus atlantica - Atlas Cedar

Herbaceous Plants

Gibraltar is also very unique for the wide variety of plants that are based on their historic precursors, including everything from roses to peonies. We are fortunate enough to have the original landscape architect drawings and plant lists. These documents were used to restore  the gardens to their original appearance, making Gibraltar one of the only Coffin gardens that has been accurately restored and opened to the public.

While several original plants exist, the majority of plants seen today were planted during the restoration in 1999. Within a few years they will take on a fuller and more mature form to resemble the 1920s appearance of the gardens. When visiting the gardens please take note of some of the original plants that exist from the original planting in the late nineteen-teens and nineteen-twenties. Some of them include the tree peonies in the Formal Flower Garden and the Spanish wood-hyacinths in the Woodland Walk. We are now creating a bloom chart for visitors that will highlight the currently blooming or interesting perennials and annuals. Watch for this helpful guide in the future.