Glasgow's Argyle Street Ash crowned Tree of the Year 2025
The Argyle Street Ash will represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year finals in early 2026
Glasgow's Argyle Street Ash has been named Tree of the Year 2025 after a public vote organized by the Woodland Trust. The ash, nominated as a wildcard entry, will represent the United Kingdom in the European Tree of the Year finals in early 2026. A panel of experts had shortlisted nine trees of varying ages and species, and the public selected the 10th entry as the wildcard.
Among the other contenders were the King of Limbs Oak, a tree said to have inspired a Radiohead album; the Lonely Tree near Llyn Padarn in North Wales; and several other top finishers, including the Lady Jane Grey Oak in Bradgate Park, Leicester, and a cedar with low-sweeping boughs at London's Chiswick House associated with photographs of The Beatles. The Argyle Street Ash's link to Glasgow's literary history is noted in a 1951 book by journalist James Cowan, in which he described it as 'quite the most graceful ash I have seen'; that quotation hangs framed in the pub opposite the tree, which hosts Gaelic live music events.
Supporters of the Argyle Street Ash pointed to its long association with the neighbourhood. Woodland Trust officials said the year's theme, rooted in culture, was chosen to celebrate how trees shape literature, music, poetry and art, and how they anchor a sense of place for communities. Adam Cormack, the charity's head of campaigning, said there had been a strong response to the contest and that 'Trees really matter to people, and this is clear from the response we've seen to the Argyle Street Ash.'
Laura Chow, head of charities at People's Postcode Lottery, which supported the competition, said the Glasgow tree is a worthy winner. 'What a worthy winner the Argyle Street Ash is,' she said. The 2025 edition marked the second year in a row that a Scottish tree won the prize, following last year's Skipinnish Oak in Lochaber. As winner, the Argyle Street Ash will progress to the European Tree of the Year finals in early 2026.
The win underscores ongoing public interest in trees beyond environmental value, and organizers say the contest helps raise awareness of trees' cultural significance across the UK. The Argyle Street Ash is expected to compete in the European finals in early 2026, joining other trees from across Europe in a year-long celebration of arboricultural heritage.
The Woodland Trust notes the broader benefits of trees—biodiversity, wellbeing and climate-change mitigation—and says the contest encourages people to notice and experience trees in their communities. The charity says trees 'rooted in culture' help connect people with place and history.
The Argyle Street Ash sits on a busy Glasgow street, opposite a pub that hosts Gaelic live music. A signposted quotation from James Cowan's Glasgow's Treasure Chest frames the tree's history. The tree's caretaker, Glasgow arborist David Treanor, has tended the tree in recent years and helped nominate it for the wildcard entry.
With the winner now moving toward the European finals, observers say the result highlights the cultural and environmental value of urban trees and the role of local communities in shaping conservation and appreciation. The 2025 edition also marks Scotland's continued success in these international contests, following last year's victory.
