A COAST Redwood is among the nominees put forward for Welsh Tree of the Year. 

The public are being asked to vote for their favourite shortlisted tree in the Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year contest. 

The 80 acres of Bodnant Garden National Trust is home to a historic collection of trees. One of them, a Welsh Champion Tree, is the Coast Redwood in the valley garden of the Dell.

The Bodnant Coast Redwood was planted in 1887 at the National Trust's Bodnant Garden, near Conwy, by the garden's founder Henry Pochin. Mr Pochin developed the pinetum by introducing North American and Asian trees newly discovered by plant hunters of the day.

Head gardener John Rippin admitted that the tree is one of his favourites. 

“For me, the most dramatic tree at Bodnant Garden is the champion Sequoia sempervirens which soars to a massive 51.5 metres,” he added.

“The Conwy Valley has ideal growing conditions for redwoods and I would love to think Bodnant’s giants will still be going strong in 200 years, possibly reaching the magical 100 metre mark and providing our future visitors with an even more awesome sight and helping to preserve one of the world’s most incredible trees.”

Alongside the Coast Redwood, other trees shortlisted in Wales include The Fairy House Tree, Llansadwrn, Anglesey, which stands in the grounds of Treffos Independent school and nursery; The Pulpit Yew, Nantglyn, Denbighshire, which stands in the churchyard of the 700-year-old church of St James and is believed to be around 1,500 years old and The Giant Redwood of Llangattock, Powys, which stands on the banks of the Monmouth and Brecon Canal.

The Hollow Tree, Gnoll Country Park, Neath Port Talbot, an ancient oak is also on the list alongside The Bleeding Yew in St Brynach’s Church, Nevern, Pembrokeshire.

A total of 10 trees have been shortlisted in England and six in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

One tree will be chosen by experts from the four national winners to go forward to represent the UK in the 2018 European Tree of the Year contest.

To read the stories behind the trees and to vote, visit www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/tree-of-the-year/wales