March 10th, 2026Beetham’s Botanicals

Well here I am again penning another article for you, the reader, to enjoy…
This time I’ll be showcasing some of the biggest and memorable trees that I have seen during my travels. (Thanks to readers of The Local whose have found some of the biggest trees in Australia…)
There are many registers of Big Trees, Champion Trees and Exceptional Trees that have accumulated masses of data over the years and it’s these registers that define some of the largest examples of tree species around the globe.
The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) lists significant trees, often nominating the biggest seen, as does Trust Trees Australia – which includes all states and territories. Often I reduce my selection of featured species to five but on this occasion I have opted for 10, in alphabetical order and with links to my Instagram posts for you to type into your browser, to give you more grist for the mill. So sit back and enjoy the ride.

1. Adansonia digitata (baobab) www.instagram.com/p/CYhuq45BcEx/?img_index=1 An amazing tree (see image below) growing in the Foster Botanical Garden Honolulu, Hawaii.

2. Catalpa bignonioides (Indian bean tree) www.instagram.com/p/CXZtYREBzC_/ A superb specimen that can be seen in its splendour at the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens and purported to be the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
3. Cedrus atlantica Glauca Group www.instagram.com/p/DQiOCoAkoPc/ This may not be the biggest in Australia but its form and its dominance in the landscape at the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens Daylesford makes it a true champion.
4. Eucalyptus viminalis (manna gum) www.instagram.com/p/DVheZ57k3Yg/?img_index=1 Only recently posted after a call from Kyle Barnes at The Local magazine alerted me to the existence of this Trentham tree (see image below) with a huge girth.

5. Hesperocyparis macrocarpa (Monterey cypress) www.instagram.com/p/CrCMT-MykRw/ Endangered in its native habitat of coastal California, this truly majestic beast sitting high on the Hopetoun Lawn at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne may be the largest cultivated specimen on the planet.
6. Jubaea chilensis (Chilean wine palm) {www.instagram.com/p/CaicUS0hkR9/} A Kyneton Botanic Gardens gem close to the Mollison Street entrance centres the landscape as you walk though the historic gates.
7. Quillaja saponaria (soap bark tree) www.instagram.com/p/CoQj37ISyGy/?img_index=10 An extraordinary species native to central Chile and registered as a significant tree growing in the Geelong Botanic Gardens.
8. Sequoiadendron giganteum (giant redwood) www.instagram.com/p/CiXAILfL-2m/?img_index=1 Nicknamed the ‘Grizzly Giant’, this Yosemite National Park California behemoth was struck by lightning many years ago, hence its gruesome appearance, and continues to delight tree lovers from around the world.
9. Stenocarpus sinuatus (firewheel tree) www.instagram.com/p/CcbkGpzPIQZ/?img_index=8 Another example of the most incredible collection of trees growing in Australia at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne – this commemorative planting dates back to 1920.
10. Tectona grandis (teak) www.instagram.com/p/CijhXg4hFmx/?hl=en&img_index=4 Last but not least is this wow factor tree (see image below) when you enter the Cairns Botanic Gardens in Far North Queensland – given space to grow I’m sure it will thrive well into the future.

I’ve enjoyed going back over these visited trees and hope you share my enthusiasm for being gobsmacked when you come upon a ‘big tree’.

Cheers John Beetham (trading as Trees in Australia)

Next time: Snapshots from Canadian Botanic Gardens.

Got a gardening query for John?
Email news@tlnews.com.au