1. Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Common name: Dawn redwood
A strong choice for a tree companion because of its striking form, seasonal change, and sense of presence.
About the Tree Companion idea
Tree Companion is a proposed accessible wellbeing initiative for Trinity College Botanic Garden. It builds on the Garden’s sensory, educational, and environmental work by inviting students to form a quiet connection with one tree over time.
The Witness Tree Project shows how individual trees can tell stories about threat, adaptation, resilience, and environmental change, while the Garden’s Sensory Trail encourages people to pause and engage more deeply with nature. Tree Companion brings these ideas together in a low-pressure, student-friendly format.
Why it matters: The Garden is next to Trinity Hall student accommodation, making it an ideal place for students to access calm outdoor space during busy terms and exam periods.
A gentle idea
This is not a course and there is no correct way to take part.
- Choose one tree that feels calm, interesting, or familiar.
- Visit when it suits you.
- Sit nearby, observe, sketch, breathe, or simply rest.
- Come back during stressful times, including exams.
Who might benefit?
- Neurodivergent students
- Students feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or homesick
- Students who prefer quiet, non-social spaces
- Anyone who wants a gentle connection with nature
How it works
Choose a tree
Select a tree that feels interesting, calming, beautiful, protective, or familiar to you.
Visit gently
Spend a few minutes nearby. Sit, look up at the canopy, notice bark, leaves, sounds, weather, or light.
Return over time
Come back during the term and notice how the tree changes across weeks or seasons.
Use it as an anchor
During stressful times, your chosen tree can become a familiar place to pause, breathe, and reset.
Choose your tree companion
This section invites students to choose a tree that feels calming, interesting, protective, beautiful, or familiar. There is no right or wrong choice.
Students can use this as a gentle reflection tool during term time or exams. They might visit the same tree more than once and notice how it changes across the season.
How to use this page:
- Choose one witness tree that stands out to you.
- Visit it gently when you can.
- Notice what you see, hear, smell, or feel nearby.
- Return to it again when you need a quiet place to pause.
My tree companion
Calming choice
Pick a tree that feels quiet, shaded, soft, or steady.
Curious choice
Pick a tree with an unusual shape, story, species, or seasonal change.
Familiar choice
Pick a tree that reminds you of home, memory, or something comforting.
Return choice
Pick a tree that feels easy to find again when you need a pause.
Witness Trees as possible companions
The Witness Tree Project includes 21 individually identified trees, listed alphabetically on the Botanic Garden site. This makes the project a strong foundation for a Tree Companion model, because students could choose from real, named trees that are already part of an existing Garden initiative.
2. Ginkgo biloba
Common name: Ginkgo
A distinctive and well-loved tree with unusual leaves and strong visual character.
3. Quercus robur
Common name: Common oak
An emotionally familiar and grounding species that may suit students looking for a traditional, protective-feeling tree companion.
4. Davidia involucrata var. involucrata
Common name: Handkerchief tree
A memorable option for students who enjoy unusual or expressive trees and seasonal observation.
5. Magnolia grandiflora
Common name: Southern magnolia
A potentially strong sensory choice because of its glossy leaves, structure, and visual richness.
6. Sorbus hibernica
Common name: Irish whitebeam
A particularly meaningful option for a Trinity-based project, offering a sense of place and local identity alongside quiet observation.
7. Alnus glutinosa
Common name: Alder
A tree often associated with rivers and wetlands, offering a calm and reflective presence in many landscapes.
8. Corylus avellana
Common name: Hazel
A small woodland tree known for its delicate catkins and its long association with Irish folklore and landscapes.
9. Crataegus monogyna
Common name: Hawthorn
A tree rich in Irish folklore, often linked with biodiversity, pollinators, and traditional landscapes.
10. Betula utilis
Common name: Himalayan birch
Recognised for its pale bark and elegant shape, this tree adds a light, reflective quality to the landscape.
11. Castanea sativa
Common name: Sweet chestnut
A historic tree valued for its distinctive leaves, edible nuts, and long presence in European landscapes.
12. Wollemia nobilis
Common name: Wollemi pine
One of the world's rarest trees, rediscovered in Australia in the 1990s and now cultivated in botanical collections worldwide.
13. Acacia melanoxylon
Common name: Australian blackwood
A tall evergreen tree with dark bark and delicate foliage that creates a calm canopy and gentle shade.
14. Aesculus indica
Common name: Indian chestnut
A broad-leaved tree with striking seasonal presence and generous structure, offering visual interest through the year.
15. Arbutus unedo
Common name: Strawberry tree
A distinctive evergreen tree with colourful bark, fruit, and flowers that can invite close sensory observation.
16. Carpinus betulus
Common name: European hornbeam
A graceful tree with dense foliage and strong form, often creating a sheltered and structured presence.
17. Juglans nigra
Common name: Black walnut
A substantial tree known for its bold form and textured character, making it a memorable landmark in the garden.
18. Ostrya carpinifolia
Common name: European hop-hornbeam
A lesser-known tree with subtle texture and form, suited to quiet, attentive observation.
19. Phoenix dactylifera
Common name: Date palm
A striking and unusual tree within the collection, offering a strong silhouette and a sense of difference in the landscape.
20. Salix - fragilis
Common name: Crack willow
A tree associated with water and movement, offering softness, seasonal change, and a reflective quality.
21. Tilia - europaea
Common name: Common lime
A familiar tree with a broad canopy and seasonal fragrance, often associated with shade and calm.
All 21 witness trees currently listed
Acacia melanoxylon — Australian blackwood
Aesculus indica — Indian chestnut
Alnus glutinosa — Alder
Arbutus unedo — Strawberry tree
Betula utilis subsp. jacquemontii — Himalayan birch
Carpinus betulus — European hornbeam
Castanea sativa — Sweet chestnut
Corylus avellana — Hazel
Crataegus monogyna — Hawthorn
Davidia involucrata var. involucrata — Handkerchief tree
Ginkgo biloba — Ginkgo
Juglans nigra — Black walnut
Magnolia grandiflora — Southern magnolia
Metasequoia glyptostroboides — Dawn redwood
Ostrya carpinifolia — European hop-hornbeam
Phoenix dactylifera — Date palm
Quercus robur — Common oak
Salix × fragilis — Crack willow
Sorbus hibernica — Irish whitebeam
Tilia × europaea — Common lime
Wollemia nobilis — Wollemi pine
Tip: You can click or tap on any of the tree images
above to view a larger version. This can make it easier to explore
the details of each tree and notice its features more clearly.
Why this can support wellbeing
A chosen tree can act as a stable, non-social place of return. For some students, especially neurodivergent students, this kind of predictable outdoor anchor may feel easier than busier social settings or less structured wellbeing activities.
- Provides a familiar place to decompress
- Encourages regular contact with nature
- Supports sensory grounding without pressure
- Creates a gentle routine during stressful periods
Exam period ideas
- Five-minute tree visits between study sessions
- Quiet reflection or breathing prompts
- Optional sensory checklist: sound, light, smell, texture
- Link to indoor support through sensory bouquets
The Garden’s location near Trinity Hall could make Tree Companion particularly useful as a nearby, low-cost wellbeing support during exams.
Accessibility summary
The Botanic Garden is a peaceful and valuable outdoor resource, but it is important to note that the Gardens are not yet fully wheelchair accessible. Many surfaces are a mixture of gravel and grass, which may be more difficult to traverse for visitors with limited mobility.
Not fully wheelchair accessible
Gravel and grass surfaces
Accessibility improvements in progress
Quiet outdoor space
Accessibility and visiting information
The Trinity College Botanic Garden is a peaceful outdoor space, but visitors should be aware that the Gardens are not yet fully wheelchair accessible. Many of the paths are a mixture of gravel and grass, which may be more difficult to traverse for visitors with limited mobility. The Garden team are working to improve accessibility over time so that the gardens and glasshouses can be enjoyed by everyone.
The Walled Garden and glasshouses are normally open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm and can be accessed via the main gate on Palmerston Park or through Trinity Hall. The West and South Arboretums are generally accessible at all times through the Trinity Hall entrance.
As with all garden spaces, visitors are encouraged to move gently through the environment and respect the plants, wildlife, and research work taking place.
Tree Companion Map
Explore the Witness Trees on the map below. Select a numbered tree marker to learn more and open its Tree Companion information.
Map legend
1
Witness Tree location
Numbers correspond to the 21 Witness Trees in the garden.
Locations for trees 10 and 20 are approximate and will be
refined over time.
Planning your visit
The Garden is available to visit all year round except during the Christmas holiday period. Public events are occasionally held and are usually listed on the Trinity College Botanic Garden website. Closed Saturdays and Sundays.
Getting there
The 140 bus runs from outside Trinity via Rathmines to Dartry. The final stop is about a three-minute walk from the Garden. The LUAS Green Line to Cowper is also an option, followed by an approximate ten-minute walk.
Visitor notes
Catering facilities are not available at the Garden, so visitors are encouraged to bring refreshments and take all rubbish away when leaving. Planned activities in the arboretums may need to be notified to the Garden in advance. There are no charging points.
Gentle guidelines
You may sit quietly, sketch, observe leaves, listen to birds,
write a note, or simply rest. Participation should remain
flexible and low pressure.
Do not climb trees, break branches, remove bark, or disturb
research activity. Stay on paths where possible and leave no
trace.
Not every tree or area will suit every visitor. Any final
version of this project should include accessible route
information, seating details, and low-pressure options for
participation.
A poem for trees
This short poem has long expressed the quiet wonder people feel when spending time with trees.
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Trees by Joyce Kilmer
This famous poem reflects the quiet wonder many people feel when spending time with trees — the same spirit that inspires the Tree Companion idea.
Interested in developing this idea?
This concept page can be adapted into a live project page, student guide, or pilot programme website. It could also be linked with the Sensory Trail, Witness Tree Project, and exam wellbeing initiatives.
Suggested collaborators: Trinity College Botanic Garden, Trinity disAbility Service, Trinity Hall, and student wellbeing supports.
Contact details
Email: botanicgarden@tcd.ie
Location: Palmerston Park, Dartry, Dublin 6
Project status: Concept / proposal draft