Trees at Kew Gardens damaged by snow
'It was like a silent executioner'
It is not only humans that have suffered in the recent heavy snowfall, it was revealed yesterday.
Trees at Kew Gardens' country estate, Wakehurst Place in West Sussex, have been damaged by the build up of snow on their branches.
More than 100 trees on the 500 acre estate at Ardingly, near Haywards Heath, will need tree surgery.
One tree was felled completely, others have lost large branches and a number of shrubs have also been damaged.
Staff at Wakehurst say the snow has caused the worst damage to the plant collections since gales in the 1990s. Iain Parkinson, Wakehurst's Woodland and Conservation manager, said: "I have not experienced this sort of damage from snow at Wakehurst before.
"In a storm or strong winds you are prepared for damage because there is a lot of noise, but the snow has been like a silent executioner.
"It is the sheer weight of snow lying on branches for such a long period of time which has caused the damage.
"In the long term most of the trees will recover, but I'm sure there will be some visitors who will be quite sad to see damage to trees they are fond of."