A Tree collection For the AGes

Hatley Castle is nestled among a collection of large trees.

It was a fine October day in 2021 when I last visited the Hatley Park Estate at the Royal Roads University. This National Historic Site, located in Greater Victoria, B.C., consists of 650 acres that wraps around the exquisite Hatley Castle. This Elizabethan style mansion was built for James Dunsmuir, a coal industrialist, in 1908. Since 1995, the castle and the estate has been the home of Royal Roads University. In the 1940’s to 1995, it was a military college. Today, the castle and surrounding grounds are a popular tourist attraction, and rightfully so. It is one of my favorite places to visit when I go to Victoria. 

The huge beech in the winter of 2006.

The same beech tree, October 2021. It's grown some.

It’s not just the jaw-dropping castle that lures tourists and locals alike, it the vast surrounding grounds of Hatley Park. There’s the formal Italian Garden, the Perennial Garden, the Japanese and Rose Garden, but if it’s trees you’re interested in, then this is the place for you.   ​

Fifteen kilometers, over 9 miles, of trails snake through the surrounding forest.

Large old trees dominate the grounds at Hatley Park.

The estate has bragging rights to a huge 250-year-old Douglas fir, but there are many other splendid trees including ones that are very old and have a presence all their own. I imagine some of them must have been planted when the castle was built or shortly thereafter as they are immense. Benches look like toys underneath their far-spreading canopies. Tree trunks are gnarled, twisted and crusty with aged bark that must have seen generations walk by and provided shelter from sun and rain. To learn more click on hatleycastle.com​

An old Pacific madrone, Arbutus menziesii, shows off its contorted branches and orange-red bark.

The Pacific madrone, is a broadleaf evergreen tree native to coastal western North America. Zones 6 to 8.

Mature Pacific madrone trees grow to 98 feet and have longevity of over 300 years.

This old beech tree dominates the grounds.

Beech leaves cover the ground at the onset of autumn.

Beech leaves provide a pretty canopy.

A grafted littleleaf linden, Tilia cordata leafy canopy.

The grounds include benches to sit and view the stunning scenery.

The bud union on the grafted little leaf linden.

The finely serrated heart-shaped leaves of the little leaf linden.

It's October and this copper beech, Fagus sylvatica 'Cuprea' is just beginning to turn colour.

In the surrounding first and second growth forest, there are trees over 900 years old.

A blue atlas cedar, Cedrus libani spp. atlantica 'Glauca'. front of the Royal Roads University campus.

The flowers of the blue Atlantic cedar emerge in the fall.

The cones of the blue Atlantic cedar appear in February.

The castle and surrounding gardens have an old world charm.

The outstreched branches of an aging purple leaf plum, Prunus cerasifera 'Atropurpurea'.

I wonder how many people this very old tree has witnessed passing through these gates.

A sugar maple (Acer saccharum) shows off it's fine bones in the sunlight.

This sugar maple is just starting to show it's fall colours.

The sugar maple is the national symbol of Canada and produces Canada's famous and delicious maple syrup.

This Legacy sugar maple will grow to 50 feet at maturity with a 30 foot canopy spread.

A young Legacy sugar maple is dwarfed by a mature horsechestnut tree.

Monkey-puzzle trees grow from 50 to 80 feet with a spread up to 30 feet.

An upcoming monkey-puzzle tree, Araucaria araucana may reach 80 feet at maturity.

The trees of Hatley Park in October.

A perfectly rounded horsechesnut tree, Aesculus hippocastanum, They can grow up to 75 by 60 ft.

A bench looks tiny under the yellow canopy of a horsechestnut tree.

The changing leaves of a horsechestnut tree.

A bench under the horsechestnut tree looks like a child's toy.

A giant douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menzei, is native to North America.

The aging bark of a douglas fir.

An aging dwarf hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla.

The soft evergreen needles of a hemlock.