Visitors to Sir Harold Hillier Gardens may recognise the elegant leaf symbol that represents the Gardens — but few may know the remarkable story behind it.
In 1951, shortly after purchasing Jermyn’s House, Sir Harold Hillier planted one of the first trees that would become a symbol of the Gardens’ legacy: a dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). Only 10 years before, this species was considered extinct, known only through fossil records. That changed in 1941, when it was astonishingly rediscovered in Modaoqi village, nestled in west-central China.
Sir Harold received a seedling from the Arnold Arboretum in the United States, one of the first institutions to cultivate the rediscovered species. He planted it along the driveway to Jermyn’s House, where it still stands today — a towering presence with a beautifully fluted base that continues to captivate visitors.
In honour of this extraordinary tree and its story of survival, a 120-metre-long avenue of Metasequoias was later planted leading, which you can see today leading from the car park to the Visitor Pavilion. The tree’s leaf, with its delicate and distinctive shape, was chosen as the emblem of the Gardens — a symbol of resilience, discovery, and botanical heritage.
So next time you see the emblem, you’ll know it’s more than just a logo — it’s a living tribute to one of the world’s great horticultural stories.