Alan Titchmarsh developed a love of gardening as a young boy, going on to present some of the UK’s top horticultural TV shows, but there is one tree he says he won’t have in his garden
13:23, 09 Feb 2026Updated 13:24, 09 Feb 2026
Alan Titchmarsh named one tree he wont have in his garden(Image: Getty)
Alan Titchmarsh says there is one tree that he won’t have in his garden for a very simple reason. The 76-year-old has become a well respected figure in the gardening world thanks to a career that has spanned five decades.
It began when Alan took up an apprenticeship with his local council after leaving school. He then moved into editing gardening books before becoming a TV and radio presenter.
Alan’s passion for gardening blossomed when he was a young child and he would use his pocket money to buy seeds from Woolworths. He now tends to his Hampshire garden alongside his presenting duties.
But there is one tree that Alan says you won’t ever find in his garden. Speaking on his Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh YouTube channel, he revealed he’s not particularly fond of the weeping birch.
The tree is often an option for gardeners with a smaller plot because it “stays small” and has branches that “come down”. Alan said: “Personally, I don’t like it very much, but if you like it and you want a birch, Young’s weeping birch for a tiny garden, but jacquemontii for anything of reasonable size.”
Alan Titchmarsh doesn’t like the weeping birch(Image: Getty Images)
The betula utilis jacquemonti, or silver birch, is more suited to bigger gardens because it can reach up to 12 metres high. Alan says it is a popular choice among gardeners because of its “light and feathery canopy” that doesn’t cast “too much shade”.
But it is one feature that stands out after the winter that Alan really appreciates. He said: “What it does have, when its leaves have all fallen in winter, is this glorious silvery bark.”
The silver birch isn’t the only tree that Alan says gardeners should consider. He also enjoys the eucalyptus gunnii, known as cider gum, an evergreen tree that keeps its leaves during the winter.
Alan however accepts the tree is an “acquired taste” and one gardeners will have to be “wary” of. He said: “It will make a massive tree and eucalyptus is really quite fast growing.
The silver birch tree(Image: Getty Images)
“It is really quite hardy despite the fact it is from Australia. If you want to grow this because you love the foliage for flower arranging, you can chop it back hard every spring, right down to a foot or so and it will sprout out from the base.”
Alan however says it will “eat you out of house and home” if you only have a small garden. He suggests a winter-flowering cherry or crab apple tree as alternatives for people with smaller plots.
For those with a much larger plot, Alan recommends a beech tree, which he says can grow up to 20 or 30m tall. However he says gardeners with lots of room can also plant a row of beech trees and keep them trimmed as a hedge.
“Beech tree hedges are delightful,” Alan said. He highlighted the “fresh lime green” growth in the spring and the crisp, browns of the winter.
Comments are closed.