The Great Trees of London project was developed to celebrate and bring to the public's attention the importance and uniqueness of London's tree heritage. It is an initiative of the Trees for London Forum and supported by The Countryside Agency.

Trees provide an important contribution to our leafy capital - they provide shade and shelter, support a whole host of wildlife, often reflect significant aspects of our history and culture, and generally help create the chararacter of the cityscape.

All trees are important and many people have favourite trees which are special to them as individuals. The 'Great Trees', however, are extra special for at least one of the following reasons. They are:

• Very old
• Very big
• An unusual or interesting shape
• Culturally or historically significant
• Associated with famous events or people
• Of particular importance for wildlife.

Members of the public were invited to make nominations to the relevant London borough tree officer who assessed the tree and sent recommendations to a panel of experts who judged them against set criteria.

Forty-one 'Great Trees' were chosen, which can be found in a variety of places - in a street, park, the grounds of a pub, or in a private garden. Click on the map to get more details on the individual trees.