Bartlett Tree Experts Plant Roots in UK with New Research Laboratories and Arboretum

Bartlett Tree Experts, the global leader in scientific tree and shrub care and a long-time supporter of the International Oak Society, has opened a new research laboratory and arboretum in Spencers Wood, south of Reading, UK. The facility, named the R.A. Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories and Arboretum, marks a major expansion of the company’s applied arboricultural research in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The site was officially opened on May 16, 2026.

The new site combines advanced laboratory capabilities with a 50‑acre living arboretum designed for real‑world trials, diagnostics, and long‑term tree studies. It is already serving as a hub for collaboration among arborists, academic institutions, nurseries, and horticultural organizations. Current projects include improving root establishment and transplant success in balled‑and‑burlapped tree plantings, a pressing issue for the industry.

Robert A. Bartlett Jr., Chairman and CEO, said the expansion reflects the company’s “ongoing commitment to scientific research, innovation, and the preservation of healthy trees and landscapes worldwide.” The opening coincides with the 100th anniversary of Bartlett’s original research laboratories, founded in Stamford, Connecticut in 1926 and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The UK facility has already attracted engagement from leading organizations, including Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Forestry Commission, and Westonbirt, The National Arboretum. Partnerships with universities and nurseries are also underway, broadening opportunities for applied research and knowledge exchange.

Jim Ingram, President and COO, emphasized that the arboretum will serve both as a testing ground for plant health care and as a resource for studying a wide range of woody species in practical landscape settings. Researcher Jon Banks added that the facility “strengthens our ability to deliver applied, evidence‑based tree care by combining state‑of‑the‑art laboratory capabilities with a living arboretum for real‑world trials.”

With the new laboratory and arboretum, Bartlett Tree Experts continues to build on its century‑long tradition of research‑driven arboriculture, extending its reach into the UK and Ireland while reinforcing its role as a leader in scientific tree care.

Images: © Bartlett Tree Experts