‘I love this tree because…’

The photos

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  Ryan Busuttil & Veronika Toth - Winner – "All that's broken is not lost". – I love this tree because it captures hope. Scarred and fractured by the elements; it stands alone and fractured. Yet it still brings life to the world with re-growth, resilience and belonging. – Horse Chestnut, Stanmer Park

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  Krish Nanwani Hathiramani – 2nd prize winner – I love this tree because it is unique; its branches are spread out like the birds in the sky, rooted but with ambitions to fly. This tree is not alone, and to go through life they have found a partner to lean on. – Hawthorn, The Dyke Golf Club

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  Annette Radford – 3rd prize winner – I love this exotic tree! A native of Japan, China and Korea sitting pretty here in Oak Close, a residential, urban area of Brighton. The cork tree has a wonderful shape and the most interesting, soft patterned bark. It’s a great home for insects and the mistletoe thriving on it, though mistletoe is more usually seen on woodland trees. Beautiful abstract shapes. – Amur Cork, Oak Close, Varndean Estate

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  Elliana Stavrou – Runner up prize – Capturing power and solitude within a forestry landscape. Cedar, Stanmer Park – Elliana is a student at BHASVIC

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  Alessandra Pisciottani - I love this tree because thanks to its rich and abundant foliage and flowers I am reminded of the beauty of life within all stages. From a blooming mane to a fountain of petals this tree is always there, sheltering passers-by and offering a quiet spot to pause, reflect and reset.

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  Bhavik Bhatt – I recently had the pleasure of embarking on my inaugural visit to Preston Rock Gardens. Amidst the serene surroundings, my attention was captivated by the presence of a majestic tree, whose striking features resembled those of a fictional, almost magical entity. Entranced by the intricate details adorning its trunk, I felt compelled to immortalize its splendour through the lens of my camera.

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  Cassius Crawford – My favourite tree stands at the bottom of my garden. A huge, magnificent tree, amazing to climb, home to a fantastic woodpecker, with loads of conkers in the autumn. – Horse Chestnut Tree, Elrington Road – Cassius is 13 and a pupil at Lancing Prep, Hove

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  Dorothy Knott – This is a tree in my local park that me and my brother like to climb and hide in. – Dorothy is 9 and a pupil at Windlesham School and Nursery Brighton

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  Emma Jardine – These wonderful trees stand in Stanmer Park blown into strange and mysterious shapes from the winds coming off the sea and over the rolling hills. Some of these beautiful trees have succumbed to these strong winds and have since fallen but their memory will always be with me and my family. – Beeches, Stanmer Park

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  Frances Valdes _ This tree watches over my daily walk around Hove Park.  I see spring in its new leaves, summer in its full foliage, and autumn in its starkness. But the best is winter when the sun starts to rise behind it, reminding me that summer will return. – Hove Park

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  George Henderson – The branch looks like a bolt of lightning, highlighting the raw power of nature. – These photos are taken of an Elm Tree next to the Chalet Cafe in Preston Park. I painted this with light by using a long exposure and a torchlight. – Elm, Preston Park George is at BHASVIC

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  Jane Finney-Chokey – I love this tree because its branches are like arms stretching out into the wood, taking up so much space, creating one, two, three more trees. It's not until you look closely that you realise the trees are all connected. – Beech tree, Stanmer Park

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  Julie Albury – Meet Cherry, the Queen of Craven Vale!  – I love Cherry because she brings beauty to an everyday space – even scaffolding. I didn't think it was possible to love a tree the way I do her, she make my heart glad. Even in the depths of winter she looks beautiful – my girl has good bones, but in Spring she is truly magnificent. – Cherry, Craven Vale

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  Kate Strachan – I love this tree because... it's still here! – In 2013 this landmark Elm was scheduled for felling as it obstructed part of a redevelopment of the Seven Dials roundabout. At short notice the community protested, including sleeping up the tree! Thankfully a small pavement redesign worked around the tree and it was saved! – Elm, Seven Dials

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  Oliver Visick – I love this tree because it is home to a tawny owl. I took these photos of a tawny owl resting in a large hollow 10m up a beech tree on Sussex University campus using a 360 camera mounted on a telescopic pole. – – Beech, Sussex University – Oliver is at the University of Sussex

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  Robert Ashby – I met the elm in 2016, when I was new to Brighton. People sat around its base watching their dogs chasing balls. Dog and I joined the group. Shared the things happening in our lives.  A pandemic came and went – the group didn’t survive. The tree remains welcoming. I love its resilience and constancy through the seasons and its haircuts.

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  Sue Delafons – It's the youngest tree in the heart of the city. More precious because it's been vandalised twice and replanted. Watered by volunteers, enjoyed by thousands of locals and visitors alike. A triumph of hope over experience...? – Japanese Cherry blossoming in Bond Street: part of a North Laine Community Association campaign

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  Suzanne Olivante – ‘Watcher Willow in Winter’ – I love this sentinel tree that stands alone on the steep slope of the Devil's Dyke, braving all weathers. Often the first silhouette to reappear in the rolling mists. It stands watch in case the legendary devil returns. Small, mighty, a protective guardian and a home to lichens and mosses. – Goat Willow, Devils Dyke

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  Tam Verden _ A Weeping Wych Elm in the Pavilion gardens, what a stunner! _ Elm, Pavilion Gardens