The Harry Potter Tree, Blenheim Palace Standing on the bank of The Lake in a historic landscape below Blenheim Palace is a Cedar of Lebanon known as The Harry Potter Tree for its role in the 2007 film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Perhaps the Harry Potter Tree should more accurately be called The Severus Snape Tree, for the scene filmed here was centred around Professor Snape's memories of a time when, as a student at Hogwarts, he was bullied by Harry Potter's father while sitting under the tree. The scene is important, for it gives us an understanding of why Snape is so hostile towards Harry.

The Harry Potter Tree, Blenheim Palace

To counter a common misunderstanding, the Harry Potter Tree at Blenheim is not the Whomping Willow! The tree used for the Whomping Willow in the films stood on the National Trust's Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire. And, just to confuse things further, it was not a willow at all, but a yew.

The tree's hollow opening

Sadly, that tree suffered at the hands of over-enthusiastic fans who climbed its branches and cut away pieces as souvenirs. The tree died, leaving Blenheim's Harry Potter Tree as the only surviving tree that had a major role in the popular film series.

Cables support the tree's upper branches

To protect the tree and make sure that it did not suffer the same fate as the Ashridge tree, Blenheim estate has put up a wicker fence around the sides and back of the tree and stretched a chain across the front. A team of specialist tree surgeons also attached cables to the tree's upper branches to stabilise it and protect it against collapse.