When we think of rare and protected landmark trees, we’re probably imagining some giant and ancient landmark – the giant redwoods of California, the giant plane trees in some of London’s major squares, or the sadly-felled Sycamore on Hadrian’s Wall. But Battersea’s now got one all of its own – and it’s just a few metres high, about forty years old, and one that only our most observant readers will have noticed.

Towards the southern end of Queenstown Road – just after the last of the small stretch of shops – is a very leafy tree in a tiny front garden, which stretches out in to the road. It’s green all year aound and it seems to be thriving – but your author didn’t pay it all that much attention until a few years ago when we realised that the grapefruits we kept seeing on the pavement weren’t the result of repeated burst-shopping-bag disasters, but were actually growing on the tree. Because it’s one of the tiny handful of grapefruit trees that is growing outdoors in the UK outside of Kew Gardens.

It was planted by Marline Calliste Anderson, who moved to the UK in the 1980s from Grenada. She hid the tree, which was then a little seedling, in her suitcase for the journey as a reminder of home. It nearly got confiscated at customs, but the staff apparently smelled its leaves and recognised it as something ‘citrus’ and low-risk so let it through. In Battersea Marline planted it in the tiny little front garden area and tended to it for years – leading to the happy tree we have now.

In a way she was also lucky, as the location – just at the foot of the slope in the road, in a very sheltered spot near the middle of town, well away from any biting winds or severe frosts – and also in a location that has extremely good soil just under the surface thanks to being on the edge of the old Thames floodplain (mor information in a post way back on the Heathwall river that flows almost underneath the spot) – was pretty good one for a grapefruit tree.

Marline died in June, and Marline’s family, friends and neighbours have since added a small plaque to the gate post by the tree – saying:

“In loving memory of Marline Calliste Anderson, 19th January 1948-11th June 2025. She planted this grapefruit tree with love in the 1980s. A gift from her homeland, Grenada. It bears fruit year-round, her essence lives on in its roots”.

Marline had become friends over the years with Lior Berman, a chef who also lived in the street – and after Marline died, Lior contacted the council to try to get a tree preservation order to help make sure Marline’s tree could stay in place for future residents and neighbours to enjoy. And the order, London Borough of Wandsworth Tree Preservation (No. 510) Order 2025, was agreed by the Council.

At the point of the order being made, Deputy Leader of Wandsworth Council Kemi Akinola said:

“We were very pleased to grant the Tree Preservation Order and ensure that this beloved local landmark stands for generations to come. Marline was much-loved by her neighbours and we’re proud to have listened to the wishes of the community. In our year as London Borough of Culture, it’s great to recognise the contribution that people of African and Caribbean heritage have made to Wandsworth.‘ The Order, which we have posted an extract of below, specifies the tree as ‘Grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi).”

Our tree has found a bit of fame in the last few weeks – the BBC visited, with reporter Anna O’Neill trying the grapefruits (‘I was given one and ate it for breakfast on Wednesday and it was delicious‘), and local community radio station Riverside Radio also visiting the site and recording a short report and also an interview with Marline’s friend Lior who led the work to get the Tree Preservation order.

If you’re in the Queenstown Road area – do try a grapefruit (though go for the ones that are ripe and have fallen off the tree, not the ones still attached) and spare a thought for Marline’s public-spirited contribution to Queenstown Road back in the 1980s.

We post on a somewhat eclectic mix of local topics in the Lavender Hill area of Battersea, London. Some of our favourite local history articles are here; including on how this bit of Battersea was where the UK aviation industry started, on the pioneering women of Battersea’s early days (who included factory developers, social reformers, fearless pilots, celebrated artists, tenacious campaigners and ‘dangerous subversives’), and on the grand plans that could have seen a much smarter and more expensive bit of London built along the Queenstown Road. If you live near Queenstown road you’ll also want to see a recent article on a significant cycle and pedestrian safety upgrade being planned for this stretch of the street.

This article was originally published on lavender-hill.uk.