Neighbours hope campaign to protect tropical tree will bear fruit

The grapefruit tree in south-west London is thought to be the only one of its kind in the UK growing outside of Kew Gardens

If there's a breeze blowing as you walk down Queenstown Road in Battersea, you might smell the scent of fresh citrus.

And if you look up outside one of the front gardens, you might see dozens of grapefruits of different colours and sizes, from small dark green balls that look like limes, to ripe golden globes ready to drop on to the street below.

The grapefruit tree is thought to be the only one of its kind in the UK growing outside of Kew Gardens.

It was brought from Grenada to south-west London as a sapling in the 1980s by one of the street's residents, Marline Anderson, who recently passed away.

Her neighbours have started a campaign to get a council preservation order to make sure it is never cut down.

Marline Anderson had brought the tree to the UK as a sapling when she moved from her childhood home in the Caribbean

"I just love the fact that I can lean out of my window and take a grapefruit for my breakfast every morning," says Vasilisa Ermakova, who has lived in the local authority flat above Marline's for 11 years, and who was with Marline in hospital when she passed away in June.

They were great friends and Vas describes their relationship as "spiritual".

"Age didn't matter. Even though she was 77 she was like a child inside so we had a lot of fun, taking pictures, dressing up," she says.

"And because she couldn't walk very well we had to do the fun inside the house. We had some really good times."

Vasilisa Ermakova, known as Vas, was great friends with Marline

Marline and Vas used to have a lot of fun dressing up together

But there is a concern that because Marline is no longer around to protect her tree, and the flat belongs to Wandsworth Council, the tree might be removed at some point.

Local chef Lior Berman says she is determined to not let that happen.

She noticed the tree some years ago on her way to the local park and has started the move to protect it.

"There is no reason to remove a healthy tree," she says.

"For the sake or the rarity of the tree, for the sake of the tree itself, for her, for us. We have this tree, why not keep it?"

Paul Sealy, who lives next door, agrees.

"I definitely think the council should protect it. Especially as they've said it's the only one in London apart from Kew Gardens where they have trees like this growing," he says.

"And it's a brilliant landmark for me if anyone's coming to my house. I live right next to the grapefruit tree, easy to find me."

A memorial plaque remembers Marline and a quote from her reads: "Kindly refrain from picking from the tree. You are welcome to gather what nature has let fall"

A Wandsworth Council spokesperson said: "A Tree Evaluation Method for Preservation Order was carried out on this tree on the 4 August.

"We are awaiting the results of this to confirm if a Tree Preservation order can be put in place."

Meanwhile, Vas has had a memorial plaque made to remember Marline and to explain the tree's history to anyone walking by.

"Her last wish was for me to do a plaque on the tree to say where it's from, and why she planted it," says Vas.

"However we've put it on the front so people don't knock on the door and we don't have to keep telling people off for constantly trying to get the grapefruits down."

There is a message on it from Marline.

It reads: "Kindly refrain from picking from the tree. You are welcome to gather what nature has let fall."

Paul Sealy believes Marline has given him a "sign" to "look after" her tree

Wandsworth Council said it was awaiting results to see a preservation order could be put in place to protect the tree

Paul believes an other-worldly message may have come from Marline to him too.

"A funny thing happened after she passed away. I was on my way home and just as I got underneath the tree a grapefruit dropped directly in front of me. That's never happened before," he says with a wry smile.

"Could be just coincidence, but I look at that as her sending a sign from beyond to say 'look after my tree'. RIP Marline."