The first saplings grown from the Sycamore Gap tree, which was deliberately cut down in 2023, are being planted on Saturday. A total of 49 plants have been produced from seeds and material rescued from the felled tree, which stood for more than a century in a dip in Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland.
In July, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were jailed for more than four years for criminal damage to the famous landmark. More than 500 applications were received around the UK to host one of the saplings, which are now between four and six feet tall.
Five saplings will go in the ground on Saturday, along with more than half of the remainder being planted over the next few days to coincide with the start of National Tree Week. A total of 49 were grown, a figure which marks the sycamore’s height in feet before it was cut down. The National Trust has cultivated the saplings as part of its trees of hope scheme, which will see them planted in public spaces.
Those receiving trees include: The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds; Holly’s Hope in Hexham, which raises awareness of domestic violence; veterans’ charity, Veterans in Crisis, in Sunderland; and Tree Amigos in Coventry, which rescues trees damaged by vandalism. The very first sapling grown from the Sycamore Gap tree was gifted to the King last summer and will be planted on behalf of the nation at a later date.
Another 15 trees will be planted in each of the UK’s national parks in early 2026, including one in Northumberland where the original sycamore stood.
Darryl Beck, from the National Trust’s Plant Conservation Centre which has grown the trees, said it had been a privilege to take care of the saplings over the past two years. «At the time when the tree was felled we didn’t know whether we would be able to achieve this, whether the seeds were viable or whether any of the grafts would be successful. So when we sowed them into the seed trays and when that first one came up, everyone in the Trust was just so pleased to see that there was hope. Two years later, we’ve got some very nice trees going out, they’re about two meters tall now.» He added: «We’re really looking forward to seeing these trees thriving in the landscape.»
Read more from Sky News: Waste mountain ranked as critical incident, Discover who won Tree of the Year, Toby Carvery fells ancient oak tree. Meanwhile, the stump of the Sycamore Gap tree is showing signs of life. In July, new shoots were seen emerging at the base. The National Trust said that – over several decades – there is hope the tree may grow again.
Andrew Poad, general manager for the National Trust’s Hadrian’s Wall properties, said: «It’s incredible to think that this weekend, the first ‘offspring’ of this very famous tree will be planted – it feels like just yesterday that those tentative first shoots appeared. Over the next couple of years, the saplings will really start to take shape, and because sycamores are so hardy, we’re confident they’ll be able to withstand a range of conditions.
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