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The first of the 49 Sycamore Gap tree saplings given by the National Trust to individuals, community groups, and organisations across the UK will be planted this weekend. The plantings, which mark the start of National Tree Week today, are the result of the ‘Trees of Hope’ initiative launched by the charity last September to find homes for the saplings grown from the beloved Sycamore Gap tree.
The 120-year-old tree, next to Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, was deliberately felled by Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, who had travelled from Cumbria in September 2023 to chop it down. They were convicted of criminal damage in July and sentenced to more than four years in prison.
Nearly 500 applications were received for the 49 saplings – one to represent each foot in height that the tree was at the time it was cut down. The saplings, now between 4 and 6 feet tall, were grown from the seeds rescued from the felled tree and have been carefully nurtured at the National Trust’s Plant Conservation Centre in Devon.
Hilary McGrady, Director General of the National Trust, said: “It was the quick thinking of our conservationists in the aftermath of the felling that has allowed the Sycamore Gap tree to live on. The team has cared for these 49 hopeful saplings beautifully and they’re now ready to be given to communities, where they’ll become a source of inspiration, a place to reflect, a home for nature or simply a reminder that there are always good things worth fighting for, even after something so senseless. We’re looking forward to seeing them thrive.”
All the saplings will be planted in publicly accessible spaces, in locations across the UK, to enable as many people as possible to feel part of the iconic tree’s legacy.
The first places to plant a ‘Tree of Hope’ today, November 22, include The Tree Sanctuary in Coventry, where a teenage trio set up a project to rescue their city’s trees; a site commemorating the Minnie Pit mining disaster in Staffordshire; and Greenham Common in Berkshire which reopened to the public in 2000 following decades of military use.
Later in the week, saplings will take root at the The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds, at Hexham General Hospital in Northumberland, and at a veterans’ charity, Veterans in Crisis, in Sunderland. The very first sapling grown from the Sycamore Gap tree was gifted to His Majesty The King last summer and this tree will be planted for the nation at a later date.
Andrew Poad, General Manager for the National Trust’s Hadrian 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.
“To be able to keep the story of the Sycamore Gap alive in all four corners of the UK and in so many different settings is a fitting tribute, and we hope that, just like the original tree, these young saplings will touch many people’s lives.”
Martina Irwin, a co-founder of the Tree Sanctuary in Coventry, said: “Planting the sapling today will be really special and gives us a great opportunity to connect even more people, especially young people, to nature.
“We’ve chosen to plant it among some other ‘saved’ trees that we have planted on Sowe Common, serving as a beacon to inspire respect, understanding, and a sense of responsibility toward all trees. We hope the planting of the Sycamore Gap tree sapling will encourage the next generation of young 'Tree Amigos' to join in with future tree planting projects in Coventry."
Early next month, an additional sapling which was given to the school closest to the Sycamore Gap, Henshaw Church of England Primary School, will be planted in its grounds. Meanwhile, another 15 saplings will be planted in each of the UK’s National Parks, including Northumberland National Park where the original stood, early next year.