Saplings from the illegally felled Sycamore Gap tree are to be planted across the UK, including at a pit disaster site, a town healing from the Troubles, and a place that became an international symbol of peace and protest. The National Trust said planting of 49 saplings, known as 'trees of hope', would begin on Saturday, with the aim of ensuring the sycamore lives on in a positive way.
The Sycamore Gap tree, on Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, was one of the UK's most beloved trees. It was cut down on a stormy night in September 2023, sparking widespread anger. Hilary McGrady, director general of the National Trust, said the quick thinking of conservationists after the felling allowed the tree to live on. Seeds were collected and grew into 49 saplings, one for each foot of the tree's height.
Nearly 500 applications were received for the saplings, which are now between four and six feet tall. The first five will be planted on Saturday during National Tree Week, with many more in the following days. All will be in publicly accessible spaces. One sapling will go to Greenham Common in Berkshire, site of 1980s women's peace camps. Helen Beard of the Greener Greenham Common Group called it 'a powerful way to spread a message of hope'.
Another sapling will be planted in Strabane, County Tyrone, a border town that suffered heavily during the Troubles but now has a vibrant arts scene. It symbolises the town's journey towards healing and honours John Gallagher, a community member who died from motor neurone disease. Other Saturday plantings include the Minnie Pit mining disaster site in Staffordshire, the Tree Sanctuary in Coventry, and Coton Orchard in Cambridgeshire.
Later in the week, saplings will be planted at the Rob Burrow centre for motor neurone disease in Leeds, Hexham general hospital in Northumberland, and a veterans' charity in Sunderland. 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. 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.'
