The tree was a popular photo subject, then it was illegally felled. A seedling from the seeds will now go to the British royal family.
King Charles III is to receive the first offshoot of a famous tree that was illegally felled in northern England a few months ago. The sycamore maple, which is believed to be around 200 years old, was a popular photo subject and also known from the film “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” with actor Kevin Costner. The fact that perpetrators felled the tree in the autumn caused horror across the country.
Once the seedling has grown, it will be planted in the park in the town of Windsor, the royal family announced on Instagram on Monday. Over time, the wind will help its seeds to spread even further.
The power of trees to touch and comfort people also lies in the permanence and hope they represent, the palace wrote. Rooted in the present and thriving in the present, their seeds are carried into a future as yet unknown.
The sycamore tree stood in a depression – the so-called Sycamore Gap. It was felled in September 2023. The trunk fell on Hadrian’s Wall, which the Romans built in the second century AD to protect against attacks from the north and to control trade routes.
“The outpouring of emotion we have seen since the sycamore was felled shows how closely we are connected to our natural heritage,” said the National Trust, a conservation and heritage organization. Thanks to the help of experts, more than 100 seedlings and 40 cuttings of the tree now exist. Actress Judi Dench presented a cutting last week at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
