When a much-loved sycamore was cut down illegally in September 2023 at a Hadrian’s Wall beauty spot in Northumbria, it became a massive news story.
But amid the national outpouring of anger and grief in the UK, which reflected the iconic status of the ‘Sycamore Gap’ tree, there was relatively little discussion about the species in question.
Much like the people who built Hadrian’s Wall, sycamores originally came from overseas. It’s thought that they were first brought to Britain in the 1500s from mainland Europe, which means they’re technically not native.
And so – ironically, given the furore over the felled tree – the landscape and ecological value of sycamores has been routinely dismissed over the years. They have seldom featured in planting schemes.
This may yet change, though, because these trees, with their winged seeds that spin, helicopter-like, as they fall at this time of year, are fairly hardy and can adapt to climate change.
More about trees
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- It's taller than Big Ben and can live for thousands of years – this is the tallest tree on Earth
- What's the oldest tree on the planet? Clue – it's older than Stonehenge
- What's the world's most poisonous tree?
Top image credit: Silviu Dascalu/Getty Images
