Read The Dodo Knows :: Tree Friend

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The Dodo Knows

Tree Friend

Jabbage

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The tree is a Giant Black Pine, a pinus nigra. I'm not entirely sure why it's called a black pine because the bark always seemed pretty pale to me! Being cut down plunged the tree from being a point of local interest to internet-wide phenomenon, due to the Tolkien connection. A lot of people who had never ever seen the tree or knew the gardens condemned them for cutting it down, others rushed to defend the gardeners. Insults flew, flame wars were fought. For me, it all felt a little surreal.

The story goes that the tree started dropping branches, which in a confined public area like the botanical gardens was very dangerous (and probably indicated that the tree was coming to the end of its life anyway.) I don't blame those who took the decision to cut it down - safety is important. It had a good 200-something years, it's just a shame it was planted in such a confined location in the first place. There are seven saplings of the tree, as far as I know. They're in Poland right now, but I hope that one day one will return back to the botanical gardens!

For those not in the know about LOTR, There are a line of trees known as the White Tree in Tolkien's mythology, used as a symbol for the continuing line of kings. As one tree dies it is replaced by a seedling, until the third tree died with no successor (and at the same time the line of kings failed too.)
Aragorn, the rightful king, finds a sapling of the original tree and legitimises his claim to the throne.

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