When the Sycamore Gap tree fell on September 28, hundreds of years of British history fell with it.
In a single deliberate act, a landmark that has withstood two world wars, seven monarchs and more than 40 changes of Prime Minister was thoughtlessly destroyed.
But it may not be lost forever, as scientists believe the historic tree could survive as a genetically identical clone.
Through a technique called clonal propagation, it might be possible to save the Sycamore Gap tree, allowing it to live into the distant future.
What’s more, similar techniques have been used in the past to save culturally important trees, including Isaac Newton’s famous apple tree.
Through a technique called clonal propagation, it might be possible to save the Sycamore Gap tree, allowing it to live into the distant future.
On September 28, locals were shocked to discover that the iconic monument had been torn down overnight in what appeared to be a deliberate act of vandalism.
Could the Sycamore Gap tree be saved?
The easiest way the Sycamore Gap tree could survive is if it grows back on its own.
While the tree may be down, it is far from out and the stump is very much alive despite its disastrous appearance.
Jo Clark, research director at charity The Future Trees Trust, told MailOnline: “Broadleaf trees such as sycamore, ash, oak, hazel and chestnut regrow easily from a cut stump, especially when they are young.
When a tree is cut down to a stump and survives, it can resprout, resulting in several thin trunks growing from the base instead of a single large trunk.
Clark says it is “very possible” that the Sycamore Gap tree will resprout, as long as the regrowth can be protected from the local deer population that might otherwise eat it.
However, even if the tree survives in this way, it will never grow back into the same majestic shape that inspired tourists and filmmakers alike.
Perhaps science can offer a better solution in the form of cloning through propagation or micropropagation.
Plants are surprisingly easy to clone since, unlike animals, they can completely regrow from just a few cells if the conditions are right.
While police search for the culprit, conservationists and scientists have turned their attention to what can be done to save the tree or allow it to live in other ways.
Micropropagation takes thousands of small samples of a plant, called explants, which are grown in a nutrient-filled medium and treated with hormones to stimulate root growth.
These small explants can then grow into plants of their own, each a perfect clone of the original.
Micropropagation is possible with a sycamore, Clark explained, but the process is very expensive and the success rate can be quite low.
In the case of trees it is best to take a tiny cutting, called a scion, which can be grafted directly onto a young tree of the same species, known as a rootstock.
The cutting attaches to this ‘rootstock’ and grows into a tree genetically identical to the tree from which it was first taken.
As Alison Crook, curator of plant collections at the National Trust, explained, When a cutting is grafted onto a rootstock, the crown of the tree will be genetically identical to the original plant, but the roots will remain genetically distinct throughout the life of the plant.
The National Trust has already collected seeds and cuttings from the tree that could be used directly to grow clones of the original, but there is no guarantee of success.
The process is relatively simple if the cutting can be done within 72 hours of cutting down the tree while it is in its winter dormant state.
“This is quite easy to do on some things,” Ms Crook said.
‘The difficulty depends on what plant you are trying to do it with and what time of year.
“Unfortunately it was not the perfect time of year to get the best material, but that is one of the tools we are using to try to generate new plants.”
Another technique the National Trust is already trying with the Sycamore Gap tree is called “budding”.
“We can’t do grafting at this time of year,” Mrs Crook told MailOnline.
Instead, this technique takes a bud from a tree and inserts it into the stem of the rootstock.
‘You pick a bud from the Sycamore Gap tree, seal it, and cross your fingers. “We are trying to conserve the tree material in every way possible,” added Mrs Crook.
The most famous cloned tree in British history is actually Isaac Newton’s famous apple tree. The current tree at Woolsthorpe Manor is actually a clone of the original tree that was felled around 1820.
READ MORE: ‘Famous Newton’s apple tree’ at Cambridge University botanic garden is blown down by storm Eunice’s gales – but luckily scientists cloned two more!
When have trees been cloned before?
The most famous cloned tree in British history is Sir Isaac Newton’s famous apple tree.
Probably planted in 1650, this rare Kent Blossom apple tree grew in the garden of the Newton family home at Woolsthorpe Manor.
In a story that is almost certainly false but hugely famous, it was under this same apple tree that Newton was first inspired to develop his theory of gravity when a falling apple hit him on the head.
Unfortunately, this apple tree fell around 1814 and survived for a few more years until it was finally felled by a storm around 1820.
However, as luck would have it, later inhabitants of the house took cuttings from the tree and the living wood from the fallen tree was successfully propagated in nearby Belton Park.
The shoots were taken by the Fruit Research Station in East Malling in the 1930s and from there, clones of the famous Newton apple tree have spread around the world.
There are currently clones of this tree on every continent except Antarctica and shoots of the tree have even been sent into space, living aboard the International Space Station in 2014-15.
In a story that is almost certainly false but enormously famous, it was under this same apple tree that Newton was first inspired to develop his theory of gravity when a falling apple hit him on the head.
Should we clone the Sycamore Gap tree?
Although cloning the Sycamore Gap tree is certainly possible if action is taken quickly, experts say it may not be the best way to preserve the tree’s legacy.
Professor Samuel Brockington, Curator of the University of Cambridge Botanic Garden and Professor of Evolution, told MailOnline that while an experienced grafter could certainly produce a genetically identical tree, he is not sure this is best.
‘The loss of the tree at Sycamore Gap was a brutal and unnecessary loss. “It is an opportunity to reflect on our society’s relationship with nature and take renewed action to commit to protecting our natural heritage,” says Professor Brockington.
But there is the other side of the coin. It is an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with transience. All living things die, including beautiful trees.
‘This tree was taken before its time, but at some point it would have disappeared. Even a clonally propagated tree would be unlikely to have the same shape and height, as this is determined by both the environment and its genes.’
Professor Brockington says there are many other ways the tree can be commemorated, such as a plaque, a statue or even a bench made from the wood of the fallen tree.
“There are many options,” he added. “But one thing is certain: This tree’s progeny through seed have spread far and wide, and given the health and longevity of the tree at Sycamore Gap, I have no doubt they are thriving.”
