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The first of 49 saplings grown from the illegally felled Sycamore Gap tree were planted on Saturday as part of the National Trust’s Trees of Hope initiative.

The plantings coincide with the start of National Tree Week and were conducted after early 500 applications were submitted for the 49 saplings – one for each foot in height of the original tree at the time it was cut down.

Now between four and six feet tall, the plants were grown from seeds collected immediately after the felling and nurtured at the Trust’s Plant Conservation Centre.

Hilary McGrady, Director General of the National Trust, said: “It was the quick thinking of our conservationists in the aftermath of the felling that has allowed the Sycamore Gap tree to live on. The team has cared for these 49 hopeful saplings beautifully and they’re now ready to be given to communities, where they’ll become a source of inspiration, a place to reflect, a home for nature or simply a reminder that there are always good things worth fighting for, even after something so senseless. We’re looking forward to seeing them thrive.”

All the saplings will be planted in publicly accessible spaces across the UK, allowing people to share in the legacy of one of the country’s most recognisable trees.

The first sites to receive a ‘Tree of Hope’ on Saturday, 22 November, include The Tree Sanctuary in Coventry – created by three teenagers to rescue unwanted trees – a memorial site for the Minnie Pit mining disaster in Staffordshire, and Greenham Common in Berkshire, which reopened to the public in 2000 after decades of military use.

Later in the week, further plantings will take place at the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds, at Hexham General Hospital in Northumberland, and at the veterans’ charity Veterans in Crisis in Sunderland.

The first sapling produced from the Sycamore Gap tree was presented to His Majesty The King last summer and will be planted for the nation at a later date.

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 – it feels like just yesterday that those tentative first shoots appeared. 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.

“To be able to keep the story of the Sycamore Gap alive in all four corners of the UK and in so many different settings is a fitting tribute, and we hope that, just like the original tree, these young saplings will touch many people’s lives.”

In Coventry, a sapling has been planted on Sowe Common North by the ‘Tree Amigos’, who established their Tree Sanctuary in 2023.

Martina Irwin, a co-founder of the sanctuary, said: “Planting the sapling today will be really special and gives us a great opportunity to connect even more people, especially young people, to nature.

“We’ve chosen to plant it among some other ‘saved’ trees that we have planted on Sowe Common, serving as a beacon to inspire respect, understanding, and a sense of responsibility toward all trees.

"We hope the planting of the Sycamore Gap tree sapling will encourage the next generation of young 'Tree Amigos' to join in with future tree planting projects in Coventry."

Early next month, another sapling gifted to Henshaw Church of England Primary School – the nearest school to Sycamore Gap – will be planted on its grounds. A further 15 will be planted across each of the UK’s National Parks, including Northumberland National Park, in early 2026.