Dame Judi Dench shed a tear yesterday after being presented with a seedling from the famous Sycamore Gap tree.
The centuries-old landmark, situated next to Hadrian’s Wall, was chopped down by vandals last year.
Dame Judi, who has been vocal about her love of trees, was presented the seedling by Charlotte Crowe, aged seven, had won a competition at her school, near Hexham in Northumberland, the closest school to the Sycamore Gap, in which pupils were invited to draw a picture of the tree and write a short poem about what it meant to them.
Of the seedling, she said: ‘I’ll be naming him Antoninus, the adopted son of the Emperor Hadrian.’
The National Trust said Dame Judi is ‘passionate about trees’ and had been ‘very concerned by the news of the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree’.
The seedling – grown from seeds taken from the tree felled last September – will be planted in the Octavia Hill garden at the show, commemorating the founder of the National Trust.
Andrew Jasper, the director of gardens and parklands at the National Trust, said: “Placing the Sycamore Gap seedling within the garden at Chelsea reflects the National Trust’s important role in preserving both our nation’s heritage and our shared horticultural heritage through plant conservation.
He added: “We hope that those who visit the garden at Chelsea this week will feel that beneficial connection to the natural heritage that we care for and also take inspiration from seeing the seedling – when we first saw the seedlings germinate, we knew there was hope for the tree’s future.”
Ann-Marie Powell, who designed the Octavia Hill garden by Blue Diamond with the National Trust, said it was important to be establishing – not just planting – trees in gardens and urban areas to reduce heat, create moist shade and provide clean air.
Those needed to include non-native varieties, she said.
“We need to be using trees and plants that are going to be here in 20 years when London is as hot as Barcelona, otherwise what’s the point, all these trees will be dead and so will the wildlife they support.”
Ms Powell, who has had to adapt her plants for the garden in the face of this year’s weather which affected the growing season and has chosen resilient plants, said: “It’s climate change, and we are having to react to be able to grow plants not just for our benefit, but for our beloved garden wildlife.
“It’s happening really fast. I’m noticing it year on year now, and I think a lot of us even as pros are winging it a bit so and I think it is a time of massive experimentation.”
The sapling will then rejoin other seedlings to continue to grow at the Trust’s National Conservation centre in Devon.
Two men charged in connection with the felling of the world-famous tree last October appeared in court earlier this month.
Daniel Graham, 38, denied cutting down the tree in Northumberland and Adam Carruthers, 31, entered no plea to the same charge.
Tree Weaver 