Oak sapling from felled ancient tree presented to the Queen
The Queen is to receive a sapling grown from an ancient, historical oak tree that once stood proud in a valley near Chirk on the Shropshire border.
The Pontfadog Oak was believed to be one of the biggest and oldest in the world until is was toppled by a storm in 2013.
Such was its heritage that scions - young shoots or twigs - from the tree were grafted onto other hosts to keep its DNA alive.
Rob McBride from Ellesmere was one of those involved in collecting the scions in 2013 with experts from Kew Gardens.
The grafting proved successful thanks to work by Kew Gardens, the Botanical Gardens of Wales and The Crown Estate and the DNA was retained in saplings.
The week Prince Charles visited the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne to receive an oak sapling from the First Minister of Wales, as a gift from the people of Wales to HM The Queen to mark the Platinum Jubilee.
Two saplings will be planted at National Trust Cymru locations close to where the original Portfadog Oak grew.
One will go to Chirk Castle and another at the commemorative woodlands at Erddig, near Wrexham.
Wales first minister, Mark Drakeford said: “It is a great honour to be able to present the oak sapling to HM The Queen to mark the Platinum Jubilee.
“The trees have an incredible history having been grafted from such a grand and ancient oak.
“I hope that the trees will grow and develop into mighty oaks that will stand for centuries to come”.
The others will remain at National Botanic Garden of Wales as part of their arboretum plans to protect the gene pool of the iconic oak.
Alex Summers, curator of the National Botanic Garden of Wales said:
“The Pontfadog oak was one of the oldest oaks in Europe at an estimated 1,200 years old when it finally succumbed to the elements.
“It is exciting for the Botanic Garden to have the opportunity to be the guardians of these young saplings for their return to Wales.
“As we develop a National Arboretum onsite these saplings will connect us to the nation's natural heritage, along with the others planted across the country”.
Rebecca Williams, assistant director, National Trust Cymru, said: “As a conservation charity, we know that ancient trees like the Pontfadog Oak are a key part of our shared heritage.
“We are proud to provide a home for two of these significant saplings at Chirk Castle and at the commemorative woodland in Erddig.
“We hope to see these saplings grow to become the ancient trees of the future”.
The Windsor Estate is home to one of the largest collections of ancient and veteran oak and beech trees in Northern Europe, including the ecologically important Pontfadog Oak that was grafted from the original tree.
