Saving a rare tree

A LEWES tree surgeon is doing his bit to save Britain's biggest and rarest native tree from extinction.

There are thought to be only 300 female black poplars in the country. Remarkably, staff from Kew Gardens spotted two in the grounds of Malling Deanery while walking the riverbanks at Lewes.

Cuttings were taken and saplings produced.

Tree surgeon Alan Harwood, of AH Services, was asked to find four of them a home. Two have been planted near Hamsey Church and another has been placed in the grounds of Hamsey School, where Alan's children are pupils. The last will be planted on private land in Lewes over the weekend.

The problem is the female black poplars are so rare that the 5,700 male black poplars left nationwide find it almost impossible to reproduce.

Both the Lewes females are more than 100ft high, probably more than 200 years old, and showing signs of wear and tear.

Now there will be four more in the Lewes area, and there is an outside chance that one day they may succeed in reproducing themselves.

l Pictured: Charlie Harwood, Alistair Evans, Daisy Harwood and Joe Few from Hamsey School with saplings, and Alan Harwood. In the background, the rare black poplar L12088d