Trees mark Queen’s Jubilee in Sutton (From Your Local Guardian)

Trees mark Queen’s Jubilee in Sutton

8:10am Wednesday 28th March 2012 in News

Britain’s rarest tree is to be planted in Sutton to celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubilee.

Only 8,000 of the rare black poplars remain in Britain.

They are either male or female, and with only 400 females left, the species will struggle to reproduce naturally.

Each of London’s 32 boroughs has been presented with a tree to commemorate the Queen’s 60-year reign.

Mayor Gerry Jerome collected Sutton’s from Sir David Attenborough and Lord Lieutenant for Greater London, Sir David Brewer, at a special ceremony held in Holland Park last month.

Sutton Council’s tree experts and the Friends of Beddington Park are planning to plant a copse of 30 black poplars plus hazel, birch, hawthorn and cherry trees in Beddington Park, along the banks of the River Wandle.

Councillor Graham Tope, executive member for community safety, leisure and libraries on Sutton Council, said: “The black poplar has been part of Britain’s landscape for centuries, so I’m delighted that a copse of these now-rare trees is going to be planted in Sutton.

“Every London borough has been given a black poplar to help them mark the queen’s jubilee, but we’ve decided to do something a bit different and create a whole copse of trees.

“Black poplars prefer a damp location and all trees grow better as a group, so this will allow the copse grow into a real local landmark in years to come.”