Europe’s Oldest Elm Was Estimated To Be Close To 800-Years-Old When It Fell Down, But A Sapling Was Recovered And Planted In The Same Spot

porbital - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only
porbital - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

I always feel very sad when I see that an old, beautiful tree fell down or was cut down for some reason.

Trees are some of the most magnificent and beautiful plants, and our planet certainly would not function properly without them. 

Last year, people in Scotland were heartbroken when Europe’s oldest elm tree, which sat in the village of Beauly, fell down.

In Beauly, a village in Scotland’s Highland area, visitors can go see the Beauly Priory, a stunning priory from the 1200s.

What once stood at the entrance of the priory was the ‘Beauty Elm,’ which was believed to be the oldest elm tree in Europe.

The tree was estimated to be almost 800-years-old and was adored by many nature and history lovers.

It lived through many major events in history, and people were fascinated by that. Historical documents dating back to medieval times reference the gothic-looking tree.

There were celebrations of life planned for the tree in the village, and it was laser scanned by the Historic Environment Scotland to study and document it.

Sadly, some experts saw the demise of Beauty Elm coming as, in 2021, it was ‘diagnosed’ with Dutch elm disease. 

porbital – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only

Dutch elm disease is a fungal infection spread through bark beetles and can kill trees rather quickly. While the official fall of Beauty Elm was very sad, there’s no need to be sad for long, as it has a chance at a second life.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh managed to recover a sapling from Beauty Elm and has kept it in their care since the tree fell last year as part of their Scottish Plant Recovery project.

The sapling has been planted where Beauty Elm originally stood alongside a second sapling that is said to be resistant to disease.

Hopefully, these saplings will grow to live as long, maybe even longer, than the beloved Beauty Elm without dying from a similar disease.

The story of Beauty Elm is an example of how modern technology and hardworking scientists and environmentalists can preserve and emulate wildlife that has been treasured throughout history.

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