Propagating Tolkien’s Black Pine

JRR Tolkien at The University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Hartcourt Arboretum

We have recently been approached by The University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Hartcourt Arboretum to attempt to propagate cuttings taken from a tree with an incredible, rich history. The tree has recently lost two branches, and is sadly having to be removed from the arboretum altogether.

We all know that without trees on this planet there would be no humans, thankfully that’s not the case- for now at least. Trees are not just essential for our existence; they also enrich our lives in so many other ways.

Significant trees have featured heavily throughout culture and history. To name but a few: ‘The Major‘s Oak of Sherwood Forest’ which is world famous for being the hideaway home of medieval folk hero Robin Hood; ‘The Tree of Life’ in Bahrain which appears to grow obscurely, utterly alone in the middle of the barren desert with no known water source (though in truth it taps water with one of the deepest known root systems) and which is visited by 50,000 tourists a year; ‘The Cotton Tree’ of Freetown in Sierra Leone which is said to have been discovered by former African American slaves who had fought for their freedom and fled back to Africa. When arriving at the tree, they held a thanksgiving service to thank God for their liberty.

These trees have all played their role in human history, but then, haven’t all trees really? It is the trees’ ability to stand alone for millennia that gives them such a mythical quality, towering above us they appear to hold secrets or knowledge of life that as mortals we are nowhere near to unlocking. They emerge and thrive in a myriad of different environments, providing intrigue, beauty and the very oxygen that us humans need to survive. Could anything be more admirable or necessary?

J.J. R Tolkien must have agreed, as he sat beneath a Black Pine (Pinus nigra) at the Oxford Botanical Gardens, which dominates the centre of the four-acre, 17th-century walled garden. This is where he is said to have created his Ents (giant talking trees) inspired by the whirl-patterned bark.

The University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Hartcourt Arboretum

This colossal specimen known as ‘Tolkien’s tree’ is, according to Dr Stephen Harris of Oxford University’s Department of Plant Sciences, thought to have been ‘planted in 1799 from seed that was collected by the Third Sherardian Professor of Botany, John Sibthorp, in Austria’.

'We know that Sibthorp sent considerable amounts of plant material to Oxford from the eastern Mediterranean in 1786/87 and that he was in Austria in 1785. He was also in regions of Black Pine growth in 1795 but he died in 1796. 'If the story of the Black Pine is true then it should be at least 215 years old’. 
The particular subspecies of Black Pine represented by the tree has also been a point of controversy - we should now be able to settle this controversy as well.'

With the cuttings now safely arrived at Lime Cross Nursery, we will begin the journey of propagation. We plan to use various techniques and have also sent some material to Derek Spicer at KilworthConifers, to increase the chance of success.

According to various national media sources, some Lord of the Rings fanatics are reported to be enraged that the Botanical Gardens haven’t chosen to inject money into saving the tree. Whilst we agree that this is a very important, iconic tree, we are also of the opinion that sometimes this is the way with nature. We will however do all that we can to successfully propagate a new clone, and, of course, we will keep you posted on our progress.’

Cuttings of the Black pine at Lime Cross Nursery