Preston Twins facts for kids
The Preston Twins were two very old and huge English elm trees. They grew in Brighton, England, at the top end of Preston Park. These trees were planted a long, long time ago, around the year 1613! People believed they were some of the oldest and biggest English elm trees anywhere in the world. They grew super tall, over 100 ft (30 m) (that's like a 10-story building!), and their trunks were very wide, about 23 ft (7.0 m) around.
The Amazing Preston Twins
The Preston Twins were special because of their age and size. They were likely planted as part of a hedgerow, which is like a living fence made of bushes or trees.
Battling Tree Disease
In the late 1960s, a serious sickness called Dutch elm disease spread across England. This disease is carried by tiny beetles. To protect Brighton's 17,000 elm trees, the city took many steps. They set traps for the beetles that spread the disease. Workers also dug trenches between nearby elm trees. This stopped the disease from moving easily from one tree to another through their roots. If a branch got sick, it was carefully cut off and destroyed. This helped save many trees.
A Storm and Sickness
In 2017, a big storm hit Brighton. A large branch broke off the eastern twin tree. This showed that its trunk was completely hollow inside. Even so, the tree seemed to get better after its branches were trimmed to make it lighter. Before this damage, the eastern twin was the bigger of the two trees.
Sadly, the storm-damaged eastern twin caught Dutch elm disease. This probably happened in the summer of 2018. The tree did not show any signs of being sick until the next summer. By then, the disease had already spread deep into its roots. Workers quickly dug a trench between the two twins. This was to cut off their connecting roots. They hoped to stop the disease from reaching the other healthy tree.
The End of an Era
In December 2019, the sick eastern twin tree was cut down. This was a sad day, but it was done to protect the other twin. Everyone hoped that removing the infected tree would stop the disease from spreading.
A special piece, called a cutting, was taken from the eastern twin in 2008. This cutting was planted in Amsterdam. This means a part of the Preston Twin lives on! In 2018, the eastern twin was even nominated for the Tree of the Year competition.
