Californian Redwood tree as tall as a 30-storey building set to come back to life in Cornwall - 125 years after it was felled to satisfy a drunken bet
The tree in Humboldt, California, was felled in 1890 at behest of Lord Astor
It became known as the Fieldwood Stump and has since attracted tourists
Scientists at the Eden Project collected cuttings from its wood last year
They have planted 10 clone saplings in nursery in St Austell, Cornwall
Activists say cloning more redwood trees could help battle climate change
ByJennifer Smith for MailOnline
Published: 10:20 GMT, 23 March 2015 | Updated: 12:47 GMT, 23 March 2015
A giant redwood tree that was felled 125 years ago to satisfy a drunken bet is to be brought back to life on the Cornish coast.
The tree in Humboldt, California, became known as the Fieldwood Stump after being cut down in 1890 at the behest of a wealthy American living in Britain.
For decades since tourists have visited the site, perching on what remains of it for photographs.
But a group of scientists believe they may be able to recreate its former glory after planting cuttings of its wood in the Eden Project in Cornwall.
At one time the tree, whose stump is 35ft in diameter, towered as high as a 30-storey building.
It was felled in the late 19th Century on the orders of William Walford Astor who is said to have bet drinking mate he could source a 40-seat dining table from a single cross-section of a tree.
A huge slice indeed arrived at Cliveden, his stately home in Buckinghamshire, but Lord Astor forbid peers from retelling the story.
More than a century after meeting its end the tree will be rejuvenated by scientists in Cornwall as part of an adventurous project to clone American plants in Britain.
'The notion of putting back trees that have their own story has a huge appeal,' said Sir Tim Smit, executive chairman and founder of the Eden Project,' he told The Independent.
'There are lots of ancient trees in Britain that have a piece of history attached to them.'
Scientists began last year by collecting cuttings of trees around California. The cuttings were replanted in nurseries at the Eden Project in St Austell and have now grown to leg height.
Planting cuttings rather than seeds is more likely to produce an exact clone of the original tree, with the shavings containing exactly the same DNA.
The method of propagation is one championed by David Milarch, a former biker-gang member who founded the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive in a bid to save more of the planet's plants.
Along with his sons Mr Milarch has concentrated on planting more sequoias and redwoods because of their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas most commonly associated with climate change.
'If we get enough of these trees out there, we'll make a difference,' said Jared Milarch, the group's executive director,' Jared Milarch, the group's executive director, has said in the past.
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