5315 x 3906 px | 45 x 33,1 cm | 17,7 x 13 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
maggio 1995
Ubicazione:
Fortingall churchyard, Fortingall, Aberfeldy, Perth & Kinross, Perthshire, Scotland, UK
Altre informazioni:
The Fortingall Yew (species Taxus baccata) is said to be between 3, 000 - 5, 000 years old. It is possibly the oldest tree in Britain. The site was probably already sacred in pre-Christian times as the Picts built an Early Christian monastery here between the sixth and eighth centuries AD. In 1769 the circumferance was measured by Pennant and recorded as 56.5ft. As yew trees age their centers rot away leaving an outer ring of healthy growing wood. As these mature they can divide and start to look like separate trees. At Fortingall two of these outer sections of the trunk remain. In 1852 some of the tree's limbs were recorded as fallen away, and for 200 years village boys lit Beltane fires between the separated parts of the trunk, while curio hunters cut or carried away pieces as momentoes. The remains of the tree are now protected by a wall and railing fence. Recently scientists have observed that the otherwise male tree has two female upper branches that are bearing fruit. A genetic mutation is causing the tree to exhibit male and female characteristics, an unusual habit but not unknown.
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