Sycamore Gap sapling planted at a Welsh hospital as a symbol of hope for those living with chronic conditions

A sapling grown from the much-loved Sycamore Gap tree, which once towered over Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, has been planted at a Welsh hospital as a symbol of hope for people living with chronic conditions.

Planted at a small ceremony at University Hospital Llandough (UHL) today (18 February) the sapling is one of just 49 grown from seeds collected from the iconic 49-foot sycamore felled illegally in 2023.

The sapling was gifted as part of the National Trust’s Trees of Hope initiative.

An application from Cardiff & Vale Health Charity’s Better Life Fund and the All-Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, based at UHL, was chosen from hundreds to receive the sapling.

Consultant Chest and CF Physician Dr Dawn Lau, who led the application, said: “We are thrilled to receive and home the Sycamore Gap sapling. It embodies such a special symbol of hope arising from adversity, apparent hopelessness and loss.”

The Better Life Fund supports the All-Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre. It was created to help fund the founding and continued development of the centre as well as supporting patient care and needs for people with Cystic Fibrosis all over Wales.

The All-Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre provides specialist care for 350 adults from across Wales and bordering counties living with Cystic Fibrosis, an inherited condition that affects the lungs, digestive system and other internal organs.

The centre provides access to a multi-disciplinary team including specialist nurses, ward staff, physiotherapists, consultants, dietitians, social workers and psychologists.

Physical and psychological challenges

Advances in treatment, medication and early diagnoses have significantly improved life expectancy for those living with CF. But managing the condition remains complex, tiring and time consuming, and people with Cystic Fibrosis face significant physical and psychological challenges.

Dr Lau said: “For people living with Cystic Fibrosis and other chronic genetic life-limiting conditions, as well as those looking after them, this ‘Tree of Hope’ serves as a visual symbol of strength and perseverance, as well as a legacy to those who have gone before.”

Clinicians, former colleagues, relatives of patients and members of the Health Board attended the planting ceremony.

Chief Executive of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Suzanne Rankin said: “This sapling comes from a tree that meant a great deal to many people. When it was lost, it left a sense of sadness far beyond where it stood. Planting this new tree creates a visible sign of hope, continuity and renewal in an environment that can often feel stressful or uncertain.

“As it takes root and grows, we hope it will become a living reminder of the power of hope, the importance of community, and the enduring impact of support and compassion in people’s lives.”

AWACFC Centre Director Dr Ian Ketchell said: “The original Sycamore Gap tree will always live on in our memory, just as those that we’ve lost to Cystic Fibrosis remain forever part of who we are. Their courage and their stories give this day its deeper meaning.”

Green space

The sapling, which can live up to 400 years, has been planted in Our Health Meadow, the hospital’s seven-acre green space which offers a welcome outdoor retreat for patients, visitors and Health Board staff.

Dr Lau said: “It will be a practical boon for those fortunate to enjoy its beauty and shade in the grounds of the hospital.”

When the National Trust announced the recipients of the 49 ‘Trees of Hope’ saplings in November 2024, Andrew Poad, General Manager for the National Trust’s Hadrian Wall properties said: “Each and every application for a ‘Tree of Hope’ told heartfelt stories of people’s emotional connections to the Sycamore Gap tree and the importance of nature.

They spoke of loss, hope and regeneration from all four corners of the country, from towns, schools, colleges, community groups, hospitals and hospices, it’s been a privilege to read them all.

“The tree meant so much to so many and through the ‘Trees of Hope’ initiative we are helping reach people across the nation, for generations to come.”

This is the only ‘Trees of Hope’ sapling to be planted in the Vale of Glamorgan and one of three in Wales, with others in Gower College Swansea and Cardiff’s Rhiwbina Primary School. A further three saplings will be planted in each of the Welsh National Parks.