A towering giant sequoia on a National Trust estate has just earned the title of the tallest living Christmas tree in the world. The tree stands an eye catching 44.7 metres tall at Cragside in Northumberland, and it has been growing there since it was planted back in the 1860s. To put its scale into perspective, it is said to be more than twice the height of the Angel of the North. The record was officially verified by a Guinness team, with the news also picked up by the BBC.
Getting a living tree recognised for a world record is not as simple as measuring it and moving on. For Guinness to consider it in the first place, the sequoia had to be decorated with two different types of ornaments. That meant wrapping the enormous tree in more than 1,300 Christmas lights and adding two oversized purple bows to make the festive look unmistakable.
The decorating itself was a serious operation, not a quick afternoon job. A spokesperson said a work platform was needed, and it took three people two full days to put up all the lights. Each bulb was checked carefully before being attached, with the lights secured vertically to avoid putting too much strain on the tree.
Guinness judge Carl Saville described the moment as a privilege, saying it was rewarding to give the tree the recognition it deserves. Cragside is no stranger to impressive holiday displays either, as the estate already held the UK record for the tallest living Christmas tree last year. Steve Howard, a Cragside official, said the team kept asking themselves if they could take an even bigger step and go for the world title, and they ultimately made it happen. He added that it was tough to keep the achievement under wraps for weeks, especially during the season when people are busy putting up their own trees.
It is also worth noting that this record focuses specifically on living trees that are still rooted in the ground. The title for the tallest Christmas tree ever displayed remains with a different kind of spectacle, a tree erected in 1950 at the Northgate shopping centre in Seattle. That tree was reportedly 64.6 metres tall, but it was not growing in the earth like the sequoia at Cragside.
Would you rather see a record breaking living tree in its natural setting or a massive man made display that dominates a city skyline? Share your thoughts in the comments.
