The multi-million £ regeneration of Granton’s waterfront has been put on hold once again following the discovery of a rare tree – thought to be the only one of it’s kind – on the Forthquarter site recently purchased by the city council. And the discovery of this unique tree could potentially transform the prospects of one of the city’s most neglected areas.
The tree’s Latin name is Arbor pecunia magicae but is better known as a Magic Money Tree. Originally thought to be the stuff of myth and legend, the fabled tree was much discussed during recent elections. Now, it seems, the magic tree does exist – and that money really does grow on trees.
For many years a legend has grown up in the coastal communities of Granton and Newhaven about local seafarers bringing back a rare species of tree following an epic odyssey. The tree was reputed to have magical powers and it is said to have transformed the life of one impoverished young man in particular. He acquired the tree – some say for a bag of beans – and he later became the first Duke of Buccleuch. His descendants retain vast tracts of land along Granton’s waterfront to this day.
The magic tree – if such it is – was recently rediscovered by the Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden, a group of volunteers who have been working on an overgrown derelict site in the shadow of Granton’s last remaining gasometer for the last two years.
A spokesperson for the Friends group said: “We discover exciting new finds almost every day at the Walled Garden site, but this took our breath away. Our members have a wealth of horticultural experience but no-one had ever seen anything like this before. We contacted the experts at the Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh and they came down to have a look. When we phoned them they were definitely sceptical – but when they saw the tree they were totally gob-smacked, too!”
A spokesperson for the Botanics said: “I can confirm that we did visit the site and that we believe a new species of tree has been discovered. We are still conducting extensive tests at the site and it is far too early to speculate as to the origins of this particular specimin, but it is undoubtedly a hugely exciting discovery.”
The site remained sectioned off this morning and the walled garden volunteers have been told to stay away from the site until further notice. Images of the tree have also been removed from social media.
The exciting discovery will undoubtedly have the politicians rubbing their hands, but the question already arises: whose tree is it? The council (who now own the land), Buccleuch Estates (who owned the lands previously), the Scottish Government or even Westminster?
A spokesperson for the City of Edinburgh Council said: “Clearly there will be high-level legal discussions as to the ownership and provenance of the tree and we would not wish to pre-empt these. However it is fair to say that, should the tree indeed prove to be a Magic Money Tree, we – the council, will be rich … rich … rich beyond our wildest dreams. We can build all the tram lines we want!”
However local campaigners are adamant that the wealth created by a magical money tree must be shared with local communities.
West Pilton West Granton community council chairman Willie Black said: “We were promised much when the regeneration of the waterfront was first talked about: thousands of new homes, new schools and nurseries, employment and training opportunities for local people … but those promises came to nothing. They were just empty words.
“This community has learned hard lessons from that experience. We are stronger and wiser, and this time we will stand firm – we won’t be fobbed off. We don’t just want a leaf off the tree, or a tiny bud or two. We don’t even want a branch – we demand the orchard!“
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priceless apples from the ‘Mother Tree’ very tasty in an apple pie xx