AN OAK tree at the National Botanic Garden which has been chosen as the Wales Tree of the Year is now in the running for European Tree of the Year.

The tree, christened ‘Survival at the cutting edge’, received 28 per cent of the votes in a closely fought contest with six other trees across the country.

Voting for the European competition is now open and runs throughout February.

The tree was entered into the competition by Gwendraeth Valley man Terry Treharne who wrote on the nomination form: "When I was born, what is now the National Botanic Garden of Wales was seven starter farms. To earn pocket money at the age of 14 I was given the job of clearing an overgrown paddock.

"Armed with a scythe, I cleared vast tracts of it, until I developed an excruciating pain in my elbow and had to stop. On my return two days later, the farmer reminded me (though they hadn’t told me before) not to cut down the oak tree in the paddock.

"So, but for my elbow, I would have destroyed this beautiful tree."

The competition, organised by the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) and supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, sees the old oak join the Cubbington Pear in England, the Suffragette Oak from Scotland and Peace Tree in Northern Ireland in the European Tree of the Year contest.

David Hardy from the National Botanic Garden of Wales says: “I’m delighted this wonderful tree has been voted as the Wales Tree of the Year. Clearly, there was something in this story of its chance survival all those years ago that struck a chord with public.

"The great news is that this tree is still here and able to take its place among 8,000 different plant species spread across 560 acres of beautiful countryside that make up Wales’ National Botanic Garden.”

Cast your vote for Survival at the cutting edge online at treeoftheyear.org