IT TOOK 40 years to grow and just 40 minutes to come down.

Harcourt Arboretum arborist Guy Horwood shimmied up this silver birch with spikes on his feet to fell the tree last Wednesday.

In its place one day there could stand a mighty Californian redwood – among the tallest trees on planet earth.

Mr Horwood, 26, from Henley, explained: “We were removing silver birch trees from the main ride, where the most important parts of the collection grow, to keep it in order.

“Silver birch trees are very nice but they take up a lot of space and there are things underneath which can’t get as much light.”

Underneath at the moment are two rhododendrons, but what the arboretum at Nuneham Courtenay has in mind for the spot is a little bigger.

Next month Mr Horwood is setting off on a seed-collecting trip to California, where redwoods will be among his targets.

He said: “Most of the trees I’ll be collecting are large species and need lots of space.

“We need to plan 50 or 100 years in advance to make sure there is enough space for them.”

Soon the arboretum will be a sea of autumnal reds and oranges but right now visitors can still catch the last of the summer blooms including its South American eucryphias.