Collected in the Swiss Alps, the parent tree of this branch had grown incredibly slowly - until it was re-planted in a temporary container, using good soil and fed regularly. The improvement in vigour during the three years following collection was progressive, as the high resolution scan of the cut branch cross-section shows.

At approximately 25 times magnification, the rings become clear. You can see that during the third season growing in optimum conditions, the girth increased almost ten times as fast as it had when in the wild.