BRITAIN’S tallest Christmas tree has been lit ready for the festive season.

The giant redwood, which is the tallest living Christmas tree in England, is now 37 metres tall and has been decorated with 1,800 LED lights at Wakehurst near Ardingly.

Arborists and horticultural staff started early in the morning and spent seven hours adorning the tree.

It was planted in the 1890s and was one of the first exotic trees on the estate, which is run by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Pilots are said to use the tree as a beacon when landing their planes at nearby Gatwick.

The tradition of decorating the tree, which has taken place for 25 years, marks the start of preparations of the botanical garden’s winter lantern festival, Glow Wild.

Thousands of tickets have been sold so far.

Glow Wild takes place on Thursday to Sunday until December 22.

A dozen artists have created installations that can be found along the magical trail, including willow tunnels with dancing shadows by renowned sculptor Tom Hare.

New this year, a bespoke atmospheric soundscape created by Brighton-based artists Ithaca will guide visitors along their journey through the wintry landscape.

This year’s trail has been inspired by more than 500 acres of botanic collections and explores the resilience of trees.

Visitors can wind their way through a newly designed winter treescape, spot seed-shaped lanterns and marvel at the mesmerising projection on the Mansion created by artist and producer Jony Easterby.

Glow Wild’s creative lead, Iain Parkinson says: “Glow Wild is now a must-see event in the region, and the Wakehurst team have been busy behind the scenes to make it more exciting than ever - it takes over 600 hours of staff and volunteer time to make over 800 lanterns by hand, and we also invite local schools to get involved.

"I hope in its sixth year, Glow Wild will continue to delight visitors with new artists, a festive atmosphere and the beauty of Wakehurst after dark.”