One of the world's biggest trees is being worshipped by a couple who have chosen it as their new surname.

Mark Selby, 44, his partner Dominique Naddeo, 35, have picked Bedgebury Pinetum at Goudhurst to celebrate their name change to Sequoia.

Their seven month old daughter Bethany Grace will also taken the name of the giant redwood tree, which has survived for thousands of years and was named after a native Indian chief.

Mark, an education consultant, explained: "It all started a couple of years ago when I used to visit Bedgebury where they have some wonderful specimens and introduced my partner to the giant redwoods.

"I then went travelling and visited lots of forests. It was while I was in the middle of a redwood forest that I heard my partner was pregnant. We are spiritual people and believe the ceremony will mark a right of passage."

On Friday, the couple and Bethany Grace who live in south London, will be holding a get together at the pinetum for family and friends. The invitation explained it is not a wedding and not a christening but "it is a sequoia day".

There will be readings, peotry and declarations of the couple's love for each other and Bethany Grace, as well as a picnic among the trees.

When asked what he thought, the pinetum's curator Chris Reynolds said: "Why not? The sequoia is a beautiful tree and named after one of the Indian chiefs who is quite an historical figure."