TREE WEEK CONTINUED

EUROPEAN TREE OF THE YEAR, 2023, CONTINUED

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No 8

Country: France

Tree: The Weeping Beach of Cassel Mount

Species: Weeping Beech

Age: 140 years

Votes: 8867

The Tree’s Story:

The Beech of encounters

He culminates in the central hill of a public park, undulating his weeping branches cradled by the northern winds. His elegant giant silhouette has been growing in the sun for over 140 years, but he is not a loner. Named the Beech of encounters, a lime tree is his nearest friend and he has numerous visitors. Beloved by locals, witness of History, he inspires beautiful poems. People of Cassel obtained the prestigious Remarkable Tree of France label for him, and he won our hearts nationally.

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No 7

Country: United Kingdom

Tree: Waverley Abbey Yew

Species: Yew

Age: 500 years

Votes: 9413

The Tree’s Story:

Spectaular centuries old Yew wins UK Tree of the Year

The winner of UK Tree of the Year 2022 is a yew perching on the ruins of Waverley Abbey, in Surrey, founded 900 years ago by the reforming Cistercian religious order.

After the abbey was dismantled in 1536 following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the yew tree sprung up and has been a faithful guardian of the ruins for nearly 500 years. It is a spectacular tree with roots that sprawl out above ground before plunging into the earth. Its multi-stemmed form is dotted with holes, crevices and areas of decay that provide valuable habitat for wildlife.

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No 6

Country: Spain

Tree: Encina of San Roque

Species: Spanish Oak

Age: 400 years

Votes: 10174

The Tree’s Story:

The oak that resisted and conquered

This holm oak has rooted its roots in the Monte de La Redonda de Colindres for 400 years, watching over the Camino Real that runs at its feet. For centuries, it was spared the massive clearing of the forest, promoted by shipyards, for shipbuilding. In 1778, it's represented on the plan of the Salt Route, as a main reference. His story is a story of resistance: he didn't succumb to adversity and was neither firewood nor coal nor galleon, but a protective tree of travelers and walkers.

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No 5

Country: Portugal

Tree: Eucalyptus of Cortige

Species: Eucalyptis

Age: 144 years

Votes: 10281

The Tree’s Story:

Eucalyptus of Contige

Described by the University of Aveiro as "the largest classified tree in Portugal", it is located on the old National Road (EN 229). Its planting dates back to 1878, when the Donárias road was opened. It may have belonged to the neighboring families Garcia de Mascarenhas, Rio de Moinhos and Xavier do Amaral Carvalho from the county, who married in the 19th century. The monumentality of the tree forced its care, so that the profile of the road gave it the bow it deserved.

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No 4

Country: Italy

Tree: Palermo Botanical Garden's Giant Ficus

Species: Moreton Bay Fig

Age: 173 Years

Votes: 10663

The Tree’s Story:

The ficus of the Unification of Italy

Introduced in 1845, it is the progenitor of the great Italian Ficus trees. The trunk is formed of stems and aerial roots that have merged over time. It develops vertically but extends laterally with large branches supported by columnar aerial roots that turn into tabular roots on the ground. There are as many as 44 secondary stems (some with a circumference of over 3 metres) supporting 11 large branches with horizontal development and a canopy covering an area of almost 3,000 square metres.

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No 3

Country: Ukraine

Tree: Apple Tree Colony from Krolevets

Species: Apple Tree

Age: 220 years

Votes: 14219

The Tree’s Story:

The tree is a symbol of Ukrainian indomitability

The apple tree occupies an area of 0.1 hectares. It’s been a long time since it lost the main trunk, there are now 15 small trunks that have grown into the ground. The feature of the apple tree is the ability to root itself when one of the trunks dies. So far no one has succeeded in transplanting an apple tree to another. People say it heals, walks in the “garden” relieve fatigue and apples rejuvenate. The apple colony survived two World Wars, the Holodomor of 1932-33 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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No 2

Country: Slovakia

Tree: Common Oak – Dragon Oak

Species: Common Oak

Age: 700 years

Votes: 18198

The Tree’s Story:

Dragon oak

The tree resembles a sitting dragon. Although his bark is rough and scarred, everyone feels safe around him. Hidden in the forest, it has protected the locals for centuries - from the first settlers who helped build the nearby Pajštún Castle, through merchants and immigrants from Croatia. He also oversaw the construction of the forest railway, which has long outlived its usefulness. Logging is currently taking place in its vicinity. Hopefully, the Dragon Oak will be saved for future generations as well.

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No 1

Country: Poland

Tree: Oak Fabrykant

Species: Common Oak

Age: 180 Years

Votes: 45718

The Tree’s Story:

King of oaks in a sea of flowers

This is one of the most original trees in Poland, a symbol of longevity and wisdom. Its unique shape attracts visitors to the park Klepacz in Łódź. One of its branches is s-shaped and is over 20 m long. Its canopy reaches an impressive 33 m. In the spring we can admire sapphire meadows around the oak, full of glories of the snow and siberian squills enhancing the noble nature of the tree.