The beech tree called “Serce Wzgórza Dalkowskich” from Dalków in Lower Silesia became the European Tree of the Year 2025. The title was announced by an environment group Klub Gaja, who coordinated the competition in Poland. Second place went to the large-leafed fig tree from Portugal and third to the pine tree from Spain.

The results of the plebiscite were announced on Wednesday during a gala ceremony at the European Parliament in Brussels. The Polish tree received nearly 150,000 votes from Internet users. More than 43,000 people voted for the fig tree and nearly 37,000 voted for the pine tree.

“This is great news for the Polish winner, especially for the people and organisations who submitted the beech tree to the competition. The title of European Tree of the Year 2025 will be a great support for the local community, which can build a new story about its beautiful tree from today,” the president of the Gaja Club Jacek Bożek said.

The Polish beech tree from Dalków is a monumental 300-year-old example. It grows in the historic park next to the 16th-century palace in the municipality of Gaworzyce in the Lower Silesian province. Last year, it won the Tree of the Year competition organised by Klub Gaja. The beech received more than 10,500 votes from Internet users.

Jacek Bożek from Gaja Klub reminded us that Polish trees have won the annual European competition, which aims to highlight interesting old trees as important elements of natural and cultural heritage, for the fourth consecutive year.

The 2022, the winner of the European competition was also a Polish tree, 400-year-old Dunin oak, the so-called Guardian of the Białowieża Forest in Przybudki, Podlasie. In 2023, the title of European Tree of the Year was awarded to the 180-year-old Fabrykant oak from Łódź. Last year’s winner was the Heart of the Garden beech from the Arboretum in Wojsławice.

The European Tree of the Year competition is organised by the Brussels-based Environmental Partnership Association (EPA). To date, the competition has already attracted more than 1,000 trees.

In Poland, the competition is coordinated by Klub Gaja, an NGO that deals with environment and animal protection. 

Source: PAP

Photo:@GoTracz

Tomasz Modrzejewski