The competition for the European Tree of the Year 2023 is coming to an end. Voting for the most interesting tree of the Old Continent lasts until the last day of February. This year, Poland is represented by the 180-year-old Oak Fabrykant from Łódź – a majestic plant that is a witness to the industrial history of the city.
The competition for the European Tree of the Year for 13 years has drawn attention to the most interesting trees from all over Europe, which are important elements of natural and cultural heritage. Beautiful trees from our country have also participated in the competition for many years.
European Tree of the Year 2023. Oak Fabrykant from Łódź
In 2023, the representative of Poland is Dąb Fabrykant from Łódź. This 180-year-old tree attracts attention with its unusual shape – one of its branches is over 20 meters long and runs almost parallel to the ground. Fabrykant grows in Park im. Fr. bishop Michał Klepacz, belonging to the Lodz University of Technology. It looks especially beautiful in the spring, against the background of the blue flowering Siberian squill. It is these features that made the oak win the Polish Tree of the Year 2022 competition, organized by the ecological organization Klub Gaja.
– A great Polish tree can win the European Tree of the Year competition – explained Jacek Bożek from Klub Gaja. – Building social capital around and for trees has not only an ecological dimension. It is creating a story about our locality and the history of the place. The tree can become a symbol of our relationship with nature. This is what we need as local communities that are looking for new identities and values. By voting for Fabrykant, we are voting for Łódź and her amazing story.
Oak Fabrykant from LodzClub Gaja/Jakub Kubka
Competition from all over Europe
16 trees from all over Europe, which won in national competitions, compete for the title of European Tree of the Year 2023. All of them are connected by extraordinary stories and the fact that they are an important part of local life and the pride of the inhabitants. They belong to a variety of species – from homely pedunculate oaks, apple trees and pear to holm oak and eucalyptus, which are unheard of in Polish flora.
If Fabrykant manages to beat its competitors, it will join the honorable group of Polish winners of this award. In 2017, the winner of the competition was Oak Józef from Wiśniowa in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, and in 2022 the title of European Tree of the Year was awarded to Oak Dunin, Guardian of the Białowieża Forest.
Voting for the European Tree of the Year 2023 ends on Tuesday, February 28 at 11:59 p.m.
Tree of the Year, Klub Gaja
Main photo source: Club Gaja/Jakub Kubka