A 300-year-old Polish beech has won the annual competition that highlights significant trees
A beech tree in Poland has been named the European Tree of the Year for 2025 after the results of the online public vote were announced in March. A banyan tree in Portugal and a Spanish pine took second and third places. The UK’s entrant was the Skippinish Oak, a 400-year-old tree located in Lochaber, Scotland, which finished in seventh place. Each of the 15 trees nominated has a remarkable story; we learn more about some of them here.
The Heart of the Dalkowskie Hills
Known locally as the Heart of the Dalkowskie Hills, this year’s winning tree grows in a historic park in Dalków, Lower Silesia, Poland. The red leaves of the 300-year-old common beech remind people of a heart, hence its nickname, and the local community love to sit under its branches. Concerts, reading clubs and Catholic Masses have been held under this tree, and over 5,000 people have taken part in horticultural and sylvotherapy (also known as forest bathing) workshops here. A local custom is to think of wishes and throw peanuts into the hole in the tree, believing that the tree makes dreams come true.
The Lovers Banyan Tree
Portugal’s nomination, the 150-year-old Lovers Banyan Tree, finished in second place in the public vote. This majestic evergreen tree grows in the Quinta das Lágrimas Gardens next to the Fountain of Lovers in Santa Clara; this location was the scene of the secret love affair between King Pedro of Portugal and Inês de Castro. It was planted in the 19th century by an aristocratic tree collector as the result of seed exchanges with the Sydney Botanical Garden. Today, it is admired by thousands of visitors, who are fascinated by the size and beauty of its branches, huge trunk and buttress roots.
The Pino de Juan Molinera
Third place went to the Pino de Juan Molinera from Abengibre in Albacete, Spain. Planted almost 400 years ago to give shelter and rest to the day labourers of the surrounding orchards, this stone pine tree keeps the history and memories of more than a dozen generations of Agengibre’s people: children’s games, snacks, popular celebrations, confidences while sharing their sweet pine nuts and, of course, beautiful love stories were also born under its protection. As symbols of its strength, it proudly displays the harsh tests to which time has subjected it. It has survived devastating floods, major snowstorms and was even struck by lightning in the middle of the last century.
The Skippinish Oak
After winning UK Tree of the Year, the Skippinish Oak finished in seventh place. This magnificent 400-year-old common oak stands tall in an airy clearing amid a dark spruce plantation in the heart of Lochaber, Scotland. Impressive in stature and history, it’s one of the largest oaks in the region and a local treasure, partially named after the renowned Scottish Celtic band. This amazing tree is also a crucial part of the ecosystem and hosts diverse lichens including the rare black-eyed Susan, which is seldom found outside the west of Scotland.
About the competition
The European Tree of the Year is a contest that highlights the significance of trees in the natural and cultural heritage of Europe and the importance of the ecosystem services trees provide. The contest is not looking for the most beautiful tree, but for a tree with a story, a tree rooted in the lives and work of the people and the community that surrounds it. For more information, visit: www.treeoftheyear.org