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Polish oak in race for European Tree of the Year title

06.02.2023 08:00
A 180-year-old common oak, nicknamed "Fabrykant" [Factory owner], which grows in the central Polish city of Łódź, is among entries from 16 countries competing for the 2023 European Tree of the Year award.
Fabrykant, an 180-year-old common oak growing in the central Polish city of Łódź.
"Fabrykant," an 180-year-old common oak growing in the central Polish city of Łódź. Śryż, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

One of the most original trees in Poland, Fabrykant is notable for its unique structure, according to officials. 

Featuring an over 20-metres long, S-shaped branch, it is 22.5 metres high and boasts a 33-metre-wide canopy. 

The European Tree of the Year website describes it as “a symbol of longevity and wisdom.”

Launched in 2011, the European Tree of the Year contest is organised by the Environmental Partnership Association, a consortium of six foundations from Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, which support community-based projects to protect the environment.

The winner will be decided by an online vote at www.treeoftheyear.org, which runs until the end of February, the organisers said.

The 2023 Tree of the Year title will be granted at a ceremony in Brussels, Belgium, on March 21.

Polish candidates have won the competition three times to date. The 2022 winner was Dunin, an oak from the northeastern village of Przybudki, also known as The Guardian of the Białowieża Forest.  

(mk/pm)