The top-voted trees from 15 competing countries were announced today at a ceremony held in the European Parliament. A pine tree representing Spain secured the third position with nearly 37,000 votes in total.
A fig tree from Portugal garnered over 43,000 votes, while the winner stood out with more than 147,000 votes. More than 400,000 votes were recorded overall in the competition.
In a statement, the Union for the Mediterranean Forest (UNAC), which organizes the competition in Portugal, noted that Poland clinched the title for the fourth consecutive year. This time, the winning tree was a beech located in the Dalkowskie Hills.
Upon receiving the distinction, Polish representatives emphasized the beech’s story, describing it as a unifying symbol where people gather for concerts, book clubs, and even masses, with over 5,000 people participating in horticulture and forest therapy workshops.
Entrepreneur Miguel Júdice, honored at the ceremony for achieving second place, highlighted the virtue of planting trees that may not come to full maturity within one’s lifetime. He also mentioned the connection to the tree of Quinta das Lágrimas, owned by his family.
The Figueira dos Amores is part of the living heritage of the Gardens of Quinta das Lágrimas, located in Santa Clara, Coimbra. Last month, when it was announced as Portugal’s representative, Miguel Júdice, president of Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas, noted: “This is perhaps the most iconic tree in the Garden of Quinta das Lágrimas. I thought it had the potential to be the Portuguese tree of the year, and following the win in the national contest, we moved to the European competition.”
This Australian tree, approximately 150 years old, stands about 35 meters tall, with a trunk circumference of 15 meters and a canopy spanning roughly 40 meters in diameter.
Located in the garden near the Fonte dos Amores, a spot associated with the love story of Pedro and Inês, the tree was planted in the 19th century by an aristocratic tree collector as part of a seed exchange with Sydney’s Botanic Garden. Its impressive branches, trunk, and roots draw considerable attention.
During today’s ceremony, Florika Fink-Hooijer from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment highlighted the celebration of trees and the connection between people and nature. She emphasized the power of trees as symbols of life and strength and their role in nature restoration.
The European Tree of the Year contest began in 2011, inspired by a similar event in the Czech Republic. Its goal is to find not only the most aesthetically pleasing tree but also one with a compelling story that connects it to the local community.
The European Tree of the Year Contest is organized by the Environmental Partnership Association (EPA) and the Partnership Environmental Foundation, with support from the European Landowners’ Organisation (ELO).
UNAC joined the initiative as the national organizer in 2018, the same year a Portuguese tree won the international contest.
