"Silent pillars" - winners of the European Tree of the Year

A 400 year old tree in the Lithuanian village of Rukai, known as the ‘Oak of Laukiai’, has been named the 2026 European Tree of the Year.

Photo credits: Lithuania - Vytautas Želvys (top); Slovakia - Martin Babarik (bottom left); Poland - Piotra Piasta (bottom right).

Known only to the people of the small village and almost forgotten, the local community restored the area around the tree and organised a celebration in its honour in 2025 - as captured in this video.

Speaking at the award ceremony in Brussels on 24 March, Michael Wiezik, a Member of the European Parliament from Slovakia, said:

"Old, magnificent trees are like silent pillars of our time … In their rings lies the memory of the landscape and of society, reminding us all that true stability does not arise from haste, but from patient and quiet growth. When we care for them, we are not only protecting nature, but also our own ability to stay rooted in unsettled times and to remember all the days that have shaped our present.”

Rounding out the top three places, the Old Wild Apple Tree nominated by the municipality of the village of Žiar in Slovakia placed second, followed by Poland’s Crooked Elm of Szydlowiec.

This was the 15th edition of the awards, with other finalists supported by vigorous lobbying from Latvia, Croatia, Portugal, Czech Republic, Hungary, France, the Netherlands, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

See also:

Trees, #LandscapeExpandedStephen Olsen