Twelve Finalists Running for Tree of 2025, Voting Has Started

Banska Bystrica, 5 July (TASR) - A total of 12 candidates from different parts of Slovakia have made it to the finals of the Tree of the Year 2025 poll, with the public to decide in a vote which one will win and receive the prestigious honour, TASR was told by Martina Hromadova from the Banska Bystrica-based Ekopolis Foundation, which is organising the tree competition for the 23rd time. The voting started on Tuesday and will last until the end of September. "We've selected majestic trees for this year's finals, old plane trees, a forgotten oak, a willow with an unusual shape, popular linden trees, but we also have an unusual ginkgo, an oscorus, a pear with a really exceptional taste of fruit and a fading beech, which is now in danger,” stated Hromadova. The first three winning trees will be rewarded with a dendrological report and professional treatment worth €400. The winner automatically advances to the European Tree of the Year final. "The poll is not decided by age or appearance. We're looking for the stories of the trees and the people who are closely intertwined with them. They tell of historical events, first loves or sad fates. Thanks to this, the forgotten old, rare or endangered trees will receive attention," said Hromadova. am/mcs/lin