Quercus rubra Chosen Tree of the Year in Germany

The Tree of the Year Association (Der Verein Baum des Jahres e.V.) was founded in 1972 by Dr. Silvius Wodarz. It was first called the Wahlstedt Environmental Protection Association and was one of the early German environmental organizations. In 1983 it supported the launch of the “Save the Forest” campaign, influenced by the debate about the so-called “forest dieback” (Waldsterben). Each year since 1989 it highlights a tree species by proclaiming a “Tree of the Year” and a respective tree king or queen.

The association got off to an excellent start (from an IOS perspective) by choosing Quercus robur (pedunculate oak) as Tree of the Year in 1989. Quercus petraea (sessile oak) followed in 2014. For 2025 the Tree of the Year is Q. rubra, known locally as Amerikanische Rot-Eiche (American red oak). According to Eike Jablonski, former IOS President and one of the 27 members of the board of trustees that selects the Tree of the Year, the decision was controversial, as this is a non-native species and even considered invasive in some regions in Europe. It is not the first time a non-native species was chosen: Robinia pseucoacacia was Tree of the Year in 2020.

“In times of climate change, [Q. rubra] is becoming increasingly important,” said Georg Schirmbeck, Patron of the Tree of the Year 2025. “Its ability to thrive even in dry locations makes it an important component of German forests. It stands for resilience and sustainable forestry.”

Learn more about Germany’s Tree of the Year 2025 on the Baum des Jahres’ website here and read a message from Victoria Wolf, the German Tree Queen 2025, here (in German but easily translatable using your internet browser).