Spain once again throws its full support behind the competition Tree of the Year, a competition that seeks to highlight those specimens that, in addition to their botanical valueThey hold a strong historical, social, and emotional significance for their communities. In the current national edition, two very special candidates are capturing much of the public's attention: a Centenary ficus tree in Seville or with a emblematic hackberry tree in Zaragoza, both supported by campaigns of support and neighborhood mobilization.
Beyond their simple scenic beauty, these trees have become authentic symbols of the neighborhood and the citySilent witnesses to several generations and profound urban changes. The public vote, open until mid-December, will determine which specimen wins the state title and, consequently, who will represent Spain in the European competition, which focuses on the natural heritage shared by different communities across the continent.
The ficus tree at CEIP Huerta de Santa Marina: a century of shade and school in Seville
In the heart of Seville's Old Town, the ficus from the CEIP Huerta de Santa Marina Over time, it has earned a prominent place in the collective memory of the neighborhood. Planted after the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and relocated around 1934, when the school was still known as Padre Manjón, this specimen bears almost a hundred years, like others Centenary treescasting shade to generations of girls and boys during their recess, games, and school activities.
The tree is not just a decorative element of the patio, but forms part of what many neighbors consider the Seville's natural and emotional heritageGraduations, outdoor educational activities, and neighborhood gatherings have all taken place under its branches, to the point that for much of the neighborhood, it's difficult to imagine the school without it. This deep-rooted connection to the community has been one of the key factors in its selection for the national competition.
In the current edition, this ficus has been chosen as the only Andalusian representative in the state Tree of the Year competition. The nomination has the institutional support from the Seville City Councilwhose mayor has publicly emphasized the importance of supporting these types of awards, which highlight the connection between public education and the conservation of urban trees.
During a visit to the center, the Seville councilor stressed that this specimen is a living symbol of the city's historylinking its trajectory to a commitment to a natural heritage that supports the educational community. The institutional message has been clear: to have a real chance of winning, it is essential to mobilize as many residents as possible from Seville, Andalusia, and the rest of the country.
Citizen participation is channeled through the voting on the official website of the contestwhere each person can choose their favorite tree from among the different nominations and categories proposed. The organization has set the December 16th as the deadline to cast the vote, which leaves a few decisive weeks in which the dissemination on social networks and in local media has intensified considerably.
If this historic ficus manages to reach first place in the national ranking, it will have the opportunity to represent Spain in the European Tree of the Year competition. For Seville and for Andalusia, it would mean seeing their name in an international showcase that highlights the management and protection of remarkable trees as part of the shared European heritage.
The hackberry tree in Bruil Park: living memory and urban resistance in Zaragoza
In Zaragoza, hundreds of kilometers from the Seville schoolyard, another tree is attracting attention: the hackberry tree of Bruil Park, known in Aragonese as litonero. It is a robust, large specimen with a smooth trunk and gray bark, which for decades has served as meeting point for residents and visitors in one of the green lungs from the Aragonese capital.
This tree, estimated to have withstood environmental changes for over a hundred years, has closely observed the historical evolution of the neighborhood and the cityVarious environmental commentators describe it as a "symbol of life and hope," especially relevant in a context of pressure on urban green spaces and recurring debates about the future of Bruil Park itself.
The recent history of the hackberry tree is marked by an episode of public concern. In 2015, several associations called on the Zaragoza City Council to intervene. arboriculture experts Given the signs of deterioration the specimen showed, one of the main concerns was the compaction of the soil around it, which could compromise the health of the roots and, consequently, its growth in the medium and long term.
Following these complaints and requests, in 2017 the council decided fence and protect the immediate surroundings of the treelimiting traffic and other activities that could stress it. According to the organizations promoting its candidacy, these measures have allowed the hackberry tree to recover much of its splendor and remain lush and vigorous today, as an example of what can be achieved when citizen mobilization and municipal management are combined.
Bruil Park, where the hackberry tree is located, also has a unique history. In the past, these lands belonged to Augustinian friars and later passed into the hands of the banker Juan Bruil, who transformed the area into an estate with wide variety of trees and shrubsIn the mid-80s, there were still around a thousand specimens of about fifty different species, making the area one of the richest botanical areas in the city.
Over time, that area has been used for a wide variety of purposes: it housed Real Zaragoza's football field, a dog track, and even a car park during the civil warDespite the changes and different phases, the hackberry tree remained standing, acting as a witness to social, sporting, and urban transformations. In 1956, the City Council finally acquired the property to turn it into the current public park that retains the surname of its former owner.
Today, this tree is described as a living witness to the history of the neighborhood and the cityThis element reflects the respect for nature of several generations and, at the same time, symbolizes the neighborhood struggles to protect trees from felling, aggressive pruning, or controversial urban development projects. In a context of rising temperatures and heat wavesIts cup is also perceived as a essential climate shelter to enjoy the park during the hottest months.
The hackberry's candidacy for Tree of the Year has arisen from the impetus of a broad citizens' movementNeighborhood, cultural, educational, and environmental associations from various nearby districts (San AgustÃn, TenerÃas, La Magdalena, San Miguel, and Las Fuentes, among others) have joined forces to promote voting. Many of these groups see this competition as an opportunity to demand a change in the city's urban tree management policy.
Those who support the candidacy recall the precedent of the ancient holm oak of LecinaIn Huesca, a tree that achieved significant European recognition at the same competition has become a benchmark and an inspiration for those who argue that the old hackberry tree of Bruil also deserves a prominent place on the European map of remarkable trees.
Voting, citizen participation and European focus
The Tree of the Year competition works based on a open popular voteAnyone can participate through the official website of the competition. The website showcases the various candidates and provides basic information about their history, their environment, and the reasons justifying their protection and enhancement.
In this edition, both the ficus tree at the CEIP Huerta de Santa Marina school and the hackberry tree in Bruil Park share a key element: their candidacy is supported by an intensive outreach campaign in local media, social networks, and on-site activities. In Seville, the City Council has made a direct appeal for neighbors from all over Andalusia get involved, emphasizing that every vote can be decisive in the final result.
In Zaragoza, the impetus comes primarily from the neighborhood and environmental groupsThey organize meetings and support events around Bruil Park itself. These events serve both to campaign for votes and to recall the history of the park and emphasize the importance of maintaining and caring for urban trees, at a time when various groups are denouncing mass tree felling or the progressive deterioration of existing trees.
The deadline to support the candidates extends until December 16The date on which voting will close, the count will begin, and the National Tree of the Year will be officially announced. Expectations are high, as this selection will determine which tree will travel, at least symbolically, to the next stage: the European competitionwhere selected trees from different countries will compete.
Although the rivalry between the Seville ficus and the Zaragoza hackberry often appears in local headlines and debates, both share a fundamental message: the need to recognize the value of the nature integrated into the urban fabricBoth school playgrounds and historic parks are becoming key spaces for addressing challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and the search for more habitable environments.
Underlying this is a broader reflection on how cities and towns are conceived in Spain and Europe. The protection of these trees is not limited to preserving an isolated specimen, but rather raises questions about the future. changes in focus in urban planningprioritizing greenery, shade and biodiversity over harsher models, with a predominance of concrete and a lack of climate refuges.
The role of remarkable trees in European cities
The Tree of the Year competition not only highlights the uniqueness of certain specimens, but also helps to bring to the forefront the strategic role of trees in European citiesIn recent years, many cities have begun to strengthen their renaturalization policies, aware that urban trees improve air quality, reduce the heat island effect, and offer spaces of psychological well-being for citizens.
In this context, examples such as the Seville ficus and the Zaragoza hackberry become practical cases of coexistence between natural heritage and everyday lifeThese are trees that are not just looked at, but experienced: families that gather in their shade, schoolchildren who play around them, associations that organize to protect them when a threat or a project arises that may affect them.
The experience of Spanish cities that have already seen some of their trees recognized at a European level, as happened with the aforementioned Lecina holm oakThis reinforces the idea that these competitions can have tangible effects, ranging from greater institutional awareness to changes in municipal regulations, and including the creation of interpretive trails or educational activities centered around these unique specimens.
Meanwhile, various groups point out that symbolic recognition must be accompanied by a responsible and sustainable management over timeIt is not enough to obtain a title or a specific award if, afterwards, urban planning or political decisions do not guarantee the effective protection of trees or prevent unnecessary felling, inadequate pruning or excessive urban pressures.
As the Tree of the Year competition gains visibility in Spain and other European countries, expectations and public scrutiny also increase. Each campaign, each nomination, and each final decision contributes to fueling a social debate on the city model that is to be built, in which trees such as the Sevillian ficus or the Zaragozan hackberry are more than just a pretty landscape: they are a reminder of the need to live with nature, even in the most densely urbanized spaces.
The election that will take place via digital ballots before the end of the year will not, in itself, resolve these challenges, but it will mark a milestone for the community that wins the title and for those who have worked to defend it. In both Seville and Zaragoza, the result will serve to gauge the extent to which citizens are willing to actively get involved in protecting their green heritageand to reinforce the idea that unique trees can be, at the same time, memory, climate refuge and a source of shared pride.
