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The UK Tree of the Year, Wrexham's sweet chestnut, placed 10th in 2024's European Tree of the Year competition.
Now in it's fourteenth year, Tree of the Year has been searching for trees across Europe with the most interesting stories. The UK entry for 2024, Wrexham's sweet chestnut, placed 10th in the international competition.
The winner of UK Tree of the Year 2023 was a sweet chestnut in Acton Park, Wrexham. Our national contest celebrated urban trees in our neighbourhoods, each one a locally-loved ancient or veteran tree with a fascinating story and incredible benefits for wildlife, communities and the environment.
Thought to be almost 500 years old, the giant sweet chestnut is a symbol of resilience in the city, having weathered challenges from post-war plundering of the park for firewood in the forties to dozens of deadly storms. The tree is celebrated and loved by locals for its beauty and history, and often the centrepiece for picnics and tree parties.
The results are in
The sweet chestnut was pitted against other special trees that had won national contests around Europe, but only one can be crowned the European Tree of the Year 2024.
Following online voting throughout February, the results were announced on 20 March. The Wrexham sweet chestnut came 10th with 7,180 votes.
- 1st place: The Heart of the Garden, Poland, 39,158 votes
- 2nd place: The Weeping Beech of Bayeux, France, 24,807 votes
- 3rd place: The Thousand-year-old Olive Tree of Luras, Italy, 13,933 votes.