500 year old lime tree in Leliceni Romania named Europe’s tree of the year, awarded at Brussels 

A 500 year old lime tree in Leliceni, Romania was awarded at Brussels after winning the European contest of “European Tree of the year”, Romania’s Foreign Affairs ministry informs. The lime tree received over 20,000 votes. The tree is 500 years old, is 20 meters high and 390 cm thick.

The award is a trophy made by an artist from the Czech Republic. The lime tree beat other old trees from Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia and Czech Republic. The purpose of the contest was to identify the most loved tree in Europe and raise awareness of the public on the local natural patrimony and the need to protect the environment.

The lime tree in Romania was declared a monument of nature in 1992. Representatives of the organization that registered the lime tree in the competition said that the tree was most probably planted in 1500.