A grey poplar at Austurgata 12 was nominated as Tree of the Year inn 2006. The species is rare in Iceland – four others are known in Hafnarfjörður, 4-6 in Reykjavík and one in Akureyri. The tree at Austurgata has a fairly interesting position, as it leans in part on and grows around a concrete fence on the edge of the garden, after almost falling over in a massive storm in 1972. Little information has been found on the age or origin of the tree, but a tree ring age analysis of a core sample indicates the tree was planted prior to 1940, most likely in the early 1930’s. The tree most likely came from the tree nursery run by Einar Helgason, who imported a number of grey poplars in 1932. The tree was measured at the nomination ceremony and was 11,1 m in height, with a large crown around 10 m in diameter. The tree splits into two roughly equal trunks at around chest height (1,3 m).
Location on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/r8EFbwhSMdRPmX8E7
