júlí 2022

The sycamore at Suðurgata was planted by the merchant Nicolaj Bjarnason and his family in 1918. The tree stands at over 10 m tall, with a large and even canopy. It has often borne ripe seeds and thus has descendants all over the country. Sycamore grows quite well in Iceland, although it is relatively slow growing and needs fertile soils and care in its youth. In its original habitats it can reach a height of 20-25 m and an age of at least 500 years, so the sycamore at Suðurgata still has a long life ahead of it.

Location of the tree on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/DMSSYtHQf8Kz7wHs6

An article (in Icelandic) from Skógræktarritið – The Journal of the Icelandic Forestry Association about the tree (here).

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After no nominations for a Tree of the Year from the first tree in 1989 the project was re-launched in 1993, with expanded criteria (rarity, historical interest, beauty, unique positions etc.) with a birch tree in Fljótsdalur selected by the forest farmer Helgi Hallgrímsson as the Tree of the Year 1993. The tree stands in Skógarbali on the land of the farm Vallholt, along with four other birch trees, that have been nicknamed “eikurnar á Skógarbala” (“the oaks at Skógarbali”, large trees in the area have traditionally been referred to as “oaks”) and that are the last remnants of a large birch forest that used to cover the area. A local poet has written an ode to the tree, and the cluster of birch trees used to be a popular rest spot for travellers. The trees date back to the late 19^th century, so are well over a century old.

Location on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/R4uS8v6sFsoVEgPZ9

An article (in Icelandic) from Skógræktarritið – The Journal of the Icelandic Forestry Association about the tree (here).

This first Tree of the Year was selected by Sigurður Blöndal, former head of the Icelandic Forestry Service and is a birch tree, standing in the outskirts of Vaglaskógur, near one of the main forest roads. At the time the tree was described as being tall for birch trees in Iceland, around 10 m in height and forming a single trunk up to about 3 m height, much broader than most birches. The bark was white and smooth, and the canopy is large, splitting into five main branches forming a larger canopy than most birch trees found in Iceland.

An article (in Icelandic) from Skógræktarritið – The Journal of the Icelandic Forestry Association about the tree (here).