The last two extremely hot summers have caused much damage to Europe’s forests. According to a German report, only 21% of trees had their crowns intact last year. The rest had suffered serious damage or the trees had died completely.

For this reason we must think about the future of trees, or rather the trees of the future. If you want to plant a tree, something we should all do at least once in our lives, you must choose a species that can cope with the climate crisis in the best possible way.

7 trees resistant to heat, drought and storms

Trees that resist climate change have not yet been found, but the next seven trees are quite hardy.

The general rule is that The trees of the future must be able to put down deep roots to access water resources buried underground. The first three trees on the list are therefore quite large and less suitable for the city or the garden.

1. The lesser maple (acer campestre) of the variety «Elsrijk» It tends to show good development despite heat and drought.
2. The Turkish Oak (Quercus cerris) also behaves very well. It is characterized by strong growth. It can reach 11 meters in height and the crown is wide.
3. The American Linden (American Tilia) is an imposing tree that exceeds 20 meters in height and has a pyramidal crown. It withstands drought and urban climate very well.
4. The flower ash (Fraxinus ornus) is a type of medium-sized tree that is easy to prune. However, it is so robust that it can be considered a future-proof tree. In addition, it is also suitable for gardens.
5. The urban elms (Ulmus ‘urban’) are trees that have proven to be very resistant to storms and are especially suitable for colder climates, such as that of the north of the peninsula.
6. The silver birch (Betula pendula) has been shown to be very tolerant to heat and drought stress.
7. The common ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) is as heat resistant as silver birch, but somewhat less drought tolerant.

Urban trees and climate change

The trees of the cities They will have a very bad time with climate change and they are already suffering many attacks right now:

• Pollutants in the air.
• contaminated soils and compacted, which retain little water.
• Lack of nutrients on the ground.
• High urine load (of dogs).
• Injuries to roots, bark and branches for construction work and accidents.
• Lack of sunlight due to tall buildings.

In addition to these stress factors, they will have to face the consequences of climate change with a increased heat and longer periods of drought.

In cities, there is an «urban climate» where the average temperature is 2 to 3 degrees higher than in the surrounding open countryside. Therefore, the need for action is especially high in urban areas.

Why are trees so important in cities?

in the citytrees are essential because:

• They create a refreshing microclimate.
• They act as a filter for fine dust, which is very harmful to health.
• They give shade.
• They provide habitat for many animal species.
• They increase biodiversity.

Furthermore, green oases in urban areas They have a suction effect during heavy rains and store enormous amounts of water. This reduces the risk of flooding.

New diseases and pests

When the trees are already very stressed and weakeneddiseases and pests have more opportunities.

Pathogens (organisms that cause disease) are closely related to heat and drought. This means that if there are trees that can cope with climate change, they are also more resistant to pests and pathogens and fewer pesticides will be used.

Prolonged droughts, together with extreme heat, favor, for example, maple sooty bark disease. The triggering pathogen here is a fungus, which also has the potential to harm people’s health.

There are many other pests and diseases that emerge with special force in relation to climate change and globalization, such as the oak processionary moth or the Pseudomonas syringae, which affects many chestnut trees.