The Oldest Tree in Estonia

Tamme-Lauri oak, the thickest and oldest tree in Estonia, located in Urvaste Parish, Võru County. The height of the tree is 17 metres (56 ft) with a circumference of 831 centimetres (327 in). According to researchers the tree was planted around 1326. [source]

Tamme-Lauri oak is depicted on the back side of the Estonian ten kroon banknote and the land where the tree is located was bought by the Estonian Ministry of the Environment in 2006. The oak has been under protection since 1939. [source]

The oak has been hit repeatedly by lighting, damaging the branches, and the center has become empty as a result of the multiple strikes. Before the center cavity was filled with 8 tonnes (18,000 lb) of reinforced concrete, seven people could stand inside the cavity. [source]

Estonia officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia (343 km), and to the east by Lake Peipus and Russia (338.6 km). Across the Baltic Sea lies Sweden in the west and Finland in the north. The territory of Estonia covers 45,227 km² (17,462 sq mi), and is influenced by a humid continental climate.

This photo was taken last September and was a finalist for the 2013 Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year.