Transplanting a mature tree

Relocating a tree won't be possible without heavy machinery, at least if the tree is a bit older. Photo: dpa

Transplanting a tree is always risky. While young trees handle the stress quite well, it can be a death sentence for large, established ones. Thorough preparation is therefore essential.

“Every tree adapts to conditions at its long-standing location. It knows exactly which way the wind blows, where it can find water and where nearby trees are – it exchanges information with its surroundings,” says Christian Honig, a tree protection expert at the environment and nature conservation organization Friends of the Earth Germany (Bund).